Help at a family run, rural retreat on the Isle of Jura, United Kingdom

Details

• 

  Description

  Update Wednesday 17th April
  
  Looking for someone nearby who can get to us fairly quickly who has got building / labouring / gardening experience for a few weeks / month stay.
  
  Please get in touch. This is an outdoor role, not hospitality.
  
  Thanks
  
  Pi
  
  Our Project:
  
  Small island. Big project!!
  
  We are building a small retreat on the Isle of Jura off the west coast of Scotland and we have holiday lets on the Isle of Islay next door.
  
  There's plenty to be done on both islands so you get two Hebridean islands for the price of one!!!
  
  We need people who are independent and proactive.
  
  The big plan is to build a retreat around mental wellness, specifically cold water immersion (Wim Hof Method), breathwork, wild swimming, meditation, yoga, foraging, fermentation etc.... If you're into cold water, breathwork, wild swimming etc.. then even better but no worries if you'd rather just work and retire to a cosy bed and book! We are in development here and the site is still a building site. We have 2 large whisky barrels we use for ice baths, and plenty of lochs to dive into but alas our actual retreat space is a long way off! That's why we need help!
  
  Guarantee offer minimum wage for anyone working for us. Hours will not exceed 40 a week (with two full days off) and the wage will be paid for every hour worked and for all of the tasks requested in the profile. You must have a visa to work in the UK.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The island of Jura is due west of Glasgow, whilst quite a large island there are only 200 people, one road, one shop, one distillery, one pub, one school, 6000 red deer! It is very wild and was described by George Orwell who wrote 1984 here as being 'a most un-get-atable place'. And for that reason we love it.
  
  Unlike neighbouring Islay next door which now boasts 9 (and counting) whisky distilleries and is buzzing with tourists, Jura is like stepping back in time, the children roam free and it's idyllic. That said it is also not for the feinthearted, in winter we are often cut off, power goes down, internet speeds can crawl, the storms are huge, but we have a pub, a village hall, musicians and a great sense of community & fun.
  
  Jura has the 3 Paps (3 huge hills), an uninhabited wild west coast, remote bothies to explore and stay in, we have wild swimming group every Sunday, fell running , loads of hikes, waterfalls and wild experiences. There is an amazing community here and the music, craic and social life is second to none. We are involved with the organic community garden, a singing group and SUP and kayaking in the summer.
  
  There are lots of gatherings, beach parties, ceilidhs, festivals and parties, the winter months are full of pool competitions, quiz nights, village hall entertainment. We have a cinema that visits on a lorry 4 times a year. It’s almost impossible to get accommodation on the island unless you work for an estate, so we hope to give someone the opportunity of experiencing island life whilst helping us create something unique here.

• 

  Projects involving children

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

• 

  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 UK minimum hourly wage for each hour worked and that accommodation will also be provided inline with UK guidance. 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.

• 

  Help

  Any or all ... depending on experience we need help with:
  
  Stonewalling
  DIY
  Building / Construction
  Plumbing
  Electrical
  Site maintenance
  Strimming / mowing
  Ditching
  Painting / Decorating
  Cooking
  Cleaning
  Changeovers

• 

  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

• 

  Accommodation

  We have a choice of accommodation for you to stay in, caravans or an off grid tiny house on site on Jura. There is also a large agricultural shed . If the cottages are not let out on Islay you can stay and explore on Islay too. Vanlifers can park up on either island and access toilets / electricity.

• 

  What else ...

  Jura is the island next door to Islay. On Islay we have two holiday lets that need maintaining and cleaning regularly so there is plenty of opportunity to go to a bigger island every week. There are more things to do on Islay with a hospital, shops, swimming pool etc... it's only 4 minutes on the ferry so you have the best of both worlds.
  
  Whilst we love having communal meals frequently with our Workaways, we provide cooking facilities and any workers need to be self reliant.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  We have office space, internet access, desks etc..

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  We have lots of space for a van up behind the house, with hook up and use of communal shower, kitchen and large lounge area with table tennis / pool table.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  We can but if house sitting with our dog, please get in touch as we would prefer it if you didn't have a dog.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  Hours expected

  9-4

Feedback (9)