United Kingdom
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Hi Every body
Update : since I wrote the below we have had some great visitors to the woodland.
COVID : I care for an high risk family member please do not apply if you have not been adhering to social distancing seriously.
Other than that we are looking for two strong people to help with some physical tasks over the coming weeks Now that’s it’s winter ideally a pair of people. It gets dark early and we are pretty much an early to bed family in winter.
Our crew caravans have now been fitted with log burners instead of gas heaters
Also you will have full use of the crew lounge and kitchen areas - but cooking together and sharing meals and cleaning up is so much easier as a pair.
We are Chrissy and Andy, we have two daughters Allanah 25 & Rosie 16
Sadly I feel we need to say at the beginning PLEASE do not ask to come if you do not want to be here. The first rule is that everybody is happy and adds to our positive vibe.
We fell in love with our beautiful ancient wood as soon as we saw it and bought it to protect and restore it to its healthy condition. We aim to live as lightly on the land as we can practically can. The tasks can be hard and sometimes seems unending, but we love it and feel all our sacrifice is worth it.
Andy is a qualified forester/tree surgeon who divides his time between his business and the woodland. I work two days a week as a carer, I run the family home and spend the rest of my time at the wood.
Our daughter Rosie lives at home and is just starting her GCSE'S as a home schooled student and is currently more interested in the internet rather than the "outernet" although she has become more and more happy to be at the woodland . Our other daughter is not the outdoors type at all!! and lives in a town about 50 miles from us but also visits the woodland occasionally
UPDATE : Rosie now loves the woodland and is on site permanently! . Amd is developing more of an outdoor appreciation although is a typical teen when it comes to h TV e internet she’s a mature and kind young lady too- quite quiet. She spends her time awaiting music college playing guitar and watching buffy.
We are an easy-going family with a good work ethic, we have a natural respect for people and our environment. We like to have a laugh but without being too rowdy.
We work at festivals in the summer months so in winter we are free to devote our time to the woodland.
We do run a very small glamping space with three tents so we often have other guests on site
keeping volunteer shared areas clean so cleaning is part of the volunteer week- and is an important part of maintaining your place here - we expect it to be kept to a decent standard of hygiene - but
We are not looking for unpaid help with our business paying guests just the shared areas all helpers use :)
Also we are not looking for paying guests
This offer is for a Workaway placements only
We have a Woodland Management Plan in conjunction with the Forestry Commission. We are keen to get on with this but need help.
It is our family policy to treat people as we would wish to be treated , think before you speak as words can so often leave permanent memories and generally be kind to each other xx
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Experience Designated Ancient Woodland and the flora and fauna living in it.
Understand what the UK is hoping to achieve by protecting certain areas, and what can be done to ensure their survival and health.
Learn and practice your English and perhaps teach us some of your language and culture. Andy is deaf and has two hearing aids - this means you need to be fairly fluent for understanding each other although he manages well communicating in general and is happy to teach new words and phrases ect
He loves to play chess - occasional darts and poker
Experience off-grid living with sustainable energy .
Learn some English crafts.
Learn about the trees and plants that live in UK woodland and how to care for them.
This is 8.5 acres of newly-owned designated Ancient Woodland.
Current lockdown projects include flood management
Repairs to sheds ect
We want to get caught up on basics so we can build a three tier rain water collection filtration system
We need help to clear debris and fauna of overgrowth and windfall wood. There is a great deal to do so we can proceed with our Woodland Management Plan.
As we work, we try to take time out to play and are happy to share our new skills in carving and whittling the hope is to turn tree stumps into fairy homes by carving, wood burning, and creating miniature gardens at the bases, very little is wasted or unwanted here, we love to make beautiful things for the wood.
Tasks are primarily:
painting
chopping logs
clearing brambles
barrowing and laying bark chips
tree work
Cleaning
Building maintenance
This placement is ideal
For a couple or a pair of friends
Singles are not a problem just that the evenings can be lonely. We tend to hang out at least one eve a week in the crew lounge but predominantly we work hard and sleep early.
We currently have one live in permanent staff : Lel his is very funny and kind and always willing to spend time with helpers (when he is not working. Full time as a tree surgeon )and show them around the local area.
UPDATE WE ARE NOW ON SITE FULL TIME
Chrissy often needs help with computer bits and bobs too
and occasionally:
visits to an elderly relative’s residence for cleaning, decorating etc.
You need to be physically strong and happy to be left alone in woodland (some moonless nights are very dark and visiting wildlife often make strange noises). Summer months the nights seem as bright as the days sometimes
We
Ask you help five days of five hours starting 9am breaking for half hour in the middle for lunch.
English: Fluent
A caravan with heating*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ and lights. We are solar-powered here so you will be able to charge phones and play music. We have a generator that we use sparingly for extra power, and we can charge bigger items at our house if necessary.the caravan is very basic but along with this we have the crew camp. Read below
Possibility of being offered a bell tent through summer or a sofa in the lounge tent to allow more helpers
If you are happy with a tent please let us know ( you still hVe the lounge /kitchen and shower ) just use the tent as bedroom.
There is a shower here and composting toilets, in separate buildings.
A basic stock of Food will be provided for you to cook yourself. The burger van kitchen is used as a food store and has a working fridge. There is an sheltered kitchen with two gas rings and a sink too. or you can go wild and cook outdoors! Snacks and fruit will be provided, tea, coffee etc.
Often Chrissy gives money to go to the butchers or farm shop and choose food and when Chrissy is on site in the evening she will occasionally cook for everybody
If there is another COVID LOCKDOWN CHRISSY BEINGS ALL GROCERIES TO SITE SO ONLY ONE PERSON NEEDS TO GO TO A SHOP
There is provision to wash up. It is really
Important to keep the space clean and tidy so not to attract pests
We can do laundry, but please make up a full load as we prefer not to mix your washing up with others.
phone charging and laptop charging can be done in the lounge During the day only as we rely on the sun
We have a lounge tent with comfortable chairs, a table, and board games if you want to socialise in your free time. we tend to join the lounge at the weekends.
UPDATE : lounge has log burner for evenings of games and socialising or just reading / chilling in the warm
This is also where you may charge phones/laptops
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Heating in the caravan. This is a LPG gas heater which you should not leave on overnight. If you warm up the caravan in the evening you will be comfortable until the morning.can be cold on wake up but the fire warms the place very quickly.
There is a bus stop at the end of our lane, the station is 2k away (we can arrange lifts).
The historic City of Canterbury is 20 minutes away. In fact the whole area is rich in history both in the built and natural environment.
Herne Bay, Whitstable and Thanet are popular seaside towns where there is plenty to see and do.
There are local shops within walking distance.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We hve a mobile modem in crew lounge however we can only run this in daytime hours when we are running generator
More than two
max 25 hours
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