Global Vision International (GVI), based in Exeter, offered charitable travel programmes across the globe for 28 years, providing placements in conservation, education, and community development in countries such as Costa Rica and Fiji.

The company announced its closure at the start of July, leaving customers unable to travel.

Many of those affected are gap year students and recent graduates who had paid for placements intended to boost their education and career prospects.

UK travel company GVI enters liquidation

GVI offered programmes including nature and conservation trips, including locations such as Costa Rica, Fiji and more.

It was part of the “voluntourism” sector, combining voluntary work with adventure travel, and was popular with school leavers and gap year students.

The news of GVI entering liquidation was revealed suddenly.

Andrew Valentine, chief executive of GVI, issued a statement on its website, saying: “For nearly three decades, GVI has been far more than just an organisation.

“It has been a global family with a shared vision.

“It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I write to share that GVI is today closing its doors.

“This is a deeply sad conclusion to a remarkable journey, but as we navigate this final chapter, we look back with immense pride and gratitude for everything we achieved together.”

The statement continues: “Over the last 28 years, we successfully supported critical wildlife and marine conservation projects to safeguard endangered ecosystems, partnered with local communities through collaborative education and sustainable livelihood initiatives, and welcomed an incredible network of alumni who continue to advocate for our planet.

“GVI may be coming to an end, but the impact we have built together on the ground is too important to let go.

“Because of this, our hope is that the conservation and community initiatives continue.

“While the journey will look different in the future, our personal dedication to supporting our on-the-ground partners remains unchanged, and it is my sincere wish that our global community will continue to carry that flame forward.”

Mr Valentine also expressed regret for the impact on participants and assured that GVI staff would support those on placement.

All participants have been told that programmes are cancelled, and they should expect formal instructions about how to lodge claims with liquidators.

GVI offered trips to various places such as Costa Rica (pictured), FIji, and more (Image: Getty Images)

Students left out of pocket after UK travel company GVI closes

Amy Taylor, 21, from Manchester, had paid £4,000 for a conservation internship in South Africa.

“I was so happy within myself when I got accepted,” she told BBC Newsbeat.

“I was just so excited about the future that I might have.

“There’s essentially absolutely nothing I can do about it.”

Ms Taylor, who is studying wildlife conservation and zoo biology, said the experience was meant to help her stand out to employers and launch her career after graduation.

She said that she is relying on her bank to reclaim her money as her travel insurance was booked through GVI.

Amy said: “If I don’t get the money back, I can’t go anywhere else and I don’t really trust anyone at the moment to be able to go anywhere else.

“It didn’t seem like they were struggling – everything looked professional.”

Another customer, Anna, said she was set to fly to Cambodia in July with GVI for a four-week research fellowship.

The university student from Cheshire says her trip cost more than £2,500, and that she has so far only been able to claim back part of her flight.

Another student, Linus Rowland-Bell, 23, from Liverpool, paid £2,258 for a placement in the Amazon rainforest in Peru after discovering GVI at a university careers fair.

He said: “To save up that money I worked two days a week alongside my studies.”

Mr Rowland-Bell reported concerns after repeated delays and contradictory communication from the company.

He eventually received an email from the Peru centre on June 28 saying it could not accept new participants because GVI had not paid it for six months.

Two days later, customers were notified of GVI’s liquidation.

He said: “The thought of all that money, all that time that I’ve saved up, that excitement completely vanishing into the ether, it was terrifying.”

Mr Rowland-Bell managed to reclaim the full amount through his bank.

Newsquest has approached RG Insolvency, who are overseeing GVI’s liquidation, for comment.

Other UK travel companies that have closed in 2026

The closure of GVI follows several UK-based travel companies that have shut down so far this year.

Nine other UK travel companies which have ceased trading in 2026:

Recommended reading:

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation this year:

• Ascend Airways (liquidation)
• EcoJet Airlines (liquidation)
• Zenith Aviation Limited (administration)
• European Cargo (administration)

Have any of the above travel company closures affected you this year? Let us know in the comments.

Last night, far from the thunder of this escalation, its parliament quietly introduced a new bill to manage the strait called the Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.

That news was posted on X by Ebrahim Azizi, head of the assembly’s national security commission, who told us in April that controlling the waterway was Iran’s “inalienable right”.

When asked when Iran would cede control, his reply was short and sharp – “never.”

He described it as an “asset to face the enemy”.

Iran’s zero trust in the US’ promises, fuelled by the repeated eruptions of war or threats during negotiations, have cemented its resolve.

Control over the strait is seen not just as a bargaining chip in this impasse, it also sees it as its new leverage, a new form of deterrence, as well as an economic lifeline – in case sanctions never get lifted, and its assets worldwide remain frozen.

But Tehran’s determination to rewrite the rules in the region is also causing tension with its neighbours including Qatar, one of the main mediators in this crisis, as well as Iran’s longstanding traditional ally Oman, which has played a role for decades behind the scenes.

Countries like the United Arab Emirates have made it crystal clear that Iran’s plans to play a controlling role, including charging some form of “service fees” is unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent.

A source informed on the back and forth said Oman had objected to Iran’s inclusion of a specific mention in the agreement in that same contested fifth point – that Iran “will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services”.

Muscat now finds itself caught between the wishes of Washington, and Tehran wants to maintain, above all else, its longstanding reputation as the region’s discreet diplomatic middleman.

“Oman has been very patient with the Iranians trying to keep good neighbourly relations,” Omani analyst, Professor Abdullah Baabood, told the BBC’s Newshour programme.

“This particular episode has driven Oman to take quite a substantial stand…but we want this conflict to be resolved through dialogue.”

Some observers still see a small possibility of an eventual compromise.

By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER

Updated: 20:17 BST, 14 July 2026

A man from Wales was part of a dark web network who encouraged others to commit incidents of “swatting” at home and in the USA and Canada. This involved false reports being made which resulted in hotels being evacuated and armed police turning up at the home of innocent people.

Callum Dare, 26, served as an administrator on an online network which came to the attention of the FBI following a number of “swatting incidents”, an act of harassing a victim by triggering an armed police response to that person’s location, based on a false report of an emergency, in order to gain a “thrill or notoriety”.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard a hotel in Cardiff was evacuated after nail bomb threats were made to a WalesOnline journalist and a university in LA was evacuated due to threats of bombs being placed under chairs. Full story here

Talent executive at Strictly revealed details behind choosing contestants

A British pensioner has become one of the oldest ever victims of the world-famous San Fermin festival which sees bulls stampede through the Spanish streets.

The pensioner, among ten taken to hospital, is from Halesowen in the West Midlands and was hurt in the bullring at the end of the half-mile course in n the picturesque city of Pamplona.

The Brit, by far the oldest of those injured, suffered wounds to his right hand, left eyebrow and left elbow.

Health chiefs said this morning they couldn’t say how his health situation would evolve after he was taken to hospital.

The unnamed OAP became the second Brit injured during the morning bull runs at this year’s festival.

It came after another British tourist was one of 11 people hurt in Saturday’s run.

William Mitchinson, 24, suffered an ankle injury after being knocked to the ground by one of the bulls he tried to outpace.

Speaking after his first-ever participation in this year’s fifth bull run, William told local press as he hobbled out of Navarra University Hospital after treatment: ‘I ran until the bull trampled me.

‘I’d seen the festival on social media and it looked like good fun.
‘It’s my first visit to Pamplona. I might come back another year but only for the party.’

Two people suffered gore injuries on today’s run.

One of the runners was horned in the chest near the end of the course.
Earlier by the town hall one of the six fighting bulls led by six steers broke away from the pack and charged a group of four men.

One appeared to smash his head on the ground as he was swept off his feet.

It was not immediately clear this morning if he was among the ten people taken to hospital, although health chiefs confirmed a man had suffered a gore injury to his thigh in the area where the violent knockdown occurred.

Today’s run, which lasted 2 minutes and 25 seconds, was the eighth consecutive morning revellers had taken to the streets for the traditional ‘encierros’ which are the highlight of the famous festival.

The San Fermin festival kicked off at midday last Monday with the traditional opening ceremony called the Chupinazo, with thousands of revellers dressed in the must-wear white outfits with a red bandana around their necks ending up soaked in wine and sangria.

It will be formally brought to an end at midnight with a traditional event known as ‘Pobre de mi’, Spanish for ‘Poor Me’ which involves thousand of participants gathering in the town hall square with lit candles to mark the end of the nine-day celebration.

Sixteen people have been killed during the bull runs at the annual festival, which always finishes on July 14 and was made famous by 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’, since records began in 1910.

The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino.

Several foreigners, from Australians to Americans through to Brits and Irish, are normally among the injured.

The first of the eight bull runs in 2024, known locally as encierros, took place four hours after a San Fermin reveller collapsed and died.

Police rushed to the scene and tried to save the 40-year-old man but were unable to resuscitate him.

In 2023 a 60-year-old man from Cardiff in Wales was among those injured.

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Dad Wayne Taylor bravely entered the water alongside Ian Pascoe, 62, who was out walking, in a bid to save Mr Taylor’s son and daughter at Seaton Carew beach when they sadly lost their lives

A father who drowned trying to rescue his children and a brave passerby who also lost his life in the seaside tragedy have been hailed as heroes.

Dad-of-three Wayne Taylor bravely entered the sea alongside Ian Pascoe, 62, who had been out walking on Seaton Carew beach with his wife and family. The two men went into the water in a bid to save Mr Taylor’s children. Tragically, both Mr Taylor and Mr Pascoe died before they could reach the nine-year-old boy and his younger sister.

The children both survived the ordeal. The RNLI rushed to the scene at Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, County Durham, on Sunday at around 3.45pm and brought the men’s bodies back to shore.

Following the tragedy, the heartbroken families of Mr Taylor and Mr Pascoe have both backed the Mirror ‘Save Lives For Sam’ water safety campaign, which aims to tackle the UK’s growing drowning crisis. The campaign calls for the introduction of water safety lessons in schools alongside a nationwide public awareness initiative, reports The Mirror.

Paying an emotional tribute to his dad, Ian’s son Dan, 30, said: “He was the kind of person who has always done the right thing. He stood up for what he thought was right and took action when other people might have stood by and watched. He always lived his life like that, and I am so proud of him and so proud to call him my dad.”

Dad-of-two Mr Pascoe had recently returned from a job in Saudi Arabia to spend more time with his family. He was walking along the beach when he saw the children, handed over his phone and jumped into the water.

“It was a Sunday afternoon walk at the beach for some fish and chips and ice cream,” added Dan. “He was with my mam and my daughter, his granddaughter. We are so happy that the children who were in difficulty survived, and so sad that they lost their dad. My dad did not hesitate when he saw the children in difficulty.”

Dan added: “He passed his phone to my mum and said, ‘Here, hold this for me, I will be back in a bit.’ He was never one to hold back; he would never witness, he would always act. And he went in to try and save them. I know that he would do it 10 times over if he thought that he was going to save a child’s life. And that’s why we are so proud of him.”

Mr Pascoe worked as a trainer in the UK. He had returned from Saudi Arabia two years ago, after working there for 17 years. Dan added: “He did not do anything for recognition or glory. He was just a really good man.

“He was a big advocate for action and so am I. So we back your campaign for action and to raise awareness of water dangers. We don’t want to talk about things, we need to do things. Something has to be done to improve water safety. Then his death will not be in vain.”

A member of Wayne’s family told how his partner and the mother of his children had been criticised on social media. She added: “We back your campaign, there is a real need to get the message out there.

“The mum did nothing wrong, and she does not deserve this criticism. She needs to be able to grieve with her children without this in their lives. It is like a hate campaign, has she not suffered enough? We are so sorry for the family of the man who tried to save the children and lost his life.”

Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash said the town had suffered “a heartbreaking tragedy”. He added: “Two men went into the sea to help children in difficulty at Seaton Carew. Those children were saved. The two men who went to help did not come home.

“No words can lessen the pain their families, friends and loved ones are now experiencing. My thoughts are with them all, and I know the whole town will be holding them close in our hearts at this tragic time.”

Jess Cole, the cousin of 14-year-old Matthew Sherrington, who drowned in July 2021 after getting into trouble near Steetley Pier, said: “My heart goes out to the two men who sadly lost their lives at Seaton Carew.

“It’s two days until the anniversary of our Matthew Sherrington’s death and the news I read made my heart sink. It made me feel physically sick and brought back so many horrendous memories. Thinking of the families at this time and how heartbroken they must be.”

Another resident said: “RIP to the two heroes that saved these kids’ lives, but sadly lost their own, their poor families are in my thoughts.” Eyewitness Keith Smith, 74, told of the huge rescue operation, with hundreds watching from the sea front.

Davey Short, who also went into the water to bring the children out, said: “The children’s mother was on the beach, she was hysterical and asking if I could help because she couldn’t swim. Her eldest son had gone into the water as well to try to rescue his brother and sister but they were still out there. I managed to get hold of the boy.”

Backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families, the Mirror campaign is calling for urgent action to make our waters safer. That includes compulsory water safety lessons in schools, better life saving equipment at high-risk waterways, the introduction of Sam’s Law, and a dedicated Minister for Water Safety.

A fundraiser has been set up to support Mr Taylor’s family, click here to find out more.

The acclaimed series aired a staggering 246 episodes over 12 seasons

A ‘masterpiece’ police drama with a Buffy The Vampire Slayer star has been added to Netflix.

Premiering all the way back in 1997 and running until 2003, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tells the story of an American teenager attempting to live a normal life. Sadly she discovers her destiny is to battle vampires, demons and other evil entities.

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, How I Met Your Mother’s Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters, Buffy is considered to be one of the most influential shows of the 1990s.

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It’s been a difficult time for fans of the series, with actress Michelle Trachtenberg found dead at her home in Manhattan on Wednesday, February 26. The death of the 39-year-old actress, who played Buffy’s sister Dawn, was ruled as of natural causes due to complications from diabetes mellitus.

Fans were also left upset in March when the revival series, Buffy: New Sunnydale, was scrapped. Set to be directed by Oscar winner Chloe Zhao, pilot was going to centre on an introverted high school pupil, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who becomes the chosen one, following in Buffy Summers’ footsteps.

Sarah recently said of the news: “We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him.

“That’s very hard when you’re taking a property that is as beloved as Buffy, not just to the world, but to me and Chloé. So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn’t watch it. Chloé and I are feeling the same things. ‘Disappointment’. We don’t want to let the fans down. That hurts.”

Thankfully due to Buffy having such a big cast, there’s no shortage of projects from various of its stars to choose. Netflix have just added one that’s perfect for either a first time watch or your thousandth rewatch.

Starring David Boreanaz, who played Buffy’s boyfriend Angel and had a spin-off series, Bones aired from 2005 until 2017. Airing 246 episodes over 12 seasons, the series is an ideal binge watch.

The series is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) to Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a forensic anthropologist.

Fans adored the chemistry between Boreanaz and Deschanel, who recently appeared in Devil in Ohio. Starting off as friends, fans spent literal years rooting for them to get together.

Airing on Fox, Bones is based on the life and novels of forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, who also produced the show. In a very fun nod, Brennan writes successful mystery novels across the series featuring a fictional forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reich.

Filling out the rest of the main cast is Yellowstones’ Michaela Conlin, Something’s Gotta Give’s T. J. Thyne, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Eric Millegan, Last Man Standing’s Jonathan Adams, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Tamara Taylor, Freaks and Geeks’ John Francis Daley, and 24’s John Boyd.

While it didn’t pull in juggernaut ratings, the Bones fandom was so large that it became one of the longest running programmes of the century. Many fans have taken to Reddit to explain what Bones means to them.

@space_anthropologist said: “I watched every season religiously as it aired. It is still my comfort show. I actually very rarely even write or read fanfiction for this show, because I love canon for what it is.” @sweetpeapickle added: “I loved it. But you need to watch it for the characters. If you don’t like them…”

@Cool_Jelly_9402 wrote: “This is by far my most rewatched show. I was never a show repeater before I rewatched this.” @Dry-Dot-3004 stated: “The show is so good i promise, especially if you like procedurals, normal drama stuff, comedy, etc.”

@GoalHistorical6867 commented: “I have always enjoyed watching Bones. It’s my go-to series to binge watch when I don’t have anything else to watch.” @xoxoforeverblessed posted: “Rewatching it again from the beginning now and it is just as good.”

The graffiti appeared following The Twelfth celebrations in the area

Racist, misogynistic, and paramilitary graffiti that has appeared in South Belfast following The Twelfth parades in the area has been condemned.

The graffiti has appeared in the Sandy Row and Donegall Road areas following the parades and bonfires over the weekend and features a message of support for convicted French rapist and husband of Gisele Pelicot, Dominique.

Gisele Pelicot was drugged by her husband and raped by dozens of men over a 10 year period. Other displays include paramilitary graffiti, as well as ‘Stop the Boats’ slogans on businesses that had been ran by immigrants.

Belfast Live has been contacted by concerned local business owners who have said the attacks on the immigrant community are “disgusting” and that they “feel so sorry for the ethnic communities there trying to set up a life in that area.”

South Belfast Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw has said it is “extremely disappointing and alarming” and the graffiti was simply “racial hatred”.

She said: “It is extremely disappointing and alarming to see such hate displayed in such a form against people running businesses in the area.

“This has nothing to do with ‘legitimate concerns’ and everything to do with a racial hatred which the leading parties are not tackling with sufficient urgency.

“This is the latest example of why the First and deputy First Minister must do more than a tame ‘framework’ to address racist attitudes in our society at source.”

South Belfast SDLP MP Claire Hanna said: “This isn’t ‘just graffiti’. It reflects attitudes that are still far too common and far too often shrugged off.

“When misogyny is normalised in public spaces it tells women and girls something about what is tolerated. When it’s mixed with racist abuse it becomes an attempt to intimidate whole sections of our community. We should never minimise that or look the other way.

“Gisèle Pelicot has become an international symbol of dignity and courage in the face of unimaginable abuse. Millions of people have drawn strength from her example. To respond by celebrating her abuser is as disturbing as it is cowardly.

“Too many women still experience harassment, abuse and violence, and too many people from minority communities continue to face racism. That doesn’t happen in isolation. It starts with attitudes that are normalised, excused or dismissed.

“Misogyny, racism and hate have no place in Belfast or anywhere else across Northern Ireland. We all have a responsibility to challenge those attitudes wherever we see them.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police received a report of graffiti having been sprayed in the Wellwood Street and surrounding areas of south Belfast at shortly before 11am today, Tuesday 14th July.

“Officers attended and the graffiti has since been removed.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with any information that can assist with this investigation is asked to contact police using our witness appeal form at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals quoting 649 of 14/07/26 or call us on 101.

“Alternatively, you can report online at https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals or in confidence through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The father of a girl seriously hurt in the Southport attack has accused North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) of a “complete breach of trust” as it emerged it was investigating whether staff inappropriately accessed victims’ medical records.

He described the possible breaches as “appalling” and alleged some ambulance staff “just wanted to satisfy their own morbid curiosity”.

It comes after it emerged in May that dozens of workers at Aintree Hospital, where some of the injured were treated, had looked at the records with no good reason.

NWAS chief executive Salman Desai said it was investigating after it had “identified concerns about potential inappropriate access to patient records”.

Three young girls – Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe – were murdered in the attack, while 10 others were physically injured.

The father of a girl who was 13 when she was injured but survived the attack said: “It is a complete breach of trust in our darkest hours as a family and dampens how you feel about the amazing work they do to save lives.

“It was already incredibly difficult to think that staff at Aintree hospital had needlessly pried into our daughter’s condition.”

The man, who cannot be identified due to an anonymity order protecting his daughter, had been helping to supervise the dance class before she was stabbed in the back and arm.

Solicitors acting for the girl and for another 21 of the 23 girls who survived the attack are calling for a full-scale review by NHS England into the guidance and disciplinary procedures for staff who inappropriately access patient data.

The calls come after another trust, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG), admitted in May that nearly 50 staff members at Aintree Hospital had looked inappropriately at the medical records of some of the injured victims in the days after the attack.

Fletchers Solicitors, which is already investigating this breach, said the family were reviewing documents given to them by UHLG about the breaches at Aintree, when they saw information that said staff from North West Ambulance Service might have also accessed their daughter’s records without cause.