Are you looking for a change in your life that is meaningful and fulfilling?
Loch Arthur is a dynamic, land based Community in the beautiful southwest of Scotland. 75 people live here including 28 adults who have learning disabilities. Many other people come in to work each day. The Community is based around sharing life and working together. Community life offers a rich, exciting and also challenging experience, where people of all ages and abilities are able to contribute to help shape the Community and have an impact on the world around us in a positive way.
The Community has grown and developed in many ways since its founding in 1984 and we are now looking for people who wish to join us in the next chapter in the story of Loch Arthur.
Would life as a Loch Arthur co-worker suit you?
Are you looking for a change in your life where you can make a real difference?
We attempt to live and work together in a way that recognises the dignity and uniqueness of each human being and does not distinguish between those who require support and those who give that support. We hope that by living together with our combined strengths and weaknesses, skills and abilities, we will create an enlivening and caring environment for all who live here. Is this something that you could feel drawn to?
As our life in the Community is based on our experience of living and working together we do not have formal hours on and off “duty”. Each Community member supports our work and homelife as well as social and cultural activities. Therefore, life can be full and (at times) demanding but it’s also very rewarding and fulfilling.
We aim to create spaces for each other to ensure we all get the time we need as individuals, a couple, or as a family, to relax and recuperate. We also have time away to visit family and friends and see new places.
Are you interested to live and share your life with people in one of our houses?
These rich, vibrant households include people who need support, short-term volunteers, most of whom come from overseas and long-term co-workers who may have children – so that family life can be woven into the pattern of Community living.
It’s never boring!
You will be involved in meeting the support and care needs in your household (this may include personal care) and in supporting and nurturing short term volunteers as well as looking after aspects of administration needed for the house.
Are you open to develop new skills, perhaps becoming involved with one of our work areas? Loch Arthur is very much a working Community. This side of life matters to us because it answers a fundamental need to be useful and active. Depending on other aspects of your role, you may have the opportunity to learn and work in one of our many work areas – farm, garden, creamery, bakery, wood workshop…or in other areas which are part and parcel of making a Community function well. Once you have settled into life here, we could explore with you the possibility of further training or qualifications. What would interest you?
Are you interested to get involved in other aspects of our Community?
Our cultural and social life is wonderfully diverse and underpins the life of Loch Arthur, connecting us to others locally. On summer evenings you might find lots of us preparing fruit and making jam but there are a lot of other home-grown activities that take place as well – plays, singing, music, craft and educational groups. It’s not all frantic activity. Going to a film or for a walk with friends are just as much part of life together and so is a quiet night at home. Would you be drawn to and excited in taking part and contributing to our life together?
None of us who live at Loch Arthur gets paid directly for the work we do but are instead supported by the Community in our needs. We do not go without things or without money. The aim is to encourage us all to become more responsible for each other. Could you imagine embracing such a different way of doing things?
If you are interested in joining our Community, please send us a letter or email telling us about yourself, including your reasons for wanting to join us, former experience and your interests. At the moment we are especially interested to hear from people with an interest in joining the Community in one of our shared houses, be it individuals or couples, with or without children.
If this catches your interest, we would be very happy to tell you more about what it means to make Loch Arthur your home.
Please feel free to contact :
Emma Chong and Sophie Stewart
Tel: 01387 259669
E-mail: volunteering@locharthur.org.uk
PS: If you are interested but are not a UK resident: Since Brexit, it has become more complicated for people outside the UK to join Community life, especially to stay longer. But we are glad to say that it is not impossible and we will support and guide you through this process.
