DanjSilve

United Kingdom
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Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
My next destination:
Egypt - from Mar 2024 until Apr 2024
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Description
Update 19/10/2023. Currently, UNAVAILABLE. I am currently in Grosseto Italy. Having logged 489 volunteer days across 14 projects in Ireland (3) Mexico, Paraguay, Spain (2), Bulgaria, Israel (2), Italy (2), Scotland, and England.

Hello, my name is Dan, I was born in Brighton England. I am friendly easygoing, and helpful. with a smile on my face

When I am not attending to my tasks, I love to go for long walks or long cycle rides and occasionally play Backgammon, I have my own good-sized travel set and have taught people during my travels. Last year I gained diplomas in Personal Training, Video Editing and Garden and landscape design. I recently obtained distinctions in Dog Training Life Purpose Coaching and Teaching English as a foreign language.

I am a non-smoker, I rarely drink and don't do drugs. My focus is healthy eating and quality exercise. I love trying new experiences, otherwise, how do we grow? Let us make this a win-win situation and a rewarding experience. Thank you for reading my profile, and I hope to meet you out there.
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Vegetarian or vegan
Videography
Team sports
Sustainability
Self development
Nature
Outdoor activities
Performing arts
Pets
Plant care
Music
Gardening
Movies & TV
Mountain
Languages
Fitness
Hiking
Events & social
Dancing

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Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Gardening
General Maintenance
Animal Care
Charity Work
Some knowledge of:
Being an elderly companion
Hospitality/Tourism
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Languages
Teaching
More details about your skills
I am a native English speaker, I can help with English language exchange.
I currently hold a full UK driving licence since 1982. A taxi driver for 14 years, Minibus driver for 2 years.
International Driving Licence has just been added
I have been CRB/DBS registered since 2000, which means my background has been thoroughly checked am therefore allowed to work with vulnerable adults and children.
I use to have my own electrical contracting company.
I have bookkeeping skills, having managed not only my own business accounts but also I was treasurer for a charity for 2 years.
I have my own Youtube video channel. I could make a promo video of your project.
Extensive Customer service experience.
I can cook, both vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Love cycling and hiking.
My most recent career was as a support worker caring for adults, with learning difficulties, autism and Downs Syndrome.
Voluntary experience to date includes:
Tarifa-Spain. Jan-Feb 2021
Helping a young man with his English, cooking vegetarian/vegan lunch and dinner, I also kept his cat company while she was recovering from an operation, everyday cleaning, the kitchen, floors, bathrooms etc. I also helped lay a gravel driveway after much flooding, this was while I waited out the last lockdown.
Bulgaria-Near Varna. July-Aug 2020
Helping out on an Ostrich Farm and Petting Zoo.
Main tasks were feeding all the animals ( Over 100 animals ) in the mornings and giving them water 3 times a day.
Israel ( 2 Placements) 28th Feb 2020-27th April 2020
Isfiya. March 30th-April 27th 2020
Childminding, and helping the family with household tasks
Haifa. 28th Feb-March 27th 2020
Social Vegan Food Restaurant, rescuing food from markets, preparing ingredients for chefs to cook tasty vegan dishes and serve to the customers.
Italy ( 2 Placements ) Oct 4th 2019 to 23rd Feb 2020
Grosseto. Childminding, entertaining and English language practice with two boys aged 8 and 3.
Torrita de Siena. Nov 10th-20th 2019
Clearing an apartment of all fixtures and fittings and taking to waste disposal, farm work, domestic chores. Wine Cork recycling.
Scotland-Edinburgh Sept 2nd-25th 2019
Decluttering a garage, taking waste to a disposal site, painting doors and walls, clearing the garden of weeds.
England-Brighton Aug 2nd-Sept 1st 2019
Tasks included making breakfasts and dinners, serving, ensuring guests had their needs met, changing bedding, cleaning the bedrooms, toilets and shower rooms.
Portugal-Cercal Do Alentejo. July 10th-18th 2018
Worked at an animal rescue sanctuary I helped build a pen for a small sweet dog.
Kenya-Mombasa Nov 2005. Feb 2006
Coaching Football. Holding PE lessons in school and personal fitness 1-1.
Age
60
What else ...
I love hiking, cycling, meeting new people, reading and playing Backgammon. I am friendly open-minded, happy to try something new, never too old to learn new skills.
I especially love animals, and I wish to improve my Spanish.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  Rude/negative people and sometimes Mornings.
- Special dietary requirements
  I prefer vegetarian/vegan food, I don't drink cows milk, I will occasionally have beer, I do love fish though.

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31 Oct 2023

Left by host (DIY and garden help on the ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Dan stayed with me for around one month. We were in need of help to do some cleaning and painting. We worked together sometime but he was able to do stuff on his own.
Dan´s stories are interesting and was the cabin and common areas were always left spotlessly after he had been using it.
I recommend Dan without reservations and wish him best of… read more

(Excellent )

29 Aug 2023

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (DIY and garden help on the ...)

This is one of the most stunning locations I have ever worked in. The location itself probably scores 5 stars by itself.
Though this might not suit everyone, as you won't have wifi in your cabin, the house wifi is sometimes available.

If you don't have your own transport then it's a 30-40 minute walk to the centre of Cahersiveen, there is a… read more

(Excellent )

5 Oct 2023

Left by host (Experience rural family life ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

It was great to have met and welcomed Daniel into our home. He brings new life to a house, and shared his many stories of his adventures from around the world. Daniel is easy to talk to and has many interests, and also eager to learn of our culture as well. Daniel is what workaway is all about, sharing adventures and also to make us curious of… read more

(Excellent )

30 Jul 2023

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Experience rural family life ...)

This was my first time in Ireland and despite being a native English speaker from England, it took me a few days to attune my ear to their pleasing melodic accent.

The property I stayed in was a beautiful old building of about 250 years which had been modernised but still retained its old charming features. My bedroom was a single room, which was… read more all I needed. The bed was extremely comfortable and being a rural area, it was very quiet.

Most of my work was with Michael, which included a variety of work. The first day I was out in a tractor with him, which was my first time in a tractor, picking up some materials, much time was spent at their rental apartment in Kilkenny, which included the removal of many items, some painting, tidying up, cleaning and reinstalling a Wood burner which I helped revamped a little. I was often in awe at the variety of skills Michael has, anyone who gets to stay sometime could learn a lot from Michael’s vast experience.

Other work included gardening/Weeding. Some lawn trimming. Painting outside railings and occasionally I would help Majella with cleaning their on-site rental properties.

This is not your typical working hours, as they were not set, often it was weather dependant and very ad-hoc. So, there were days that I worked more than 5 hours, and that was to be expected as you don’t just stop yourself in the middle of a job, that said I was well looked after when it came to food and rest breaks, and with some days less than 5 hours because of the rain. In my last week, I worked two full days on Monday and Tuesday and had Wednesday off where Majella took me to Waterford for half the day, and then I was back at it for all of Thursday and half of Friday.

A great cultural experience was had by me and my fellow Workaway volunteers, from going to Kilkenny Hurling ground for autograph hunting and a chance to see the team, which is adored by the hundreds if not thousands of fans that were there. To two musical events, one during the day in Bagenalstown which was mostly instrumental Folk music to the brilliant night we had in Borris at M. O Shea’s which looked more like a hardware shop from the outside, than a public house. The music and singing were a very lively affair, if there had been space I am sure we would have seen some Irish dancing too.

Food was tasty and hearty, typically fluffy potatoes’, some type of meat and vegetables, occasionally we would have fish, always a good dessert afterwards, and on occasions when I was with Michael in Kilkenny, he would take us to a popular eatery for lunch which had a huge array of choices. There were times I would make my lunch when everyone else was out, there were plenty of choices in the pantry and fridge/freezer.

Given this was a very rural location, you were quite far from shops etc. Occasionally we were dropped into Kilkenny or Bagenalstown, one time I walked there which took about 90 minutes through the wonderful Irish countryside. I was lent a bicycle, which I used to cycle to Kilkenny, which took about an hour and 10 minutes.

Majella is a very warm and accommodating/considerate and thoughtful host, we would often start our days with a chat and coffee before I started work. Michael once he gets to know you a bit has a good sense of humour and this I observed with his sons and Majella whenever they were getting ready to go somewhere, good-natured banter ensured between them all. When either Majella or Michael were driving, they would share their local knowledge of the history and industries. For animal lovers, they have one lovely sweet West Highland Terrier and 3 cats I think, at least Emma was very sociable.

A memorable time here, I highly recommend this experience.

(Excellent )

23 Oct 2022

Left by host (Cultural exchange and helping ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Thank you Dan for all your help during your 4 month stayed in the house you're always welcome back.

Dan was very respectful with the common spaces and house rules. He studied to obtain two diplomas in Dog training and Garden & landscape design which were really helpful; I really appreciate that if he didn't know how to do something he would take… read more

(Excellent )

6 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Cultural exchange and helping ...)

This was my 2nd longest workaway project at just under 4 months. This was pretty unique in many ways. Even though the work is enough for one volunteer, our Host Kim would have 2 volunteers which meant greater flexibility when dividing the tasks and having time off to explore. In my spare time, I studied to obtain two diplomas in Dog training and… read more Garden & landscape design. Before I started I knew next to nothing about gardening, and through this experience, I found a passion for lawn maintenance, which meant I was able to offer advice on saving money when watering the garden.

The area, on the whole, is very quiet and it's in a gated community. Occasionally the neighbours play music at the weekend, at least it's good local music, sometimes dogs in the area would bark at night, of course, this is outside the host's control. The house is very big and nicely designed. In the evenings I use to sit with Mona on the low garden wall and watch the fireflies do their dance, it was so relaxing.

I was pleased to see a good quality juicer which I put to good use, I would make juices for Kim and her clients. The area itself is not a tourist area, so often I took the opportunity to practice my beginner Spanish with the locals at the cafes etc. The tasks we did, I never really thought of as work, as they are just everyday tasks for managing a house of that size. Mostly looking after Mona and the garden. Mona is a lovely dog, and she adores all people and especially children. Though not a fan of other dogs. She has a couple of toys and when she is up for a game you can chase her around the garden.

The studio was a great area to eat, and relax, though I often used it to work out. Kim although not often there at the house has a big heart, on occasions, she took us out for dinner and/or ordered takeaways for us, something I didn't expect. If you needed something and she had it, she would give it to you, she was very generous. I would have stayed longer, but I felt the calling of the ocean, and I will have to renew my visa in a couple of months, I wouldn't think twice about returning should there be another opportunity.

The tasks are not time-consuming, you will find you will have a lot of time on your hands. There are at least 3 Wifi routers, so even in the volunteer's room, the kitchen or the studio, you always had great Wifi.

Overall a very good and chilled experience. Thank you Kim

(Excellent )

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31 Oct 2023

Left by host (DIY and garden help on the ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

(Excellent )

29 Aug 2023

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (DIY and garden help on the ...)

(Excellent )

5 Oct 2023

Left by host (Experience rural family life ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

(Excellent )

30 Jul 2023

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Experience rural family life ...)

(Excellent )

23 Oct 2022

Left by host (Cultural exchange and helping ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

(Excellent )

6 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Cultural exchange and helping ...)

(Excellent )

18 Nov 2021

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Help out in our small hostel ...)

This was my 10th project with workaway and my first in South American. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay 3 weeks, as their dog didn't like me, (their two cats adored me) plus there wasn't quite enough work to see me through to the middle of December as first discussed. However, with Johan, we managed to get the bulk of the work done needed… read more

(Very good )

18 Nov 2021

Left by host for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Dan stayed with us for around one month. We were in need of help to empty, packing up, cleaning and painting the property we had been renting. He was always very helpful, tidy and careful executing the tasks. Dan´s nice manners and good humor made the job easier and nicer.
The kitchen and common areas were alway left spotlessly after he had been… read more

(Excellent )

15 Feb 2021

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Eco-spiritual project, ...)

Perfect if you love being in the countryside and only a 5 minute walk from the beach. This was my 9th workaway project and I was very honoured to be Rober's first volunteer.

Rober, Came to pick me up from the main bus stop and dropped me off again on my last day. I was there for 5 weeks. Rober is a very friendly easy going, good humoured and… read more very courteous young man. Passionate for kite surfing, chess and his adorable 7 month old kitten Maxi, she is so entertaining.

The work was very easy, if you can call it work, it was just like every day living. My work would start about 1pm, preparing a vegetarian/vegan lunch which would be eaten between 2-3pm, (I even learned a few Spanish recipes that I have never heard of before from 'Spain on a Fork') followed by washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, sweeping and mopping the floors. Which didn't take long as it was a very compact living space. I would be free again for 2-3 hours and start to prepare dinner around 6-7pm, and consumed around 7-8pm, I would then clean the dishes and the kitchen surfaces. Some afternoons would include a deeper clean of the place, toilet, hand basin, shower cubicle, the fridge and windows.

The last hour of work would be some form of language exchange, which would take on many forms, card games, chess, lateral thinking puzzles, some youtube videos, with general conversation and correcting Rober's English, pronunciation and introducing new vocabulary. This didn't happen every week day night as he may be having a telephone call with his family or GF. Rober's standard of English is at least Intermediate.

One of the best parts of this experience was going to sleep to the sound of the ocean and waking up to the same sound, very soothing to the soul. After I had done the cleaning from lunch time, I would often sit in the garden catching some sun, while reading a good book and playing with Maxi. Other times I would go for long walks in the morning after I had been studying Spanish online, it is a beautiful area with some stunning views and a great mix of environments. Think mountains meets countryside meets sand dunes meets the beach. All within less than 30 mins of each other.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars, was that it was too remote for me, but then I am somewhat of a Townie there is no public transport to Tarifa, there is a bakery that is a 20 minute walk. Rober one time lent me his bicycle which took me 40 mins to cycle into town. Most Saturdays I walked there which took 1 hour and 45 minutes. Rober would offer me a lift in or a lift back when possible, though I like to be Independent. Also bear in mind plans can change at the last moment and a degree of flexibility will be needed.

I did meet a few of the neighbours, all very friendly, there feels like a great community here and many live in their camper vans by the beautiful beach. Overall this is a superb place to get away from it all, especially if you want to meditate and feel at peace. Oh and you must try Cherimolla ( Cherimoya), probably the best fruit I have ever tasted, thank you Rober.

(Very good )

1 May 2020

Left by host (Warm family looking for a ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Daniel is a very Kind and thoughtful person. He is knowledgeable and Interesting to talk to. He is friendly and sociable, but is also good at giving "space" which could have been hard to do during the Corona maddness, when we are all home practically all the time.

It wasn't the usual workaway, we had no schedule and it was hard to know and say… read more

(Excellent )

29 Apr 2020

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Warm family looking for a ...)

What a wonderful warm accommodating sweet family, Hadas and Neria kindly opened up their home to me during the global pandemic, so this was not your typical workaway experience. From the moment I set through the front door, I was so welcomed by all 6 members of the family, I am including their dog Indy and their cat David Bowie, usually, animals… read more

(Excellent )

5 Apr 2020

Left by host for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Daniel is a charming, helpful and flexible man - always ready to be of service. He is always sensitive to the situation and tries to help everyone feel appreciated. We had set up a few leadership roles according to his preferences and he did well in them, although the plans were cut short because of the Coronavirus. Even after the restaurant… read more

(Excellent )

30 Mar 2020

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Rescue, cook and serve ...)

Wow-what an incredible enriching experience, unfortunately, it was only for 2 weeks as the Coronavirus sadly got in the way. The main man Shai is very friendly, accommodating, very flexible with me as I requested to start later in the day due to ongoing sleep issues which have plagued me for years. You couldn't wish for a better host, you do feel… read more

(Very good )

6 Jan 2020

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Nice experience with our ...)

Under promised and over delivered. I was initially overwhelmed the first weekend as this dynamic loving family lead a very full life, something I am not used to being a little introverted at times and needing downtime to recharge. As time passed by I felt I got into the swings of things. When they say they want you to be a part of the family, the… read more really mean it, I was invited to everything. This has been one of the best experiences of my life. The culture, the family, friends, the weather, food and outgoings made this a very rich and rewarding time during my autumnal years.

Veruska was very accommodating and flexible. She has a high standard of cleanliness around the house, which in turn inspired me to new levels. The house is huge. I had a very large bedroom in the attic with en-suite facilities. A huge back garden where I spent many an hour enjoying the sun and reading. I also had use of their Netflix account and occasionally binge-watched a series or two, and a movie or three.

The work, if you can call it work! typically most days started at 3 pm, sometimes at 2.30 pm., finishing at 7.30-8pm. Dinner usually after 8 pm. I said I was flexible on which days I can work, so I usually had Tuesday and Wednesday off, as most weekends you get to go out with the family. Sometimes I wouldn't be required Saturday and we would swap a day. I did a lot of activities with the boys, from cycling to football, to roughhousing which they liked the best, plenty of indoor games and some craft too. We had a lot of fun, laughter which commonplace most days, sure there was some drama, some sulking, a typical functioning healthy family. One challenge was to be creative and find something that they both liked to do, otherwise, you would have a 3-year-old doing what was appropriate for his age and the same for the 8-year-old, so lots of compromising ensued. There were also many times when I would have just one of them, which meant they had quality time for themselves with me. The boys were an absolute delight, very loving, very lovable, very cheeky too, and I gave as good as I got. ;-)

Sometimes I did a couple of extra chores, just because I saw a need, not that I was asked to.

I recommend the city centre, which has some nice history, though not easy to get to, public transport is limited, with maybe 5-6 buses a day running. ( 2.50 Euros one way ) The family kindly let me have use of a spare bike to get around, it's not ideal for walking till you reach the centre. Sometimes they would kindly give me a lift in or back. The beach is 13.5 miles away. Casalecci which is where I stayed is about 3 miles away from the train station. Note this is not an International/Tourist City, something I struggled with at times at first. I would have got much more out of this experience if I could speak Italian. Maybe a year there and I would be able to. Veruska is an English teacher and her English is excellent and so I was largely relying on her for conversation. We had some great conversations and laughs over the illogical English language. Communication was excellent and I was always informed about plans for the next day, though be prepared as sometimes plans can change at the last minute.

Often I would have lunch with the family when asked, which is great enjoying home-cooked food with 3 generations of the same family.

I stayed an extra month, though I was very tempted to stay longer and its a very heartwarming feeling to know that I am welcome back. We also promised each other we would keep in contact, with the occasional video call. That speaks volumes. I better end here though I am sure I have missed something. A lot to cover in 3 months, The Italian people are an absolute delight to be around. I am leaving a piece of me behind.

(Excellent )

1 Jan 2020

Left by host (Nice experience with our ...) for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

We had a wonderful experience with Daniel: he is a friendly and easy going man.
He is outgoing and we easily built a nice friendship.
He helped us with a Language Exchange (play and speak in English with my two young boys).
At the beginning I was really doubtful to choose a man for this experience (we always had girls) but after the first days I… read more

(Excellent )

2 Dec 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Dan came to help us with the olive harvest but we managed to complete the bad weather before we thought we would have had more work with olives. And so he was very helpful with emptying an apartment of all its furniture and fittings.where he really worked hard to make himself useful. the second week we worked on the synergistic vegetable garden… read more

(Excellent )

21 Nov 2019

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Come help us enjoy La Bella ...)

Oh boy, where to start. I stayed for just 10 days, but for other commitments, I would have stayed longer.
Anna and her extended family were wonderful, even though the main season for their business was over, they were able to find me things to work on, which broke down into 3 mini-projects.

First up was working with Anna's brother-in-law Marco… read more and for 3 days we emptied a large apartment of all its fixtures and furnishings into a large van and made 3 trips to Waste disposal site. Though Marco and I had to rely on Google translate, we got by and had fun. I also helped tidy up the grounds of their house and farm. One night Marco and his wife took me out for dinner, and I often ate lunch with them. Very nice.

Next Up was with Anna herself. I helped at her business farm just a little with vegetable picking and ironing sheets using an industrial automatic ironing machine. Then on other days, I helped Anna at her house with her housework and translating her Yoga website into English, plus her workaway reviews of her past volunteers. Plus I was able to advise on a small scale some electrical challenges they were having with their lighting. I went with her husband to buy a multimeter and test transformers and batteries.

Lastly, I helped for a few hours with a family friend Rafaella recycling Cork from wine bottles, this was just separating cork from the artificial cork stops. Then afterwards she took me out to dinner and we shared a bottle of wine.
Most days I had lunch with Anna and her family, where there were 4 generations around the table and their lovely dogs.

I was placed into a two-bedroom apartment all to myself, while there was no Wifi, there was Bar 2 minute walk away from that I frequented during my time there. I was also close to a supermarket. I was dependant on lifts each time as there is no public transport to speak of. If I was going to stay longer, I might of hired a car for a few days as there were many beautiful villages and Tuscan countryside to explore.

I was also fortunate enough to be offered free Yoga sessions on Mondays and Thursdays. I did attend just the one, which I benefitted enormously from, getting a great nights sleep in the deal. Not to mention Anna's Yoga studio is behind the apartment I stayed in.

I think that covers it. In summary, I highly recommend working for Anna and her family. They really look after you well, even on my days off, Anna would check to see if I was ok. I found then to be funny, we had some good banter and I enjoyed spending my time in their company. Ciao Anna, all the best to you and your future endeavours.

(Excellent )

25 Sep 2019

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Self-contained covid-safe ...)

This was my 2nd Workaway project, also my first time in Scotland. Nick and his PA's generosity was equally matched by their warmth, humour, encouragement and flexibility. Originally I was only going to stay 7 days, I ended up staying another 16 days, thanks to their offer to stay on. The house is amazing and bigger than the photos or at least that… read more

(Excellent )

11 Sep 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (DanjSilve)

Great guest and help round the house. Really great getting to know him and he makes a mean fish pie!! Always happy to help around the house without being asked and the garage is now completely empty and we have enjoyed his company so much we asked him if he would like to stay on for a couple of weeks. We will definitely stay in touch and come to… read more

(Excellent )

4 Sep 2019

Left by Workawayer (DanjSilve) for host (Residential Hostel Placements ...)

This was my first workaway experience When I first contacted the hostel, I was informed that the volunteer flat was full, however, Michelle, the manager was very accommodating and offered me 3 other options, a tent, a bed in a dorm or occasionally the staff sleep in-room, in the end a single room in the hostel became available till a space in the… read more volunteer flat became free.

The Hostel is part of the South Downs Way ( 100 miles) and was voted No 13 on ITV for UK's Greatest Walks/hikes. This place is fantastic for its views and its huge choice of cycling/hiking routes.
The info on the site does need a little updating. As it is currently displaying 3 hours a day 5 days a week, however, once you are accepted you agree to the terms which stipulate 36 hours a week, which myself and another Workaway volunteer hadn't picked up on=, probably as we are firmly rooted in the Workway mindset of 5 hours a day 5 days a week. Though I never worked 36 hours in any one week.

The AM shift is 7.30-12 most days, sometimes it may be till 2pm, depending on staffing levels and the number of guests. Most days we would be done by 11.45pm, on one occasion I did finish at 1.30pm. From 7.30-9.30pm, you would serve the breakfasts, wash up, clear the tables and clean the kitchen area. 9.30pm onwards, it was cleaning the bathrooms, showers, changing the bedding and on some occasions, their two big Tents.

PM Shift is 5-9pm. Was making the evening meals, washing up and cleaning the tables, kitchen and making sure the customers had what they needed.

I did ask for some extra tasks, and Michelle obliged with giving me the task of supporting 9 Duke of Edinburgh Volunteers for 3 days, which entailed working outdoors with various projects, which was fantastic.

Michelle is very efficient and task-focused, she cares very much about the place and the ethos of this place
The team I worked with were brilliant, very helpful, easy-going, very people-focused and good fun.
I worked with 5 volunteers, 3 French ladies. 1 Italian lady, 1 gentleman from New Zealand, and a young man from Japan. Which was a very nice experience, two of them of which I am still in contact with.

The best part for me was chatting with the diverse clientele, some were local, some were from mainland Europe, many were cyclists, many were hikers who were completing the South Downs Way. I had many great conversations with them, it's really nice to spend time with like-minded people and you come away feeling enriched by the shared stories.

The second best part was just reading in the lounge and looking at the lovely views.
Despite no free meals, you do get your meals subsidised. So instead of paying 7-9 pounds for a meal, you would pay 2.50. You can of course buy your own and cook in the volunteer flat.

I would highly recommend this place. Please note, it is seasonal.

(Very good )

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