Guidelines for helpers (woofers)

From past experience, we have come to the conclusion that it is best to put down in writing some of the important things which we expect from someone staying at the farm, in the hopes of avoiding misunderstandings later. Forgive us if some of the items below seem very obvious, and/or if the tone appears a bit stern. Experience has shown that it is better to for us to be as clear as possible regarding how this place works sothat people have a fair idea of what we are about before they arrive.

We realise that many people are coming to us from very different experiences, places, cultures, lifestyles, etc.. Islands have a way of very quickly focussing the mind and the body--often things that you would do without thinking in another setting require a lot of advanced planning here. If you are not prepared for this, some aspects of island living, especially when we are trying to live more sustainably,  can create considerable frustration. But if you are open to it, then a practice of mindfulness begins to grow just by living here.

All this being said however, if you find yourself flinching at some of the items listed below, then it might be better to listen to your own instincts, as they might be telling you that our place is not for you:

During your stay here, we expect you to:

1. Keep the accommodation clean and tidy (we might need to put other helpers, and/or paying guests, or friends of ours in the house as well) This means washing up regularly after meals, sweeping the floor, etc  

2. Help with the washing up if you are having meals with us. (Please note that these two items above are not considered 'work', but part of living in a larger community of people.)

3. Put anything you use, particularly tools back in their place immediately after use, so that the next person that needs them can find them easily, and leave the tools you used and the working area clean and tidy. This is part of working in a larger community of people.

4. Not to invite anyone, islander or not, in any of the houses without asking us first permission to do so.

5. Be flexible as regards meal arrangements. Depending on the number of helpers here at one time and the time of year, meals might be taken with us communally (in which case we do the cooking, though sometimes welcome help from people who would like to learn vegetarian cooking), or helpers make their own meals with ingredients which we supply (note however that this isn't a licence to raid our foodstore, or our cellar, please ak before taking anything!!!).
   Please note that the centre is strictly vegetarian, and we ask helpers to forego eating meat or fish for the duration of their stay at the centre, even if they are cooking for themselves. If you have never cooked vegetarian food before, you can certainly ask us for tips, etc, but it might be a good idea to have a look at some cookbooks in advance of coming here. Often meal arrangements will be a combination of the two options: occasionally having meals with us, self-catering on the other days. During our busy season, everyone eats together with the course participants.

6. Come here with appropriate gear so as to be equipped to work outdoor (proper clothing and waterproof shoes): if you don't then you either do without, or take the next boat back to the mainland. We may have items of clothing/footwear that might fit (from people who have left things behind). but we are not a shoe shop, nor an outdoor outfitters. Make sure you bring your own torch (mainly for the off-season) . We provide working gloves, but again , it might be better for you to bring your own rather than have to use old/sweaty/dirty ones.

7. Not to be 'clock watching' as regards when to knock off work. As we have tried to explain on our website and in correspondence, the working day is not a set 9 to 5. Some days the work will be predictable, and if the weather agrees, then it will be possible to count on putting in about 6 hours a day. But if there is bad weather or exceptionally good weather after a bad spell, or if there is a specific job or project that has to be finished that day, then we will ask you to work less (in the case of bad weather) or much more in the case of the latter two examples.

8. Be aware of your energy consumption. Please switch off lights, don't fill an electric kettle to the limit and then only use half a cup, etc. Please be mindful of the amount of fuel you need to heat the house. Do you need to have the house as warm as it might be at home (where someone else might be paying the bills)? If you are feeling cold, do you need to burn more wood, or can you put another jumper on? (This is not to say that sometimes you do need to add more wood to the fire!)

9. Ask yourself: do you really need to wash those three items today, or can you wait until there is a full load? Please ask us if we have things to wash (we always do) as there is only one washing machine. Note that as we are using only ecofriendly products, we supply the washing powder as well.

10. Communicate with us as to how you are feeling about the work/the place/ us. Depending on the number of people here at any one time, we will try to have a short meeting or informal conversation to allow issues, problems, ideas, suggestions to come up and be discussed at least once a week. But if there is a problem or question or issue which comes up outside of this weekly meeting, please bring it to our attention.

11. Be aware that being able to participate in formal yoga classes here at the centre can only happen when we are running courses. If one of the main reasons you were attracted to coming here is the opportunity to study yoga, please look carefully at our course schedule so as not to be disappointed in learning that there are no formal yoga classes during your stay. Usually, unless a particular course is very booked out, or all helpers want to join in, (in which case a rota must be decided upon), it is possible to take part in the morning yoga sessions (around 2 and a half hours) when we are teaching. If you would like to attend part of a course run by one of our visiting teachers, you will have to ask them, and will usually be expected to give a donation towards teaching fees, or sometimes a set percentage of the course fee. Please note that when we are not running courses, we aren't teaching. However, you are always welcome to use the yoga room for your own self-practice, and/or join us in the mornings during our self-practice sessions.

12. Respect the value and integrity of an exchange. A successful exchange works both ways: as you are giving voluntarily of your time and effort you must feel that it is 'worth it' for you, that you are learning from the experience, gaining insight into the many challenges of trying to live a more sustainable way of life, appreciating the uniqueness of an island setting or simply relishing the opportunity for peace and quiet. We are always very happy to share any bit of knowledge or know-how with people staying here, and please don't hesitate to ask.

13. Equally, we are always receptive to any comments and suggestions for improvement you might have regarding how the place is run. For our part, we must also feel that we are receiving useful work back in exchange for the food (of a very high quality - home cooked and mostly organic) and accommodation (the same accommodation we use for our guests).  We are loathe to be calculating the 'worth' of an exchange from a monetary point of view, but prospective helpers should be aware of the input from us, and that what we offer to helpers is the same as what is offered to paying guests on our courses.

All this being said, we are deeply grateful to those who have helped us here with the Centre and on the farm and feel very fortunate to have met so many interesting people from many different countries (14 at the last count).  We have been enriched by the lasting friendships we have made.