Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Feedback
16
Facebook verified
Email verified
Host offers payment
Badges (3)
Details
Description
We are a family-run historic house and estate near East Grinstead, Sussex, U.K. The house is of significant architectural importance - The man who built it, later went on to build parts of the Capitol and White House buildings in Washington D.C.! Our family purchased the house in the 1980s when it was derelict and divided into flats, and have fought a 40 year long battle against fires, floods, dry rot, wet rot, bills and bureaucracy, to restore it to some of its former glory. In the summer, we open to visitors twice a week, and host a series of concerts. Thank you for your interest!
We don't make any profit from the project - quite the opposite - and have been lucky to host more than 1,000 helpers and Workawayers since 1982, who have generously given their time and effort to helping others to appreciate the history, culture, architecture, landscape and music. We'd love you to join us.
Depending on your age and circumstances, we'll work with you to make sure you acquire the right visa to come to the UK and help us out. We'll provide you with accommodation, and will pay you £9.50 per hour for the help you give us. Please contact us for more information and to discuss this in more detail.
Volunteer recruitment is run by a registered charity in England & Wales since 1987.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The house is set in beautiful English countryside, with wonderful walks to picturesque pubs and villages nearby. We're only 25 minutes from London Gatwick airport, and just under an hour from central London by train, and we'll give you advice on what to see in London and how to get there.
We'll pay for you to have free English lessons if you would like them.
If you're over 25, qualified to drive, and are planning to stay for longer than two months, we'll insure you on a car (if not, we're only three miles from a large town, East Grinstead, and will happily drive you in to do your shopping).
We'll have you to lunch/supper sometimes to improve your English. You'll usually be one of several Workawayers - so you'll even have company for beers and barbecues! We also have two beautiful - and often rather naughty - dogs, Mabel and Lily, who can't wait to meet you, and some chickens, who lay a lot of eggs which - importantly - we need your help to eat.
Registered charity
This host is a registered charity in the UK and is looking for help with their charity project.
Help
We are currently looking for singles and couples from late August/September 2023. Ideally, you'll have skills in some of the following: gardening, construction/building, electrics, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, and/or forestry skills.
If you're a good self-starter who's enthusiastic and able to work independently sometimes, you'll do well here. There is always a range of interesting projects, from mending greenhouses and growing vegetables to painting window frames, mowing lawns and having tea with our visitors!
We get lots of fabulous (and hugely appreciated) emails, and it's very helpful if you can list some examples of what you've done with these skills in the past. Unfortunately we can't always reply to all your marvellous emails as they tend to arrive by the hundred, but are grateful for all your interest! We only use Workaway when we have a need for Workawayers, so don't always log in to the site as regularly as we might like.
We are also taking advance bookings for spring and summer 2024 (the above skills particularly appreciated).
Due to the size and complexity of the house and in order to make stays fulfilling and worthwhile, ideally we need Workawayers who can stay for eight weeks or more. Thanks very much for reading this.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
Accommodation
Workawayers will either have the use of one of three recently refurbished and comfortable cottages. These are comfortable, secluded and have recently been used by our Workawayers.
What else ...
Depending on your age and circumstances, we'll work with you to make sure you acquire the right visa to come to the UK and help us out. We'll provide you with accommodation, and will pay you £9.50 per hour for the help you give us. Please contact us for more information and to discuss this in more detail.
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 (11)
David and Anne-Noëlle are unique people and together with them and the family we had many significant experiences, Leandro even got a birthday cake, Anne-Noëlle's famous lemon cake.… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.7)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
David and Anne-Noëlle are unique people and together with them and the family we had many significant experiences, Leandro even got a birthday cake, Anne-Noëlle's famous lemon cake.… read more
The whole team was quite thoughtful to find projects that would help enrich my education and my experience has given me so many life skills. I especially enjoyed getting… read more
I've been here for six months. I did the most various tasks ever,… read more
Each member of the family is an exceptional individual. We had the pleasure of meeting Anne-Noelle and David, their sons Edward, Tom and George, Angus the Estate Manager and Teppo, a Workawayer from Finland. They all have unique personalities but their common… read more
Right from the start David, Anne- Noëlle and Angus welcomed me with warmth and friendliness. They made me feel as a part of the family and… read more
Although I am English, finding this place was like stumbling on a new country - the tranquillity of the place, and the sheer abundance of GROWTH, would be hard to find anywhere. It should be prescribed as an antidote to cities. For the three months I stayed I never lost the feeling that I was somewhere unique. Somewhere… read more
The accomodation was very confortable with all the staff provided. Every morning before begin the work, we went in front of the big house to look the amazing landscape and the sunrise with the deers. The job team was very lovely with us, and very patient. Angus… read more
