We are looking for volunteers for summer 2020. Please contact us to find out more. 

 

We are still welcoming volunteers arriving from the UK and the rest of Europe.  In response to the current situation, we are taking precautions to ensure the safety of both our new arrivals and members of our community.  Fortunately our area has had very low number of coronavirus cases overall, and very few cases in the past few weeks.  Unfortunately, we cannot accept any volunteers from outside Europe at present as, due to the coronavirus, the government are not issuing any visas for international volunteers.

 

If you are interested in a more long term connection, have a look at our adverts for long term coworkers.

 

Joining the community as a volunteer can be a rich and rewarding experience!

Each year up to 20 volunteers join us from all over the world to support our life in Loch Arthur. Many of these volunteers are taking a gap year after school, others are looking for a change in life, practical experience for further education or inspiration for different ways of living. Most of these volunteers find it worthwhile to spend a year living in the community, although shorter stays are possible. There are also possibilities for those interested in making a longer-term commitment to this way of life.  We welcome all applications but have noticed that some volunteers from outside of Europe have experienced difficulties or delays during their visa application.  Fortunately our volunteers from Europe have not experienced any difficulties coming to Loch Arthur despite the ongoing Brexit negotiations.  We have been reassured that there will be no change to the current arrangements for volunteers from Europe for the year ahead. 

Sadly, we do not have anymore places for school internships until March 2021.

Work areas in Loch Arthur include farm, garden, creamery, bakery, weaving workshop, woodwork shop, farm shop and café and housework. We hope that volunteers joining us are willing and able to participate in any of these activities, depending on where the needs are in the Community at the time in question.

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 is also very rewarding and fulfilling. We aim to create spaces for each other to ensure we all get the time we need to relax and recuperate.

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.

There are people in Loch Arthur who require help with personal care (bathing, dressing, eating, etc.), and volunteers joining us should be willing to be involved with such care.

No one living at Loch Arthur receives a salary, but you will be provided with board and lodging and your day-to-day expenses will be met.

Volunteers joining us should come well equipped with clothing for their stay, taking into consideration the Scottish climate and the fact that we are a land-based Community.  We also expect that people joining us for one year or less are responsible for their travel expenses to and from the Community.

We allow for the fact that people joining us for a year would have a holiday at some time during their stay (usually towards the end), and we would make a financial contribution towards that holiday.

It would be important for us to know whether someone wishing to join us has a mental or physical disability or illness which might affect their ability to participate in some aspect of our life, or might need particular attention during their stay in the Community. It should be noted that the habitual use of drugs or alcohol is not compatible with life in a Camphill Community.

We feel sure that anyone joining us with an open and willing attitude to participate in the activities of the Community will find life in Loch Arthur both rich and rewarding.

If you are interested in volunteering at Loch Arthur, please send us a letter telling us about yourself, including your reasons for wanting to join us, former experience and your interests. This letter, which will help us to get to know you, can be sent by post, fax or email (addresses below). If we see the possibility to offer you a place, we will send you further information and ask you to provide a few documents such as a criminal record check and two references.

If you have any questions or would like to find out about volunteer vacancies, please contact:

Rike Witt
Tel: 01387 760687
Fax: 01387 760578
E-mail: volunteering@locharthur.org.uk