Martin

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I’m open minded as to Workaway opportunities -- I can teach English, I can look after animals, young people and plants and I have a broad range of DIY and building skills

Description

Hi there!

My name is Martin and I am a dual Irish/English national in my late fifties.
I retired from full time work in 2023 after a career in the UK public service - the last few years of which was spent managing mental health support for emergency service workers.

I live near Cambridge with my two year old dog Mila, who worked with me in the emergency services as a therapy dog (there is a photo of her with ambulance staff in my photo library). She is very well trained and socialised and friendly with people, other dogs and horses. She will also get on with cats once she is introduced.

My two sons have now left home, which means Mila and I have an opportunity to get out and explore together. I’m open minded as to Workaway opportunities and have a broad range of practical qualifications and experience to offer - as I hope you can see in the MY SKILLS section. I can teach English, I can look after animals, young people and plants and I have a broad range of DIY and building skills. Due to previous voluntary work with young people I have an active Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate (this is a safe-guarding check required for those who work with children in the UK).

In terms of my personality, I am relaxed, open and straightforward. I have worked with people of all ages and social backgrounds in many different countries throughout my career. I enjoy good conversation and food, learning and meeting new people. I am reliable and enjoy problem solving both individually and within a team/group.

I worked in the south of France (Frejus) as an archaeologist when I was much younger and so my French used to be very good, but it has faded through lack of use. I'd love to improve and practice my French again and would also really like to learn Spanish.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
French: Intermediate
Greek: Beginner

More details about my language interests
Can teach English and basic French. Would like to improve my French and learn Spanish.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Charity Work

Life at a Farmstay

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Some knowledge of:  

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Being an elderly companion

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

More details about your skills

I am fit and healthy and love being outdoors. I enjoy learning and I am able to turn my hand to most things.

TEACHING: I have qualifications in both Training Adults, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). I taught at a language school in Greece for a year which gave me lots of practice in making language learning fun for children. I also taught English to Greek engineers.

HEALTH/SAFETY: I have a lot of practical First Aid experience and I have also been a Mental Health First Aider for over 5 years.

CONSTRUCTION/BUILDING MAINTENANCE: I worked as an engineer for 5 years in my twenties and have always done my own property maintenance. Although I have no formal qualifications, I am comfortable working with plumbing and drainage systems and small construction projects. I can also do basic mild steel welding. I love simple, innovative eco-technology and last year I built an aquaponics system in my garden which connected my fish pond with a series of pipes so I could grow plants using fish waste as a source of nutrients.

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE: I have a licence for cars, motorcycles and minibuses and am comfortable with the routine maintenance of petrol and diesel vehicles.

IT/COMPUTER SKILLS: I know my way around IT hardware, software and social media, but in all honesty I try to minimise my use of IT nowadays. If you need help with any particular aspects I'm happy to assist.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Over the past few years I have been experimenting with video production using both dog-mounted cameras and drones. I'd be happy to help out if you have any media, survey or other projects that might benefit from animal or aerial viewpoints.

DOG TRAINING /ANIMALS: I l have always loved being around animals. I do agility training with my dog and also enjoy teaching her tricks to keep her mentally stimulated. I'd be happy to share any of my knowledge or skills if you have a dog that needs training. My children used to have a ferret - so I'd welcome any Workaway that involved ferret-related responsibilities!

Age

59

What else ...

I can teach you to juggle using balls or clubs if you are interested. I can also fire breathe !

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements
  I am vegetarian if I get the choice - but if there is no choice then I will eat what everyone else is eating.