Erraid is a beautiful Hebridean island where the Findhorn Foundation community lives and works together within the cycles of sea and land. It’s located off the west coast of the Isle of Mull, near Iona, in West Scotland.  Members of the community have been welcoming guests here for over 40 years.

About the work exchange program

The Foundation has two main sites.  The Park, nestled amidst dunes and forest, bay and beach, is an ecovillage that is home to many of the staff and a larger community of people living with shared values. Cluny Hill is a stately Victorian former hotel, five miles away from The Park, which houses staff and welcomes participants in the workshops and events. The retreat house on the island of Iona, and the satellite community on the neighbouring island of Erraid, also welcome participants for life-changing experiences on the wild, wind-swept west coast of Scotland.

The Erraid community usually appreciates the help of volunteers to support them in their daily tasks. They can host a maximum of two volunteers at the same time. A minimum stay of 4 weeks which can be extended up to a maximum stay of 12 weeks is required.

If you are interested in volunteering with Findhorn Foundation, in your first 2 weeks you would be social distancing from the community residents and short term guests (who will also be social distancing). This means that you will have a basic cottage to yourself, and the jobs that you will be supporting with will be outdoors. This includes gardening, wood splitting and maintenance tasks.

After your first 2 weeks you will most likely move into a cottage with a resident and maybe another Work Exchange or long term guest, but you would have your own bedroom. You’ll be asked to support with holding cook shifts for the community’s communal meals. You would also be added to the rota for KP (washing up after the communal meal), and possible feeding the chicken.

Other volunteer tasks

• Cooking
  The cook shifts involve preparing food for 10-15 people. You would be the main cook and would have support from someone if needed. You would decide what meal to make with the ingredients we have. If there is a big group then you would get help with cutting vegetables and washing up. The lunch shift is from 10 am to 12.30 and involves making a soup, and preparing a tea break. Dinner shift from 2 pm to 6 pm, full meal. You would be doing anything from 1-4 shifts per week.
• Gardening: digging, weeding, planting, watering, …
• Splitting firewood with a hydraulic splitter, making kindling with an axe.
• Animal feeding: feeding the chickens, cleaning the byre.
• Maintenance: a wide range of different maintenance tasks including: Painting and decorating, basic building maintenance, engineering, plumbing, electrics, woodwork…

When you first arrive, there will be time on Saturday and Sunday to settle in, as well as have an orientation tour of the community buildings and island. In a typical week, you will be expected to work roughly 5 to 6 hours a day for 5 days a week with Sunday and Wednesdays as your days off. Your daily work time will be following the morning meeting from around 10 am to 12.30 pm, and from 2 pm till 5 pm, with tea breaks in the mornings and the afternoons. Afternoon cook shifts finish at 6 pm when dinner is served. The animal rota to feed the chickens consists of 3 days shifts, this could include Sundays and Wednesdays. Saturday, after the first 2 weeks, you will join in with all residents in cleaning the communal areas and then continue work in the afternoon. You will participate in the community’s morning meetings.

Meals

Community meals include lunches on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, and dinner each night except Wednesday and Sunday. The other meals are do it yourself (DIY), however food is provided for you to cook with as you please. In your first 2 weeks the kitchen in the cottage you will be staying in is very basic.

Communal meditations & gatherings

There are communal meditations on Sunday and Friday to start and end the week, which you will join in with. There are additional evening meditations at 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. You are welcome to join in these additional meditations.

At times there are sociable gatherings on an evening, such as music, games, film nights etc.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be in Community House for your first 2 weeks (and possibly longer). Community House does not have an indoor toilet, but has a compost toilet outside. There is a shower, and a very basic kitchen, with the only sink in the cottage being in the kitchen. There is no WiFi in the cottage, but are welcome to use the (slow), WiFi in the communal areas. You will have this cottage to yourself. All bed linen and towels are provided.

There is a limited supply of wellington boots, waterproof clothing and warm layers that can be borrowed, however it is recommend that you bring plenty of layers, plenty of socks, a waterproof jacket and trousers, walking/work boots, and any other clothing and footwear that you may need for living on a Scottish island. It is also useful to bring a head torch, as it can get very dark at night, and also a laptop or other device if you wish to access the internet during your stay.

Volunteer arrivals and departures are always on a Saturday.

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Map

Accomodation offer

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