Philip

United Kingdom
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
Currently looking to settle in Galway.
My next destination:
Ireland - from Jun 2025 until Aug 2026
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Description
I have volunteered with more than 60 hosts around Europe since 2013, including families, communities, and temples. For the past 8 years I've been a paid estate caretaker doing DIY, gardening, and catsitting at a luxury guest house in Saint Tropez, France.

In Summer 2025 I'm seeing if anyone needs help around Galway, while I spend my own time researching the possibility of renting an apartment and getting a paying job in Galway City.

My university degree is Artificial Intelligence. I worked in England in the finance department of the National Health Service for 10 years. Aged 32 I sold all my possessions and started volunteering full-time. Now I own only a backpack of clothes and a laptop computer. I have Irish citizenship from my father so Brexit did not stop me travelling in Europe.

I am mature, respectful, and tidy. I eat anything. I don't smoke or drink alcohol or use drugs. I have no criminal record. I exercise to stay fit, I have private health insurance, and I am fully vaccinated. I have work boots and gloves. I adapt to your lifestyle. Hosts say they like me because I am "uncomplicated", though people are disappointed that I don't drive, and everybody hates my cookery.

My favourite job is reorganising cluttered sheds/workshops/attics by sorting usable items, repairing broken ones, and storing things in a way that creates space to manoeuvre. It keeps me out of the Summer sun.

I am not a tourist, so you do not have to live in an interesting location. For most of the year I reside alone on a forest mountaintop, so I am self-sufficient at entertaining myself.

My main hobby is genealogy. I like the detective work of tracing my ancestors back hundreds of years, and connecting my tree to living DNA matches. Another hobby is running along mountain trails with my GoPro 360 camera to add them to Google Maps StreetView. On the other hand, a pastime that I find intolerable is live music, so please don't take me to see local bands or recitals.
Interests
Hiking
Photography
Sustainability
Technology
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Hospitality/Tourism
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Languages
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
I'm not a professional, but I have tried lots of things. Many hosts give me a list of jobs and then trust me to organise my own time, but I am also happy to work as an assistant. If given the choice, I prefer to work early in the morning while the temperature is cool and finish at lunchtime.

Garden/Farm Experience:
* mowing lawns, strimming, weeding, trimming bushes, pruning
* leaf blowing, débroussaillage, safe bonfires
* irrigation installation, mulching
* chainsawing, firewood chopping and stacking

Renovation Experience:
* painting with brush and roller, varnishing
* drilling, circular sawing, sanding
* beginner plumbing such as replacing a water faucet
* beginner electrical such as replacing a socket
* mixing concrete, repointing patios
* trench digging, levelling ground
* high work on ladders/scaffolds/roofs
* I am terrible at plastering despite numerous attempts!

Domestic Experience:
* housesitting pets, plants, and pools
* housekeeping: bed making, bathroom & kitchen cleaning
* furniture assembly
* serving hot drinks, pot washing
* fixing computer problems
* writing staff instruction manuals

English-Teaching Experience:
* TESOL certified.
* I speak clearly, without slang.
* Taught immigrants for 3 months, conversation classes for 1 month, and tutored three children aged 8-14.
Age
44
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  Cars! I become sick very easily on twisting roads.
- Special dietary requirements

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27 Sep 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us with our olive ...)

Pietro was my 66th host. I volunteered not at his Sicilian olive orchard, but at his family home in the town of Gallarate, northern Italy. He saw my profile and invited me to do four days of gardening while he was there briefly in September 2023.

The family owns property in Gallarate. Pietro lives in Germany with his wife and children. He… read more

(Excellent )

9 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join our family and help ...)

This family were my 64th host. Marie-Aline saw my profile and invited me, though due to other commitments I was only able to volunteer for 10 days at short notice in September 2022.

The house is in the countryside village of Mours-Saint-Eusèbe, a 20-minute drive from Valence TGV train station. The family moved there from Lyon in 2021. They are… read more

(Excellent )

2 Oct 2022

Left by host (Join our family and help ...) for Workawayer ()

What a great experience we had with Philip !
Really has a servant heart, skilled and able to work independantly. Quiet and very respectful, adaptable to last minute changes, on time and always willing to learn.
Interesting conversations, and patient with our 3 lively year old !...
I would really recommand Philip

(Excellent )

20 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help to transform a beautiful ...)

Lawrence was my 63rd host. I volunteered for 5 weeks in August 2022. He has adopted a 100-year-old community centre that will eventually become a hotel and event venue, on the condition that it is restored to its original state. Do not be deceived by the profile pictures, this is a real building site littered with scaffolding, crumbling ceilings,… read more and bare wiring. Bring tough clothing and boots that you don't mind getting covered in paint and mud. There's currently no central heating so you'll definitely need warm clothes in winter.

Your experience will vary greatly depending on the stage of the renovation, but during my period volunteers sanded old paint from wooden doors, plastered a ceiling, painted walls, set up powertools in a wood workshop, and my own job was mainly to replace a rain-damaged wooden floor and seek further leaks, though I also found plenty of opportunities to do my favourite organising and tidying. There is an impressive selection of tools including lathes, welders, etc, and appropriate safety goggles, gloves, etc. Lawrence hires professionals for dangerous or specialised jobs, so don't worry if you have no expertise. Work was the usual 5 hours per day with weekends off, so normally you have your afternoons free, but you can arrange your hours as desired.

Volunteers stayed in six bedrooms each with a wardrobe and desk, though no lightswitches yet. We shared one shower and two toilets, and a washing machine with a drying line outside. There is a lounge with comfy chairs and a projector. The kitchen is well-stocked, and each week Lawrence buys whatever food the volunteers have written on the shopping list, so you can eat mostly what you like. Wifi was everywhere, 100Mbps down, 25Mbps up. Generally it is the job of one of the volunteers to cook lunch for the group, which is eaten together, often with visitors. Other meals are prepared individually. Cleaning of communal areas needs to be self-arranged by the volunteers.

Lawrence has a bedroom but rarely stays at the centre, living 1 hour north and having a regular day job and family. He is often away on business trips, trusting the volunteers to continue their work, though can always be contacted on Whatsapp. He was present for 2 of my 5 weeks, which is fine for experienced volunteers, though new people may feel they lack some guidance and feedback, so make sure that you ask him to demonstrate tasks while he is available.

The building is 3km from Mol train station, from which there is an hourly bus. It is surrounded by a canal and swamp, so mosquitoes were a real problem on summer nights, but nets etc were provided. A 10-minute-walk over the bridge was a sausage-n-chip shop and a bakery. There is a supermarket 3km south through the farm-animal-filled forest. There are two bicycles that you can borrow. Visiting any other town or country is only possible via train to Antwerp, which costs €10 from Mol and takes 1 hour.

Numerous volunteers extended their initial stay and expressed a desire to return.

(Excellent )

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27 Sep 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us with our olive ...)

(Excellent)

9 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join our family and help ...)

(Excellent)

2 Oct 2022

Left by host (Join our family and help ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

20 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help to transform a beautiful ...)

(Excellent)

20 Sep 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip is a very nice person, he was happy to do any number of different projects that were available. He enjoyed working and was very disciplined and worked quite independently. Dinnertime was very interesting as our discussions circled around philosophy and the meaning of life. The week ended too quickly and hopefully, he can come visit again… read more

(Excellent)

18 Sep 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Provencal House and Garden ...)

This was my 62nd host. I stayed for 1 week in September 2018.

This is a family of German/American academics, who are rarely in the same country at the same time, and the house is sometimes rented out. On this occasion, only Armin was at home, running an online business, and he had another man staying who was a professional flower grower and was… read more

(Excellent)

14 Sep 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip was a pleasure to have around - very easy going and straightforward and we were completely comfortable with him managing his own work time. He needed minimal guidance and just got on with it! He's interesting to talk to, sociable and fun but equally, he was very happy doing his own thing and entertaining himself if we were out or busy. He… read more

(Excellent)

10 Sep 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Experience tranquil, rural, ...)

This was my 61st host. I stayed for 1 week in September 2018.

Liza is an online journalist and also taught English for a while. She doesn't drink, like me. Louis is a plasterer and does pool maintenance. He plays cricket on Saturdays. Lily the former stray cat was affectionate to whoever happened to be standing closest to the cat food when she… read more

(Excellent)

8 Sep 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Phil stayed with us for three weeks. Regarding work, Phil has proven reliable, handy and thorough. Among other things, he mainly worked on tidying, cleaning and organizing our workshed and did a very good job at it, while always keeping a smile on his face.

Phil, thank you for your help and hard work. Thank you also for your detailed feedback ;… read more

(Very good)

30 Aug 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (The revival of an ...)

This was my 59th host. I stayed for three weeks in August. They are young city folk. The placement was not as described, though the profile may have been corrected by the time you read this review.

Caroline and her husband Paul Alexandre are renovating their château, which is a manor, not a castle as Caroline translates it. They are also… read more converting their surrounding farmland to organic, but are currently planting conventional seed. The nearest village is 4 kilometres away, and nearest train station 10km. The views are somewhat marred by the 200-metre-tall twin towers of the nearby nuclear power station.

The château lies on the Camino Francés, so you often see hikers passing the entrance. Paul's father Maurice also resides there, and tends to the two horses (despite the profile stating that they have no pets, and they also organise animal hunts). There are also a farmer and cleaner working there, who previously lived-in, but their former home is now the volunteers' accommodation. Everyone smokes, despite the profile saying that they don't. The three children were not there, having been sent to live with Caroline's mother until renovations are finished.

The profile said that volunteers would be staying in a separate cottage, but Caroline told me during our initial WhatsApp conversation that, due to an infestation, it had been emptied and fumigated and was not suitable to live in. Therefore I shared a dormitory in the château with two other male volunteers. Caroline also told me that there would be two female volunteers, but she did not confirm these bookings, and they never arrived.

The antique beds were short, about 170cm. Mine had no slats underneath so sagged uncomfortably, and also creaked loudly enough that my roommates complained about it. This problem was resolved by each volunteer moving to a separate room (though one had no electricity). We shared an en-suite shower and toilet. Towels were provided, there was a laundry room in the basement and drying line outside, and Caroline gave us racks to hang wet items on. There was an outdoor swimming pool which the volunteers enjoyed daily. We had reliable wifi via a 4g access point, though the speeds fluctuated randomly between 2 and 20Mb.

Breakfasts were serve-yourself cereals or fresh baguettes which were bought each morning. For lunch we each made our own sandwich using sliced ham, cheese, and tomato from the fridge. Dinners were a problem due to poor communication. Caroline prepared several good meals for everyone, per the description in her profile, but on multiple occasions no food had appeared by 21:30 despite offers to assist. Her explanation was that the volunteers were supposed to be cooking for ourselves. I pointed out that the volunteers were clearly not aware of this, else we would not have waited until so late in the evening. From then on the volunteers started cooking their own meals around 18:00.

Conversation included Paul's finance job in Paris, their broad travel experience, and their permaculture plans. Maurice is a rugby fan and invited us to spectate a local game, and also took us out for a meal at a local restaurant. All speak good English, having resided in the USA, though meals were in French if there were guests. One evening we visited a neighbour for a barbecue, and another there were fireworks in the village. Hours were flexible, with some volunteers preferring to work longer hours per day in return for full days off, and others preferring to work weekends but fewer hours per day. Caroline was good about giving volunteers lifts to the train station or Blabla Car so that they could spend the weekend elsewhere.

The project that I spent the majority of my time on was to tidy the main workshop, which involved throwing away many sacks of rubbish and cleaning and reorganising the remaining mounds of tools and supplies in to clear sections. Other work included ride-on mowing (which everyone enjoyed), strimming, chainsawing, and transporting of heavy items. I also maintained the pool filtration equipment, clearing a blocked filter and reinforcing the umbilical to the robot. I was a little disappointed that during my three weeks no progress was made on the château, and instead of any painting etc, volunteers were performing jobs such as washing the car and helping the farmer move house. Paul worked alongside us, chainsawing, and clearing away piles of junk.

I would not have applied to this host if their description had accurately stated that they were smokers and that volunteers were supposed to cook their own dinners, and I would encourage them to be less casual about future arrangements.

(Good)

3 Sep 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Learn many trades and skills ...)

This was my 60th host. I stayed for one week in August 2018. I was their first volunteer. Paul recently had a hip replacement, so wanted some help with heavier tasks.

The household consists of Paul, his wife Laurence, their son Blaise, a small dog named Bingo, and three tortoises. They live a 20 minute walk from the centre of town, and 20km from… read more

(Excellent)

10 Aug 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help with finishing touches ...)

Joelle was my 58th host. I stayed for a little over a week in August 2018. I found her on the Last Minute host list, because she wanted help preparing for the wedding of her son, Cedric. At first she was very private and nervous about having a stranger in the house and was suspicious of everything I said and did, but she grew more trusting as the… read more days passed.

Joelle lives alone in a large farm house, remote and overgrown, with two horses and a dog. There is an inflatable spa pool to sit in. The small village is 4 kilometres away and includes a convenience store near the train station. Joelle offered to take me to other villages, and we visited Cedric, who works in construction, and her elderly mother who lives nearby.

I slept in Cedric's childhood room, still decorated with posters of motorcycles, with a double bed and desk. There was a shower and toilet at the end of the hall. The wifi, which didn't reach my room, was a reasonable 6Mb but suffered severe interference, cutting out constantly.

We ate meals together at the table. Breakfast was toasted bread with butter, lunch was normally rice mixed with egg or tuna or olives, and dinner was fried vegetables with meat, often barbecued. Joelle insisted on doing all the cooking and tidying up by herself. She introduced me to cucumber water, and she went to special effort to make a regional dish, duck confit with seasoned potatoes and mushrooms from her own land.

Conversation included Joelle's former career in Canada (hence her perfect English), her current career in local politics, and her award-winning baker daughter.

Work I did included pruning trees and roses, pressure-washing the driveway, clearing buried junk, and strimming around the electric fences. These jobs were difficult due to a lack of tools: The wheelbarrows all had punctures. There were no shears or loppers for pruning, I had to rely on a pair of secateurs and eventually an old handsaw from Joelle's mother. Joelle's strimmer had a snapped-off safety guard so I refused to use it, and the replacement strimmer we borrowed from a neighbour was falling apart and not suitable for the overgrown weeds, plus we had to borrow a larger wrench to open the head. We also borrowed a chainsaw, but it was blunt and we had no file to sharpen it.

Once the lack of specific garden tools has been rectified, then another volunteer can benefit from Joelle's hospitality and be productive here.

(Very good)

1 Aug 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Learn about geothermic ...)

Marcus & Diane were my 57th host. I stayed for three weeks in July 2018. Marcus found my profile and invited me to help him install his underfloor heating.

The location is a remote farm with several rooms that they rent. The nearest village is 5km away (bicycles were available) and includes convenience stores, a bar, a pharmacy, plus a charity… read more shop where Diane volunteers. The farm includes sheep (some of which we ate), donkeys, angry geese, chickens, cats, and dogs. Other features include Marcus's garage filled with several classic Citroen cars, and canoeing at the nearby river where he owns watermill ruins. We went to assist several of their friends, attended a horse race, and I had opportunities to visit local events like bands and car-boot sales.

I had a large private room upstairs with a double bed, and shared a bathroom with my hosts. Wifi was slow (2Mb) and sometimes cut out, particularly when shared with several guests.

Meals were eaten together at the table and included breakfasts of muesli with yoghurt, lunch of salad and bread with pate and cheese, and for dinner Diane would cook things like lasagne or curried vegetables. If there were paying guests, we would often have a multilingual dinner outside (Marcus speaks several languages), with Marcus making barbecued lamb or paella. Discussion included Diane's former career in a family advice centre, and Marcus's as a database developer, plus his current UK politics blog. We shared an interest in genealogy and I was able to take Diane's tree back several more generations, while Marcus already had a big book detailing his Dutch/French family.

Work included weeding and harvesting from the vegetable patch, tidying the workshop, excavating a floor, running water pipes, demaggoting sheep, painting doors, shopping for supplies, constructing gates, and trying to speed up Marcus's laptop. In the evenings I would sometimes water the garden and the animals, and clear away the guests' dinner, which would normally not be considered as work, but this was often near to midnight and involved clearing multiple courses for up to 12 people and bringing in the dining chairs.

This was a challenging stay for me. Marcus revels in everything that he does, so admits that he makes no distinction between work and leisure. On my first two days I worked 10 hours per day, which I trusted was just an anomaly, but then when he said that I didn't get weekends off, I had to explain to him that he was exceeding the agreed 25 hours. This conversation had little effect, and despite his promises that we'd make up for weekends by going on mid-week trips instead of working, this never happened, so in the end I took charge of my own hours, rejecting his suggestions of work in the afternoons and simply announcing whenever I was going to have a day off, which felt unpleasant for me and I'm sure for him too, and I still ended up putting in 35 hours of work per week.

Furthermore, the work could be frustrating. --text redacted-- It's a shame because Marcus loves to entertain, but if you are an independent adult who takes pride in their work, then this may not be the right place for you. However, if you are a young person for whom farm life would be a novelty, then you will find this place very welcoming.

(Very good)

1 Aug 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

It was a pleasure to host Philip wh can pretty much turn his hand at anything and has helped with day to day chores as well as helping some of our building and renovation projects move along.

If anything I'd love for Philip to have spent more time with us, as we were just getting into our stride working together.

I hope he'll spend some time… read more

(Excellent)

12 Jul 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help with exotic birds and ...)

Steph & Henry were my 56th host. I stayed for two weeks in July 2018. Steph had found my profile and invited me a few months in advance, which was good because they had a queue of volunteers.

The location is a remote farm house, in France's least-populated region I'm told. Limoges is 50km away, the nearest village is a 20-minute walk down the… read more main road and has a cafe and art gallery but no convenience store, though the route does pass a Buddhist temple with many sculptures. Steph, who has a degree in zoology, keeps a variety of about 50 chickens and ducks on her land, though they no longer have ponies. They employ few local people to help with gardening and cleaning. There are also three friendly cats whose fluff gets everywhere.

Previously, volunteers stayed in a separate gite, but now the couple are preparing to move in to the gite themselves, so it is being renovated, and I had a private room upstairs in the main house. My large room contained both a double and single bed, en-suite toilet and shower, balcony, and television. Wifi was slow, 1.5Mb.

Food was provided for me to prepare my own breakfast and lunch. My room included a fridge, microwave, kettle, and toaster. ..... text redacted.... I ate things like muesli, salad, eggs, sandwiches, and fruit. Steph always prepared a hot evening meal for us, but due to their health problems, we normally didn't eat together, so I either took it up to my room or ate at the table outside. Meals included paella, spanish omelette, and cordon bleu with steamed vegetables. When they did join me outside to socialise, conversation included environmental politics (based on their research against wind turbines), Henry's former career as a social worker, and the latest series on Netflix, which they enjoy most evenings. Steph surprised me by being a fan of science fiction.

Originally I was going to help dig a duck pond, but the contractor was late, so that job was postponed and instead I spent most of my time working alone using lime mortar to repoint a room upstairs in the gite. Every morning I let the birds out of their coops, scrubbed and refilled their water bowls, and made sure that they had food, then I watered the plants. At midday I would empty and refill the ducks' paddling pools. I also did weeding, pruning, mowing, repairs, a little tidying, and helped Steph with computer problems including setting up a new Android tablet. Aside from the daily duties, I was free to schedule my hours as I wished.

(Excellent)

10 Jul 2018

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Big Thankyou to Philip....workawayer par excellence!

We have really enjoyed Philips 2 week stay here. He is kind and considerate, very amenable, adaptable and hard working.
He loved the animals, hens ducks and cats....'Fluffy' he groomed to perfection...removing the burrs of ages with tender car in spite of some disgruntlement from the… read more

(Excellent)

26 Jun 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us in Burgundy, France)

This was my 55th host. I stayed for 3 weeks in June 2018. Cathy found my profile and invited me, and I accepted because I mention making steps as one of my specialities. I was their first volunteer since the business had opened.

The location is a newly-opened Bed & Breakfast with three rooms, generally occupied by one couple per weekend, located… read more 15km from Auxerre train station. Within a 5-minute walk, the quiet village contains a bakery, bar, pharmacy, and an expensive convenience store (selling barely any vegetables). The surrounding land is mostly crop fields. There are no buses or taxis, so if you want to visit any of the attractions 30km away you'll need to cycle the 2 hours there and then back again. I had my own keys. During my stay the village held a soapbox cart race and a tapas night. There are two cats which stayed away from me, and cute bats living in the silos. Cathy speaks good English, but would prefer French. Gilles speaks less, but enough.

I had my own sparse attic room that contained two single beds, a shelf, a table made from a pallet by a previous volunteer, and a metal plant pot stand repurposed as a very low stool. There was a north-facing window that I was told to keep closed at night so that the bats could not come in. WiFi was a reliable 17Mb around the whole property. My room was directly above the communal area and had significant holes in the creaky floor which meant that everyone could hear me moving or watching video, and similarly any guests downstairs would keep me awake, and I was asked to limit my movement so as not to disturb them. The communal area also contains Cathy's office so is not very relaxing. I had a toilet in the corridor beside the guest rooms, but the shower is broken, so I was asked to use the en-suite shower downstairs in their bedroom, which is also Gilles' office.

We ate meals together. For breakfast I had muesli with soya milk while they drank coffee from a bowl. Lunch and dinner were often curried lentils, pizza, or meat with rice or pasta, and always some lettuce from the garden, but rarely any vegetables. Dessert was cheese. Gilles has published his own cookbook. During my final week, they were out every evening (some days Gilles was working in Paris on a photoshoot), so we did not eat together, and I prepared my own meals using leftovers from lunch. Conversation included their previous attempt to open a B&B in Cambodia, Cathy's former career as a bodypainter for rock bands, and Gilles' knarly injuries. They also taught me how to play pétanque.

I did a variety of work. My first week started with continuing to dig steps in to a hill leading up to the old ochre quarry, which is just a forest now. The unreliable lawnmower only worked for one hour at a time, so it took several days to remove a hectare of waist-high meadow, though I warned that they did not have time to maintain such a large area. This week was filled with rain so I worked extra hours in the afternoons to finish the groundskeeping before the weekend guests arrived, including removing a fallen tree. In my second week I caught a cold from Gilles so spent the afternoons recovering in bed. I helped Cathy pick cherries to make jam. My main task was to empty the old ochre factory in preparation for its conversion in to an art gallery, which meant moving a few tonnes of wood, tiles, and furniture that the couple had accumulated, erecting shelving, repairing some items, and condensing piled equipment in to drawers. By the third week I was feeling demotivated because they did not have enough storage space for all the things that Cathy hoards, so it seemed that my emptying of the factory was futile, nevertheless I removed the rotten wooden floorboards in one silo to prepare for a new floor to be laid for a new store room. I also improved their Excel invoices.

Plumbers or electricians would be very welcome, to renovate a separate house on the property.

(Very good)

6 Jun 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help with gardening and some ...)

This family were my 54th host. I stayed for three weeks in May 2018. They are well-travelled and have varied professions: botanist, social scientist, journalist, and nutritionist. I had the opportunity to join the daily train commute to Paris and was able to visit the Botanic Gardens.

There are two boisterous untrained dogs that appreciate walks… read more

(Excellent)

25 Sep 2016

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Phil stayed with us for one week in September 2016. He is a very considerate and mindful person who fitted in with us straight away; he even texted to apologize for being slightly delayed on his arrival day (by only 30 minutes). We had some really good conversations, and we would definitely be happy to see him again. We can genuinely say that we… read more

(Excellent)

24 Sep 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us with our garden ...)

Claire & Clemens were my 49th hosts. I stayed for one week in September 2016. They are an ethically-minded couple who have been hosting people for many years through different schemes.

I did a variety of jobs including picking fruit, laying paths, wallpapering, weeding, and shredding branches. Each morning they'd set me a task for the day and… read more

(Excellent)

18 Sep 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Early 1900s house in need of ...)

Becka was my 48th host. I stayed for three weeks in September 2016. She saw my Workaway profile and invited me to replaster her house.

Becka provided all the tools necessary for the plastering and had researched the procedure. This was the first time I had led the job myself, and my work was of poorer quality for the first couple of days before… read more I remembered some of the techniques previous hosts had shown me, so I put in extra hours to try to improve upon the first sections that I wasn't happy with, though I still never managed to get the corners sharp. I didn't work around the children, to avoid getting their school uniforms dirty, so didn't start until they were out of the house around 0900, and had to be mindful of their afternoon nap.

I had my own bedroom with a futon plus a single bunk above, and a sink. Every room of the house was very messy, but that's expected with three young children, and it didn't cause me any problems. Laundry was an issue, because on three occasions I asked if I could do some, Becka said that she'd do a load that evening, but two days later it was still waiting. Another negative was that I was always woken in the morning by the parents shouting at the children, which continued nonstop throughout the day, so I found this stressful, although they were always polite to me. The wifi was the fastest I've used in the UK, and was used to stream children's television. There is a large supermarket at the end of the road, and the town centre and train station are a 15-minute walk away.

We ate dinner as a family around the table for the first week (plus one barbeque), which I enjoyed as an opportunity to get to know them, hearing about Alex's past job as a fireman, and Becka's recently completed history degree. Becka is vegetarian and neither she nor her son eat dairy so she bakes a tasty hummous pizza, and vegetable soups, but also does a good meaty sunday dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy the chocolate avocado mousse I made. In the second week Becka made a meal for the children at the normal time but left the adults' food until later, often a takeaway. In the third week Becka didn't provide the adults with any meals, and didn't want anything from the freezer that I suggested, so Alex would fetch something from the supermarket and we'd eat around 2200.

The house is on the seafront, with seagulls strutting past the front door. Rhyl is a typical seaside town consisting of gambling arcades and novelty gift shops. In the evenings, once the children were in bed, we sometimes played yahtzee. In passing conversation I recommended the television series Game of Thrones, which they had never seen, and watching this became the evening's standard entertainment.

I think this place would be best suited to a couple, who could help with both decoration and housework.

Tip: Bring something for the eldest daughter's foreign coin collection.

(Very good)

31 Aug 2016

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip was a great help during the two weeks he stayed. He competently set about building steps in the garden and dug a trench to help with drainage, reorganized my shed, put together shelves for storage purposes and dug holes for me to put plants in. He thought things through before starting any task which made things easier and more… read more

(Excellent)

30 Aug 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Learn about plants and ...)

This was my 47th host. I stayed for two weeks in August 2016. Eira had moved in to a smaller house in the past year and needed some help landscaping and decluttering.

Work I did included digging trenches to redirect water, digging steps to make slippery banks accessible, weatherproofing the sheds, and burning brush. The house and sheds are… read more

(Very good)

16 Aug 2016

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Phil stayed with us for 2 weeks in August. He did a variety of jobs from tidying sheds to mucking out the donkey stable, and from sawing firewood to painting window frames, and more.
His work was always very thorough and organised, he listened carefully to our instructions, asked some good questions, and then just got on with the jobs at hand… read more

(Excellent)

16 Aug 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Smallholding in rural North ...)

This was my 46th host. I stayed for two weeks in August 2016. Katerina & Colin had recently taken over a health food shop in the local village, so wanted some help with jobs on their smallholding while they were busy setting up things there.

They have 2 playful donkeys, 25 small Soay sheep, 25 chickens, 4 lazy cats, and 1 well-behaved dog.… read more

(Excellent)

4 Aug 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (Non-profit Buddhist ...)

This was my 45th host, including four other temples of this tradition around Europe. There were always around 10 to 20 volunteers during the six weeks I stayed from June 2016.

Previous feedback correctly highlights the friendly residents, and opportunities to learn about this branch of Buddhism.

I applied to two temples, and in both cases… read more the organisation didn't read my initial email, it used Workaway to redirect me to their own application form. They asked for a reference, but refused to accept Workaway references. It was not possible to confirm the duration of my stay in advance because they insisted on a one-week trial, despite me already having worked at their other temples. The trial week always starts on a Sunday when travel options are fewest.

Accommodation is in bunk-beds in single-sex dormitories of eight or more people (volunteers and monks), so sleeping was often difficult due to the noise. Volunteers must bring their own sleeping bag. There is a laundry which costs 2 pounds per use, but there are no lines to air-dry, and I was refused use of a drying rack for the dorm when I requested one, so the place was filled with wet clothes and towels draped over bedsteads. Bathrooms are communal mixed-sex. Showers have an endless supply of hot water. The nearest supermarket is a 20-minute walk away and sold everything I needed.

Meals are communal vegetarian. Meat is not permitted on-site. Breakfasts are serve-yourself cereals and bread. Examples of lunch were lentil curry, roasted vegetables with quinoa, and pesto pasta. Dinners were always soup with lettuce. Perhaps understandably, the food seemed more suited to the studying monks than the volunteers working outside in the frequent rain. Two different kitchen staff told me that they were only able to serve us about 900 calories per day due to their budget, and the kitchen contained written notes such as "remember, 1 tomato per 10 people!". The managers did not join the communal meals, they ate their own food in their private houses.

The wifi was non-existent in practise. It can only be accessed from the cafe, which is occupied by members of the public during the daytime and weekends, and stops completely if more than eight people use it at once. The halls were filled with visiting monks complaining how disgraceful it was that their head temple, which promotes the download of a "Modern Buddhism" ebook at every meditation session, doesn't offer this facility to their own guests, despite the pub down the road having a fast fibre connection. There is a public library with free wifi a 40-minute walk away in the local town but volunteers are only available to go there on Saturday mornings.

The temple's host listing claims they want the Workaway maximum of 25 hours work per week, but the introductory email I received said that it would be 35 hours, and we worked from 0900 to 1700, Monday to Friday, with dinner served at 1830. Most stores and local attractions close at 1700, so visiting these is only possible at weekends. Example tasks I performed included changing beds, cleaning bathrooms, moving furniture, groundskeeping, chopping vegetables, washing pots, and wheelbarrowing tonnes of gravel. One Friday I was told that the temple was extra busy preparing for a festival, so I would only be allowed to have one day off that weekend. Having volunteered at many other organisations, I don't feel that 42 hours is a fair exchange for the below-average facilities provided, despite the nice people. I discussed the schedule with staff, but they receive volunteers from multiple other sources, including a group who had paid over £200 each to do the same work that I was doing for free through Workaway, therefore the organisation seems unwilling to acknowledge the problems. If they changed the working hours to something like 0800 to 1300, so that the volunteers would have an opportunity to rest or go off-site in the afternoons, then I may recommend this host to volunteers looking to disconnect and experience life at a temple.

(Neutral)

9 May 2016

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip did a lot of work for us, although for various reasons he only stayed with us on our property for a week. He was a delight to work with - followed instructions, used a number of his existing skills well, learned and practised new tasks efficiently and always cleared up afterwards.

We need people who can use their initiative and complete… read more

(Excellent)

8 May 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (House-sit in the village of ...)

Roger was my 42nd host (Jo was away in England at the time). I stayed for a week in April 2016, but had spent time with them previously through other hosts. They have a bossy cat named Kirsty, and numerous stray cats wander through.

I elected to stay in a holiday house with double bed, hot shower, TV, and wifi signal from the main house. Mosquito… read more

(Excellent)

1 May 2016

Left by Workawayer () for host (International hostel is ...)

My feedback for Ioanna applies only to the construction of the hostel. I do not know what the finished place will be like for volunteers.

This was my 43rd host. I volunteered for one week in April 2016. I was due to stay for two weeks, but left early because I no longer wanted to work with Ioanna. There were 6 volunteers in the month before my… read more arrival. Ioanna did not do any physical work herself.

We were renovating a 6-floor hostel in the centre of Athens. Upon arrival we were asked to sign a disclaimer stating that we were not working for her. Ioanna instructed us that if any inspectors came to the hostel, we must hide in our rooms, change in to clean clothing, and lie to them that we were not helping her, only sleeping there.

At first we slept on mattresses on the floor while the workmen worked around us, covering everything in plaster dust. Later we constructed bunk beds. Ioanna slept in a private room. It was not possible to sleep at night for several reasons including being located directly opposite a noisy bar that closes at 06:00; the workmen accepting nighttime deliveries or loading debris in to dumpters; and the mosquitoes which were not distracted by the supplied electric zappers. We tried to sleep in the daytime, but we never knew what time Ioanna would want us to work. For example, on my last day, we wasted the day waiting for her to arrive, only for her to send a text message at 16:30 saying she wanted us to move beds from 17:30 to 21:30.

We were provided bread and pasta and an electric camping stove to cook on the floor. I did not want to eat from the floor after two other volunteers became sick, so I paid to eat at local cafes. Ioanna ate at her parents' house nearby.

There was only one working sink in the building, and this was used for drinking, bathing, cooking, laundry, and by the workmen to clean their tools, mix cement, etc. A hose attached to the sink served as a shower.

There was no internet. One of the volunteers managed to scam the wifi password out of the business next door.

During the week I was there I was asked to construct four bunk beds, but all the rest of my time was spent moving the flat-packed beds from one room to another, instead of stacking them unobstructively in their final destination, which is what I suggested. One day I confronted Ioanna about this, because on this day the only reason we had to move the packs was because she had forgotten to buy the paint for the painters to work in the empty room. I asked if we could go buy the paint now, but she said she wasn't in the mood. I pointed out that simply waiting a day would eliminate the need to move the roomfull of furniture twice more, but she said that she refused to change her plans for the reason that she wanted to host a party for her friends at the end of the week.

The next day we were due to saw pallet furniture (using the workmen's tools - Ioanna refused to buy a single tool for the hostel) because Ioanna had bought cushions that were the wrong size for the pallets. At this point I decided that the poor conditions were not adequate compensation for the pointless work being requested by the disorganised host. I don't mind a bit of hard work, but I do mind having my time wasted.

In Ioanna's defence, I will note that I volunteered at the nearby Syrian refugee camp on my day off (as previously agreed with her), which may have provided me with a greater contrast to her behaviour than at other times.

(Neutral)

7 Feb 2016

Left by host (Dog sitter/s needed in my ...) for Workawayer ()

Though somehow not at all what his profile had led us to expect, Philip suited our needs perfectly and did everything that was required of him, looking after the house in our absence and becoming the adored companion of Fanny the Dog. Although this particular Workaway situation gave us little opportunity to get to know him well, we found him to be… read more

(Excellent)

29 Dec 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Dog sitter/s needed in my ...)

This was my 39th host. I stayed for one month in December 2015.

The family needed a dogsitter while they were abroad. My other responsibilities included weeding the garden, cleaning the pool, tackling mice, and keeping the house tidy for their return, none of which required much daily effort, so I had plenty of free time. They also strived to… read more

(Excellent)

21 Jan 2016

Left by host (Help at a community ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

5 May 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help at a community ...)

This was my 32nd host. I volunteered here for 3 months.

There were over 10 volunteers at the same time. The volunteers live in a house outside the gated community. Most bedrooms were 4 bunks of single-sex. Wifi was usable but often slow due to being shared by so many people.

Breakfast and lunch were communal meals taken with about 50… read more residents in the underground canteen. For dinner we cooked at home, using food that was donated weekly, often expired but good.

Work I did included renovation of two houses (cleaning, painting, plastering, furniture restoration), gardening, lunch preparation, office adminiatration, and English teaching. Work often involved repairing bad jobs done by the residents.

Work was often halted by a lack of available equipment because the residents would steal anything left unattended. This lack of security meant having to put in daily shopping requests with the managers for every little thing from paintbrushes to laundry liquid.

There was a small town a 30-minute walk away with a supermarket and bars. The local hills were good for exercising after the initial steep scramble.

My first impression of the community was poor due to the lack of management of rehabilitation. Youths did not attend school. Adults were illiterate. English classes were provided but had only a single attendee from the local village, none from the community. Diagnosis of mental health was performed by the unqualified managers.

This was not an "intentional" community. The residents prefered it to living on the street, but none of them wanted to be there. The expectation was that the residents should seek their own training opportunities. The reality was that the free handouts and lack of policing provided no incentive to find work, so most will remain in the community for the rest of their lives.

For volunteers, the situation was brighter. Here you could do any type of work that you wanted, or use your unique skills to run your own project. Granada was a 15-minute bus ride away, and our hosts eagerly took us to local attractions and events.

The current plan of throwing manpower at the community is not a long-term solution, and it's frustrating that progress is dependent on volunteers instead of the 50 able-bodied people living there. On several occasions I returned the next day to find that my work had been destroyed by oblivious residents.

So, it's a good opportunity to practise your skills with easy-going hosts as long as you can remain detached.

(Very good)

14 Oct 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join and help us at our ...)

This family were my 38th host. I stayed for one week in October 2015. I applied for longer, but they correctly guessed that the Autumn weather might be bad for outside work. Because of all the rain, my experience was probably more subdued than what other volunteers will experience.

I slept on a comfy double bed in their office. Chris would come… read more

(Very good)

13 Oct 2015

Left by host (Join and help us at our ...) for Workawayer ()

Hiya..... well we must say, its been lovely having Phillip come here and stay, and help us around the farm.
he is a very pleasant, obliging and helpful young man,
and absolutely anything we asked him to do, he got on and did it...no questions asked.
Phillip is moving on to his next placement tomorrow, and we sincerely wish him well.
Once… read more

(Excellent)

13 Oct 2015

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Thank you Philip for this long and nice description :-)

Philip stayed one month here. He has been a great volunteer !
Philip is easy going, honest and respectful. He's a good company, always in a good mood. He's very smart and has lots of interesting discussions.

Philip is always ready to work and help. He's a serious, dedicated and… read more

(Excellent)

9 Oct 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help an organic vegetables ...)

Rodo was my 37th host. I stayed for the month of September 2015.

I lived with two other volunteers in our own house across the road from Rodo's. We would sit on the outside terrace to get a wifi signal from his house. We had reliable hot water for showers.

We cooked our own vegan meals using dry ingredients requested from Rodo, and… read more

(Excellent)

16 Sep 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Sea views, camping and great ...)

This was my 36th host. I stayed for three weeks in August 2015.

We all lived in a rented house on the same street as the renovated house. I shared a large room with another volunteer. There is a playful cat.

I was provided with a comfy bed, hot showers, and fast internet. There is a small shop and bar a 10 minute walk away.

Marc and Beau… read more

(Excellent)

19 Jul 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Come & help me around the ...)

Maureen was my 34th host, I stayed for 2 weeks in June 2015. I had a double bed in my own quiet room. The bathroom wasn't finished so there was no shower or hot water, but there was a solar shower available in the yard. I ate muesli for breakfast and she prepared a variety of tasty dishes for lunch and dinner which we ate while chatting on the… read more

(Very good)

13 Feb 2015

Left by Workawayer () for host (Volunteer in a family run ...)

This was my 31st host. I volunteered there for one month. I slept in a bunk bed in a room with another male volunteer. There were two female volunteers in a bunk in the neighbouring room, and we all shared a bathroom and kitchen with the guests. In the mornings we joined the guests for breakfast, but no other food was provided.

The description… read more said 18 hours work per week, which is the standard for placements without food, but once there we were all scheduled on the calandar to work 27 hours per week, and in fact this became 33 because the owners didn't account for the cleaning workload on Sundays when all 34 guests would checkout and we all needed to help. At weekends I would do a 12-hour shift from 1100-2300 with no breaks, but reception was quiet and volunteers would often sit reading or watching Youtube. Knowing some Spanish is important so you can answer the phone and deal with Spanish guests (about 25% of guests).

Cleaning involved changing, machine washing, line drying, and hand ironing bed linen (using flat sheets instead of fitted on upper bunk beds was maddening), plus doing the communal kitchens, bathrooms, lounges, and classrooms.

English conversation lessons involved chatting with classes of on average four adults of intermediate level (B1/B2) for an hour about whatever they had learned in the previous hour with their teacher. Daily classes were at 1000, 1730, and 2100, so I had time to go out inbetween. The advertised free Spanish lessons were not available during my stay. Yoga classes were €5 each.

The owners were friendly, shared the workload equally, were very flexible in arranging free time, and were willing to discuss problems. But paradoxically, compared to the last ten hostels I've stayed at, this one ranked lowest on professionalism and facilities, though I'm told other people consider this charming.

I specifically wanted to try the English teaching, and this place delivered in that regard, but unless that's also your goal then working double the appropriate hours without food for compensation means I can't recommend it. I would also suggest avoiding it if you are a mature person like me because the lack of a 24-hour reception allows noisy intoxicated people to wander the halls all night, though again this is exactly what attracts some guests and volunteers so it depends what you like.

(Good)

29 Mar 2014

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help me in my finca and get ...)

Please see our feedback policy for more info about why this review is not displayed

(Negative)

25 Mar 2014

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip is a pilgrim that the universe put in our way. And we were very happy to meet him. My english is so basic to express how lucky we have been. He is easygoing, friendly, gentle...
But the most important for us were that our children were very happy to know a person like him, they enjoy his presence, they enjoy his english lessons, his smart… read more

(Excellent)

21 Feb 2014

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us to improve our ...)

I stayed with this family for 10 days. I had my own room downstairs with the children. The house is modern and cosy, less than a 10 minute walk from the village centre. In the mornings everyone was out so I had free time or did odd jobs. In the afternoons I'd eat and talk at the table with the family. We ate paella, pizza, ham spaghetti, salads.… read more

(Excellent)

11 Nov 2013

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us around our home set ...)

Gill & Glyn are good hosts. They introduced me to France and answered the questions I had. My jobs included weeding and pruning in the garden, but I spent more time exploring than working. I shopped in the main village, walked along the coast, and played with the dogs. And at the end of the day Gill would always have a meal ready. In the evenings… read more

(Excellent)

8 Nov 2013

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Philip is a really great person to have around. He is hardworking, honest, conscientious but easygoing and a pleasure to have around. All the work which he undertook to complete was done to a very high standard indeed. The garden is looking really great after all your hard work, thank you very much. Also greatly appreciated was your vast IT… read more

(Excellent)

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