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Host rating
100 %
Reply rate
92.2 %
Usually responds within 3 days
Feedback
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Details
Description
Welcome everyone,
We initially started some ten years ago now, creating this amazing holiday centre for disabled and special need guests and their family, carers and teachers. During this time we have hosted 1250+ volunteers from ALL over the world, who between them have helped create this wonderful place. Some stayed for a few weeks, some months and others even longer. Many have returned for second and third visits and so many have become amazing friends.
We are requiring a few select volunteers (5 per month) who are willing to assist with the daily running of our wonderful holiday complex.
We have two volunteers rooms that can each accommodate three to four volunteers of the same gender. Each room has an en-suite bathroom and air conditioning; we also supply FREE WIFI, bedding towels etc. You can prepare your own breakfast between 6am - 7am (food supplied by us) brunch at 10.00 for half an hour and it is a buffet set-up for you all to eat in our Café and Lunch is prepared for you for when you finish at 12.30. So that means that you get two meals a day from us two of which we make . There is a small volunteers kitchen for you to store your own food and prepare your own evening snacks with the foods that you buy. The appliances in your volunteers kitchen are a kettle, toaster, microwave and a sandwich toasty machine.
Each volunteer is expected to assist for 5 hours a day and 5 out of every 7 days, leaving 2 days each week free to explore the area and the sunny Algarve. We can only accept serious volunteers who are willing to commit to 42 Days (6 weeks) OR LONGER as it really helps us not to have to train new volunteers all the time.
We have started to build up a good selection of animals in our zoo area and always need volunteers to help with their up keep and feeding. The many garden areas constantly require maintaining, which will involve weeding, planting and tidying and other areas like the pool and patios always need attention and sweeping. If you love cleaning, then the guests bedrooms are always being used and we need help with turning them around for new guests and servicing them everyday. These are the typical tasks that we need help with. If you can also take care of light maintenance tasks or maybe painting this could also be of interest to us!
PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE NO VOLUNTEER TASKS WHICH INVOLVE BEING RESPONSIBLE OR CARING, TEACHING OR LOOKING AFTER OUR GUESTS "DUE TO LEGAL REASONS" YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST PARENTS, TEACHERS OR CARERS, IF THEY ASK FOR HELP AND THERE IS NO RISK INVOLVED TO YOU OR THE CHILDREN OR ADULT.
Your stay here is funded by the “24x7 special needs Holiday Trust” and is a UK registered charity, so we cannot afford any time wasters, so please only apply if you feel that you can assist us with our on going adventure and enjoy yourself along the way.
Please be advised that we have a "NO VOLUNTEERS PETS" & "NO VOLUNTEERS CAMPERS VANS" policy here.
PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO "I" IN TEAM AND A GREAT TEAM IS ALWAYS WHO WE WORK WITH HERE.
Kind regards,
Belinda & Sam.Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
There are always at least 5 volunteers per month here and they are always from varied countries from around the world. So we can all learn something new from each others cultures everyday. We have knowledge of living in Portugal for the past 12 years and we exchange the cultures of Portugal everyday. You can learn about Portugal's history, current events and cuisine.
Help
Volunteers will volunteer on a daily shift rota over 7 days, but you will have two days off per week to venture out and about.
We are very close to Moncarapacho village (about a 5 minute walk) where there are most shops and many bars, coffee shops, chemist, supermarket and banks, etc.
The local beach (Fuseta) and the fantastic Ria Formosa nature reserve, is about 7km. away & so is OLHAO, which is our nearest biggest town, where you can find train and bus/coach connections to the whole of Portugal and then on.
We have FREE WI-FI for anyone needing to use the internet.
Food and refreshments supplied 2 times a day ONLY!Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Portuguese: FluentAccommodation
14 Bedroom Hotel + lounge, kitchen, dining area, discovery centre, Mini Zoo & loads of open space.
What else ...
You can visit the Moncarapacho Museum, small but well worth a visit. Loads of information and some very interesting exhibits. The building alone is well worth seeing. Cerro De Sao Miguel mountain. Not quite top of the world but the highest point in the locality. Quite a narrow road access with some sheer drops but a great view from the top. Ilha da Fuzeta is an island just off of our local beach and you can access it by a small ferry. Moncarapacho market is on every 1st Sunday of the month and Olhao market is on every Saturday. Get in touch with the real nature at the Ria Formosa Natural Park. We 2 volunteers serviced bicycles here, but you have to sign them in and out and if there is any damaged done to the bicyicles by YOU, then you have to pay the local man that fixes them.
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
5 hours per day 5 days a week
Feedback (121)
Sam and his whole family are kind and helpful people.
Volunteer work is different every day: you can do gardening, help in the kitchen, help clean the guest rooms, clean and feed the animals living in the centre.
You work 5 hours a day and you always have 2 days off a week.
Here, you feel at home,… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.4)
Communication:
(4.6)
Sam and his whole family are kind and helpful people.
Volunteer work is different every day: you can do gardening, help in the kitchen, help clean the guest rooms, clean and feed the animals living in the centre.
You work 5 hours a day and you always have 2 days off a week.
Here, you feel at home,… read more
Also punctual and respected the work hours.
They are an easy going couple that are always happy and ready to get stuff done. Sadly we only had them with us for 3 weeks we wish they could have stayed longer but hope… read more
El trabajo consistió en cuidar y alimentar a los animales, y tareas de mantenimiento de jardin. Siempre trabajamos el tiempo pautado y hemos recibidos ricos almuerzos y desayunos,utilizando la cocina, equipada y… read more
Our animals were very sad the day that Hanna left and we lost a star volunteer she was a team leader and made sure everything got done. I wish here the best… read more
Everything her profile say about her is correct, she is a hard working person and lovely to have around on a daily basis.
I wish her good luck with her next workaway and that her next workaway experience is as good as it could be.
I would be more than happy to recomend her for her next workaway.
The work is as it’s described, which is five hours a day, five days per week.
My work mainly consisted of caring for the animals which I really enjoyed doing so it didn‘t really feel like work.
The Centre is in a small village which is about 7 kilometers from the next beach… read more
Actually it was my first workaway and couldn't be better :).
Thank you guys for having me, it was a very good first experience.
I will be back definitely.
It has been 10 days since I left my precious second home.
To be honest,
I remember these memories every day.
It has been an unforgettable month.
Fortunately I was able to take care of the animals 6 hours daily.
Every day there were new surprises and discoveries and it was a real… read more
I loved working with the animals and have made very special new friends with the other workawayers there. Sam coördinates the volunteers well and the food and accomodation are adequate. It was low season so unfortunately not many kids to hang out with the animals. I definitely… read more
Since I tried to combine workaway with my Erasmus time in Ualg it was a bit tough since its a bit far from Faro (20km) even though I enjoyed cycling through "remote" areas to the centre the main difficulty if… read more
I literally laughed until crying with the animals and the other helpers.
The place is beautifull, laid back and the job is not hard at all. They are very organiced, therefore you know what to do, when to do it.
Sam, Belinda, Amy and Tom are very helpful, Sam is very kind and reachable,… read more
Best… read more
Daily tasks include preparing food and feeding the… read more
These two guys are amazing! They are so polite, funny and fantastic hard workers. There is never a dull moment with these guys around and we would have them come back here to help us in A HEART BEAT.
We wish them both good health and happiness always. Thank you so much from the team.
Taking care of the animals is such a nice experience that i would reccomend to everybody! Also the other tasks are not so difficult!
The only thing to remeber is that the work time is about 6 hours, but this is not such a problem, but if you don't pay attention to the messege sent from the center you can… read more
Lara is so sweet and kind to everyone. Lara has such an adult head on her young shoulders.
We would definitely have Lara back in a heartbeat and our animals most definitely would too!
We will miss her so much.
Happy travels Lara.x
Working with the animals was extremely rewarding and we fell completely head over heels with all of their unique personalities! (Especially the… read more
Can we say more...not really!
Amy & Luc went way and beyond all of our expectations of them.
We would have them back in a HEARTBEAT!
Good luck guys on your travels & please look out for cheap flights to us again.
Fondest regards, Belinda, Sam, Jenni, Tom, Amy & of course, your team mates! x
She always had a smile on her face and never minded what she had to do.
We have some great times with Lisa and she is welcome back here any day.
A GREAT TEAM PLAYER and a member of our team always.
We wish him the best of luck in his future travels and hope that he will come back to us in the future.
All the best Lewis,
from your team.
The thing that stood out the most to me the most was the organisation. Sam is a really fair and accommodating guy. He's very passionate about the projects at the centre and this makes everyone want to give their best. Thank you… read more
First thing I noticed was the outstanding organization and passion that stood… read more
Our door is always open for you & your brother.
while Gustavo was here he done a great job with the gardening and looking after our animal collection. There was a slight miss communication about our hours of work we ask for but all got sorted out and it was nice to know Gustavo… read more
Thanks so much for the great time!!
It's long time ago but still I'm soooo glad that my first workaway experience has started here!
Due to a structured and well explained working routine it was really easy for me to start relaxed in this adventure of being for a longer time abroad.
I totally… read more
Everyone was very nice and care a lot about the volunteers. And I think I put on weight 3 kg in one month lol
The tasks are not hard to do, but it's not just sitting around. It's an amazing experience work with the animals.
Thank you for the opportunity, and sorry for the late feedback!
Working with the animals for me was extremely fun and rewarding. I'm thankful for the experience… read more
I have been at the center for four weeks and I met other volunteers who have made this experience even more beautiful.
The work was easy and fun. Sometimes it consisted of painting some walls, sometimes gardening, but my absolute favorite was working with animals. For… read more
Belinda and Tom know exactly how to make all the volunteers feel at home, Sam is a great… read more
This is the perfect one no matter what you are looking for. All the people there are amazing.
Belinda and her family are the best hosts you can get. They always try to keep you happy.
The accommadation is perfect. You get more than enough food and a… read more
The work wasn't hard and if I had any difficulties, Belinda or… read more
I stayed at the Centre for 5 weeks starting at the end of October. This was my first work away and I would definitely recommend to any one that's never done a work away! I met AMAZING people that I now consider my family. I mostly did odd jobs with another girl, like painting, gardening, cleaning, and occasionally… read more
I worked with the animals which I really enjoyed. Belinda was always happy to answer any questions, give guidance or listen to any ideas or concerns we had.
Even though there have been hundreds of volunteers at the centre I was made to feel welcome right from the start and the staff there are… read more
Everyone was very kind with me. The centre is beautiful and i shared my time with other volunteers.
There are beautiful places around there, if you get a bike it's easy to explore the area.
Thanks to Guy, Tom and Belinda.
We stayed for 3 weeks and I, James, had 3 of the best weeks, Everyone was so welcoming, meeting other great volunteers, which if they are reading this they know who they are. The food is great, the weather was great, the hosts… read more
Tom and Belinda are experienced hosts who know how to handle the volunteers and the centre.
We worked on a variety of tasks, some of them were really hard work (moving heavy objects, destroying walls etc.) but after a long time of sitting and studying at university I really enjoyed… read more
The place is really welcoming and the people there are awesome ! Tom and Belinda (and their kids) are extremely kind, you feel at home as soon as you arrive !
The work was easy and interesting, I recommend to stay a long time to be able to do everything!
I was so happy to help on… read more
We wish him good luck with his future travels
A paradise in the algarve.
Much love and thanks to Tom, Belinda, Sam and Amy.
A day in the life of:
Wake up 728am. Roll out of bed.
730am: grab a coffee or an apple and a cold bottle of water and wait to be assigned work by either Tom or Sam.
Then depending on the day, either spend from 730-1030am painting rooms, getting them ready for… read more
My duties included cooking for volunteers and I got to help a little with the animals which I loved. I hope to go back sometime and wish them… read more
I highly recommend this place to all!!
We wish him luck with whatever he chooses to do.
I spent almost 3 weeks there. The place is absolutely lovely, Tom and Belinda wonderful hosts, helping us in everything with good advices of how to move around. Sam and Amy very friendly, thanks for organizing some trip and trying to teach me some Portuguese.
There's so much… read more
Belinda and her daughter amy are amazing beings and made everyone feel so welcome and relaxed. The work was varied and it always felt rewarding helping such an amazing cause.
The food and accomadation cant be faulted at all..
I will deffo be returning in… read more
The family
A warm heart goes out to all the volunteers and to Tom, Belinda, Sam and Amy for this lovely… read more
I met really nice people there and… read more
the food is great and i really miss the trips to… read more
I felt welcomed from the off, i would defo cone back.
The food was… read more
Was a real pleasure to host. She was a fun lively girl always willing to help whatever the task. Shame to see her leave.
If you need a couple of good strong lads then these are your guys. Always ready to work and never minded what task they were given
Thanks Lads hope to see you again one day.
We thank you very much and we appreciate every minute that we spent in the centre, while contributing to the project of the first European disabled children centre. We were entrusted a difficult project, that's true, but the work was rewarding and we got a lot of satisfaction from… read more
We would welcome them all back with open arms any time.
Thank you… read more
#Worked Hard
#Drank hard (Sometimes)
#laughed a lot
#Slept a lot (on day off)
#pleasure to have around
#will be missed and hope he comes back one day
#Oh yes also loved watching Jeremy Kyle and wanted to be on the program
Belinda and Tom are very nice and friendly. Belinda loves the animals and take care of they, especially with Bambina(the baby goat).
There was a big group of volunteers and i met a lot of people come from different country. It was helpful to learn something from… read more
More importantly though, it only costs 85 cents for a beer in the local bar, that is reason in itself to go ha ha.
There is work for all types, both indoor and outdoor.
Best wishes with the project and I hope to see you all again.
team here.
We all really enjoyed his company and hope he can visit us in Portugal again soon.
Thank you Alex for all your hard… read more
Belinda and Tom made me feel like part of the family. And everyone there was so friendly. I would highly recommend this as a first time workaway. I will certainly be going back there. This has… read more
Best wishes with the project and I hope to see you all again.
Had a great time at the Centre. Belinda and Tom are very nice and care a lot about you. They made sure I had a comfortable stay and always enough to eat.
Normally there is quite a big group of volunteers, so it never gets boring and it was great to meet and exchange with all those interesting people.
The area is pretty nice and the local… read more