Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
27 Mar 2024
Reply rate
87.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
394
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Details
Description
UPDATE - we are currently looking for people to help us with building maintenance!!
We are a community project in Somerset, England which is committed to making a difference to children's lives. our Workshop, our creative design studio in Wincanton, we work with schools, families and community groups, making incredible creations from scrap materials. We are always looking for enthusiastic creative people to join our group of 8 workawayers to share a love of recycling and reuse. If you would like to spread the word that we don't need costly materials in order to be creative, get in touch. You don't have to be an artist, in fact we host people of all artistic abilities. You just need to be energetic and ready to help.
Another important aspect of our work is Safia's international book project. This is dedicated to sending fully illustrated storybooks to children living in war zones and facing adversity, all over the world. In the past years, Safia and her team have gifted over 5 million storybooks to children in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. Our books go to street children in Mexico City and sometime travel by camel library in Pakistan. KC's project looks for one helper at a time, to help with project planning and our social media. That person has the benefit of being able to hang out with the team. All of our workawayers live in a shared house (it is separate from where we live - and just 5 minutes way) so you have plenty of time to get away from work and explore the surrounding area. It is a fun, creative, positive place to be.
We promise to make your stay fun and vibrant and to offer you a great way to be part of a lively yet hard-working team that will make all the difference to the people in our community. We are a couple with two children, we used to be journalists, we drive an old London taxi as our family car. We host up to 8 volunteers at one time.Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity WorkArt ProjectsTeachingDIY and building projectsBabysitting and creative playCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are located in the most beautiful part of the UK, near the historic city of Bath and the ancient site of Stonehenge. The teams we host are energetic, caring and determined to make a difference. Our creatives learn and idea share, our book project helpers get to help us choose projects that are working with disadvantaged children all over the world, and ask them if they would like us to send them free books. Anyone joining the group who would like to improve their English is welcome to meet some of the lovely people in our town who offer free English language meet ups - often hosted over a cup of tea (how British)!
Registered non-profit
This host is a registered CIC in the UK and is looking for help with their non-profit project. Please check directly with them if they can provide sponsorship. More info can be found here.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Typical duties would include helping in the design workshop helping children and adults junk model, preparing creative kits, helping us make some incredible wall art. We are dedicating our time to introducing a stress-free creative space to this small town.
Typical duties for our book project would be helping with our social media, assisting with project planning and helping us look for initiatives in other countries to which we can send free books.
We also have one space for someone who is looking to join the team as a cleaner. This space is particularly good for someone looking to improve their language skills in English and who likes the idea of hanging out with the gorgeous dog Skye!Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We rent a whole house for our workawayers to share. It is a few minutes away from our workshop and near all the amenities in town. Couples will get a private room, otherwise rooms are shared. The house is simple but cosy, it has a large garden. Our groups food shop together and take turns cooking for the group. We pay for your food and accommodation.
What else ...
Wincanton is a lovely, traditionally English town which is on the border of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. It has all amenities, it is set in stunning countryside and it is just a short drive away from Stonehenge, Bath and the Dorset coast. We will have space for parking in case volunteers have their own cars. There is a direct bus to London, which runs twice a day.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
15 hours/week- no food, max 25 hours a week- food included
Feedback (147)
Safia and Ian are lovely, they are a super team, always ready to listen to you and give you a hand... the food and pizzas are really delicious !
The design workshop and the children... so cute ! I really lived the present day by day being here creating activities for… read more
Thank you Safia and Ian, for accepting me… read more
Feedback
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Safia and Ian are lovely, they are a super team, always ready to listen to you and give you a hand... the food and pizzas are really delicious !
The design workshop and the children... so cute ! I really lived the present day by day being here creating activities for… read more
Thank you Safia and Ian, for accepting me… read more
I was happy to stay with them for 3 months and I have to say I don't regret coming here and am looking forward to coming again. Not only was the tasks itself… read more
My work consisted of three tasks: walking with Sky (the cutest dog in the world - already missing her), cleaning… read more
From the start, I was warmly welcomed by the other volunteers and quickly introduced to the roles and interesting spots around town, the environment and warmth in the house immediately made me feel like in home.
The next… read more
Thank you very much Safia and Ian for believing in my professional skills even though I did not master the local language. I was able to help develop… read more
Safia and Ian are wonderful hosts, charming and kind. Getting to work with Safia is such a privelige, as she is truly a genius. It’s amazing to see all the incredible things she’s doing with the book project and her… read more
Living in a house with the other volunteers is really special. There is always a multinational group of volunteers from very different backgrounds. Living together allows you to get to know everyone really well, learn a lot from each other, and share so many wonderful… read more
This was my first workaway volunteer. Through it I was able to live with people from different places and cultures, I made friends, shared knowledge, had fun, ate… read more
Throughout… read more
At the workshop I met Safia and Ian… read more
My biggest thanks to our superhosts Safia and Ian for always being attentive to the needs of the volunteers and sharing their inspiring adventures and projects.
I really recommend it without thinking twice:
-Because it is a special place for children, a place to develop their… read more
Working with children was useful and living with seven other people helped a lot.
The house was big enough and the others workawayers were simply amazing, an awsome experience you won't ever forget!
Not only are Safia and Ian amazing hosts, but wonderful people and they demonstrate it everyday with their hard work to help the community expecting nothing in exchange.
Working… read more
First of all Safia and Ian are a lovely, generous, warm couple. They made me feel so welcome and at home there.
The workshop is also a great creative place where kids explore their own creativity. Everyone there is so different what it creates a varied and inspiring atmosphere.… read more
I learned about Art and English, but I also learned the art of sharing and working as a team with the volunteers.
Thank u so much
We were a nice team and I really enjoyed the work with the kids. Basically we were helping the kids with their craftings, paintings or whatever they did. They kids were always in a good mood, the team had a lot of fun… read more
Emily worked with families and with children in our workshop with patience and humour. She is particularly good at working with children who… read more
The group of other Workawayers I matched with were some of the kindest people I have ever met. I had a blast with them.
The whole of Wincanton might be small, but this city has so much heart. Everybody I met was kind,… read more
Safia and Ian are two great people and I am very grateful to them for their constant generosity to everyone. You are both an example of how to be good people and have a big heart! They were always there for us if we needed anything. They often cooked lunch or… read more
The work was relaxed, creative and varied. We hosted kids’ birthday parties, worked with local schoolchildren and took part in the town’s Christmas lantern parade.
Getting the chance to live, work and explore the local… read more
I really enjoyed working in the workshop, either prepping… read more
Volunteering alongside other workawayers is practically guaranteed, and this was, personally, our favourite aspect of our… read more
We couldn't thank her more for all her hard work and enthusiasm.
I was also surprised by the variety of "extracurricular" activities… read more
Having previously lived with 5 hosts, I can only agree with those comments and state loudly that nowhere I have felt better than here, it is the Best Workaway Ever!!
Safia and Ian are willing… read more
PRE-covid, we were a rotating team of 8 (plus Ian and… read more
My staying with Safia and Ian was absolutely amazing, they both and her daughter are an amazing family full of charisma and dedication, I loved my time in this place sharing with the many different people and helping to renovate their place, learning how to do a lot of different stuff like making pizzas 🙃
If you’re looking for a… read more
Thank you so much Ian and Safia, we will never… read more
Every single other… read more
Safia, Ian, the other workawayers and the customers have… read more
Safia and Ian are very carying and always there if there are any problems.
The "work" was not really work but a lot fun. The Workshop is not only for the customers but also for us, the Workawayers a special and lovely place where you can be creative!
Thank you Safia and Ian for the great time we had! We learned a lot… read more
I stayed in wincanton for 2 and half months and enjoyed every minute. It was my first workaway experience so I was a little nervous but Safia, Ian and all the other workawayers made me feel welcome. I was painting and doing DIY. I felt valued and appreciated. It was a nice experience to work and share accommodation with young people from… read more
I cannot thank you enough for the amazing month I got to spent here with you. I truly enjoyed every day in Wincanton. You are such open, welcoming and lovely people. You and the other Workawayers made Wincanton feel like home within a day. It is a great place to be part of a team and meet great people. Your Workshop is really… read more
Anna is a warm, generous, calm person with so much to offer. She is quiet but hard-working and thoughtful and funny. She helped us in so many ways but seemed happiest painting beautiful signs for the workshop, for which we are very grateful. Anna… read more
I spent an intensive 3 months in Wincanton and they were magical. :) I am GRATEFUL that I had a chance to be there. I call a part of my heart Wincanton :-P . THANK YOU Safia, THANK YOU Ian.
But I must not let the chance pass as I want to share my thoughts as it was such a wonderful place.
Safia and Ian are the most friendly and welcoming people I have met on my journey so far. They are genuinely interested in each person that… read more
I gained so many new skills that I didn't even think I needed such as making various pom-pom creatures and using a professional coffee machine to make,… read more
Each day is different and a real pleasure. The food is amazing and so is the group dynamic.
I have left feeling totally inspired by not only Ian and Safia with their amazing "you can do it - just give… read more
We stayed for 3 months and we loved every day here. The tasks at the workshop are funny, relaxed and creative, changing frecuently. The reality goes beyond the high expectatives of the description. We really recomend this workaway to anyone interested in people, crafts, recycling ideas and pizza-oven. As… read more
Safia and Ian were my first workaway experience and it could not have been any better. The workshop teaches you a lot and you are still free to do a project. The other workawayers in the flat were amazing as well. I really enjoyed the time with you guys and the pizza! And also if Wincanton… read more
We will miss you Zsuzsi and hope that all your Workaway hosts appreciate you as much as we did!
They created a positive and creative atmosphere in the workshop! I felt immidiately like home! The work was amazing, we had the chance to develop our own creativity and share it in the workshop!
We had so much fun, each day was awesome!!! Safia and Ian… read more
It was extremely interesting to work there ! Even if you don't think you are creative or artistic, Safia will always support you in… read more
As this was my first workaway I was quite nervous at the beginning but after a few days of living and cooking with all of the other wonderful workawayers, eating delicious homemade pizza, and being surrounded by children so excited by the art projects, I was hooked! I… read more
I stayed in Wincanton for two months. For me was an incredibly good experiencie. I traveled, I learned how to make many things (like pizza or coffe) how to communicate with childrens, how to express ideas in a simple way (my English needs to be improved)
When I arrived I found my bedroom was a mess. I think it was a communicate or… read more
Our "workawayer" group cooked meals together, went on day trips together,… read more
The workshop is a free space for artists where is possible to create without any requirement, the only purpose is to make the children interested in creating and art making.
It's hard to describe how Safia and Ian are great hosts.
They took care of us like if… read more
Being in the workshop also helped us getting creative ourselves and we had a lot of fun creating new things and letting us get inspired by what… read more
Can’t thank you enough for the amazing experience at the workshop.
You are welcoming, lovely and happy people, your openness and honesty create a safe place that made me feel at home.
So many compliment for the beautiful workshop you have made over the last 3 years, it is such a great space to work, create and play. It is so… read more