Help on our permaculture land with projects for our retreat centre near Alvaiázere, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Hi Workawayers,
  
  Thanks for stopping by.
  
  We are a young family in our late 30's & early 40's with a baby girl born 14th October.
  
  Both U.K citizens living in Central Portugal.
  Andrew is U.K born but culturally of Greek origins.
  Rosie is Philippine born and a registered nurse in the U.K.
  Sofia our baby girl is Portuguese born.
  
  We are setting up a modern wellbeing retreat deep in the heart of Portugal.
  We plan to launch our retreat to the public in the summer of 2024.
  
  We have 3 friendly dogs on site, and several ducks.
  We aim to add some sheep / goats and chickens in the near future.
  
  We've been busy the past few years creating a comfortable space to host detox and wellness retreats.
  
  We specialise in a variety of holistic detoxification methods, to help people live pain free, stress free and full of life.
  
  We are surrounded by natural forest, no overlooking neighbours, no man-made noise pollution, just the sound and smell of nature.
  
  Recently we have been developing our land into a variety of different useable gardens.
  
  We have used some permaculture techniques with the help of local friends to create ponds, waterways, spillways, swales, and other sustainable methods to nurture our efforts of a food forrest, a large veggie garden, an oriental garden, a mediterranean garden and more.
  We have worked extensively on the land this year and planted 100's of young trees.
  
  Also on our land we have built 3 large entertainment domes, one is used as a modern gymnasium, one is a games & music lounge and the third dome is used as a library, cinema lounge, and quiet space for other wellness practices.
  
  On our land we have a full sized fenced tennis court, which we also use as a mini football pitch, and hockey space.
  A large salt water pool, outdoor dining, a fire pit, a traditional pizza oven, a duck pond, an outdoor massage terrace, plus many peaceful spots to work / reflect and connect deeply with nature.
  
  Our main residence has fast internet connection, comfortable rooms, modern furniture, a large tv lounge, a large open kitchen and dining area, a roof terrace for sunbathing / star gazing, sun sets / morning stretches and more.
  
  We specialise is Colon Hydrotherapy using the most advanced, comfortable and safe equipment. We are the only centre throughout Portugal using this equipment. You can also find a far infrared sauna in our therapy cabin.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our space and work will suit a couple or individuals who are interested in natural health, who love nature more than parties, are hands on, can work alone or as part of a small group.
  Can learn & share ideas respectfully.
  
  We don't accept any drugs or alcohol on site.
  We mainly eat Vegetarian meals and sometimes on weekends we eat some meat.
  
  We are happy to share our knowledge of detoxification practices, construction techniques, gardening, spirituality and exchange of language.
  
  If we find the right couple or individuals who we trust and enjoy having around, we may offer the opportunity to train and work with us as part of our team long term.
  
  We offer the use of our pool, gym, roof terrace, entertainment domes, tv lounge & grounds.
  Our massage & colon Hydrotherapy are not offered as part of an exchange.
  
  We often visit local rivers / lakes with a paddle or kayak, go for hikes, etc.
  We welcome and invite you to join our excursions to also see and experience the natural beauty Central Portugal has to offer.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

  This host offers accommodation and payment.

  Host has indicated that they will pay at least the minimum hourly wage of their country for each hour worked and that accommodation will also be provided. They are asking for help with a business or business activity. Contact the host directly via the site messenger for more information and details about the wage provided. Any arrangements should be agreed in advance with your host.

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  Help

  Our work options are varied.
  
  We seek individuals to help with the following...
  
  Gardening - Plant maintenance, planting, pruning, building raised veggie boxes using local materials, operating and improving watering systems, weeding, harvesting, raised pathways, and so on.
  DIY - We always have plenty of tasks to do indoors and outdoors depending on the weather.
  We provide PPE and training with any tools to get the job done.
  We currently have tasks involving wood work refurbishment, sanding, varnishing, painting, fixing, outdoor lighting, and small fixtures.
  Outdoor irrigation systems.
  Digital - We need help with our social media, photos and video editing, etc.
  Animal care - feeding, cleaning, etc.
  General house maintenance, we love a clean space to live and work in, we would appreciate anyone staying to be active in helping maintain a healthy clean environment.
  House sitting, we seek trustworthy individuals or couples we can rely on to sometimes stay alone and get on with tasks.
  Cooking - We love to cook and prepare meals for others, we welcome anyone who enjoys cooking to help in preparing meals.
  
  We usually work as a small team each taking part in different aspects of a larger task, or sometimes we work alone on smaller projects we are comfortable executing alone.
  
  Andrew being raised with a construction background has designed and been involved in every aspect of the retreat buildings and grounds is happy to share his any knowledge and skills with anyone who enjoys DIY, including architectural design and implementation.
  
  We will offer comfortable accommodation plus a basic minimum wage for any hours worked on our projects.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Greek: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Tagalog: Fluent
  Portuguese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are interested to build on our basic Portuguese language
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  Accommodation

  We have two options for accommodation. First we have very comfortable eco cabins built in wood, with modern, clean facilities, own toilet and shower room, double or twin beds, desk, room heater, fast wifi throughout. Secondly we have space with electricity and communal toilet / shower room for anyone wishing to arrive and stay in a camper van or their own wheels.

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  What else ...

  During your time off, you can use our facilities based on what we agree and or join us on local excursion trips.
  
  If you do not own a vehicle we are happy to take you shopping with us, we usually do a big shop once a week, and visit more local village shops / markets a couple times a week, or we can drop you to our local train station if you want to visit other Cities for a weekend.
  
  We are situated geographically very close to the centre point of Portugal (20 mins drive from Vila de Rei).
  Directly between Porto and Lisbon Airport, surrounded by nature, quiet villages, several local and beautiful rivers, lakes, caves, etc.
  
  We are 1 hour drive from Nazare, the famous beach of giant waves, which we visit approx once a month.
  
  We are between the historical Cities of Tomar and Coimbra, both worth a day visit or two, with a lot to see and do there. We also visit these cities and towns approx once a month.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Very good Wifi connection, we would love to have someone with digital skills to support, we are not very online or social media savvy

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have space for small to medium sized campers / vans to park and stay

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We already have dogs and ducks on site, we prefer no other pets to keep the peace

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Flexible

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