Wyon & Janet

Travel information

We are currently

Description

2021 UPDATE: We are currently looking for opportunities in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

We love to travel, meet others, and experience the different ways people live; sharing wisdom, fun, conversation and caring. We like to get below the surface of a country, meet local people and enjoy making a contribution wherever we stay. During 2019/20 we volunteered on 3 farms in Norway, then 2 farms and an eco-tourism project in Nepal, a dog sit and gite (holiday cottage) building in France, and dog sit and cave building in Spain. Under Workaway we have repaired and put up fencing, made attractive mosaics, helped to take care of animals, planted, weeded and harvested vegetables, fruit and hay, as well as helping out with domestic cooking and cleaning. We've also done painting, decorating, fixing plaster boards, and helping to prepare for and greet visiting tourists. We've done similar work-exchanges before - for example, lots of WWOOFing (willing workers on organic farms) on previous travels to Australia and New Zealand, and have loved this way of visiting. We also have experience as house/pet-sitters, and are registered with Trusted House Sitters.

Janet is interested in community-building, performing arts, being active outside (running, cycling and wild swimming). Wyon is interested in games, butterflies, science fiction, writing (he has written a novel), Buddhism, cooking, refugees, homelessness. Both: have up to date (clean!) criminal record checks, meditate regularly and are quick learners who like to work as well as play. We are conscientious, reliable and able to take initiative and work independently when relevant.

We are also Workaway hosts, so we know and understand what it's like having people volunteering in your home!
We are both double-vaccinated against Covid, and could do a leteral flow test before visiting if desired.

Interests

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Gardening

Being an elderly companion

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

DIY and building projects

Babysitting and creative play

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Language practice

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

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Able to teach about:  

Charity Work

More details about your skills

Wyon: Good handyman. Enjoys gardening (including landscaping - see photos of our garden complete with rainbow fence made from old pallets), decorating, including painting and tiling (see photo of bathroom tiling), functional carpentry (see Little Free Library), vegetarian cooking, spreadsheets, problem solving, rolling up my sleeves. I have founded 2 charities, have been a manager for many years and am a qualified counsellor and social worker. I can teach didgeridoo and diabolo juggling.
Janet: vegetarian cooking, gardening/basic farm labouring, basic website design and social media PR, teaching songs (15 years as a community choir leader), writing and editing (previously worked as a magazine journalist and editor). Helps organise regular street parties and litter picks where we live.
Together: We are qualified as laughter yoga teachers (see www.oxfordlaughteryoga.co.uk) and have done an introductory course in teaching English (TEFL). We enjoy practising yoga and meditation. 14 years ago we spent months WWOOFing in Australia, New Zealand and Canada - we did lots of gardening and weeding, some stone wall building, cooking, fruit picking, some animal care. Happy to help with childcare and looking after pets/house-sitting. Other voluntary work we've done includes teaching dance and singing to Russian teenagers at an orphanage project south of Moscow, and with young women in Southern India (J), making bunk beds in Russian orphanage project (W), providing supervision for counsellers working with at-risk young women in S India (W).

Languages spoken

English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Arabic: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner

Age

66 & 59

Nationality

British

What else ...

We are currently travelling in a camper van and would be able to live in this, if necessary, when volunteering. Currently looks as though we can't get the van to Morocco though, so will be on foot there!

We have been happily married for 26 years and have a 24-year old son who has now left home. 16 years ago we travelled around the world for one year when our son was 7, working/volunteering as we went. We liked it so much we want to repeat it, and lay down some good memories.

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Wyon is allergic to dust, pollen, and cats but this does not prevent him from being with all 3 - he just sneezes.

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  Special dietary requirements
  Janet is vegetarian by preference and Wyon mostly is too (though he likes fish). Will eat meat/fish if vegetarian catering really not possible!