St. James’ Park
An Alternative Campsite and Hostel in Bulgaria
Volunteering
- Also in this section:
- Guidelines for Volunteers and Hosts
- Some of the truly mad things that volunteers have said.......
See the travel information page for more information on getting here.
We had a very, very full year last year and sadly, some of the people who we invited into our home, just didn’t get it. We take volunteers because we don’t have the time, money or resources to employ people. Our resources are precious and its very difficult when we get the occasional person who thinks its some kind of cool holiday. We then had the most horrible experience with an American family at the end of the year which left such a bad taste that we felt that we needed a rest from strangers in our home. But being realistic, we can’t do it all ourselves! It’s May now, as I’m writing this and we’ve had 5 really great volunteers already - helping to restore out faith in human nature.
We’ve taken on a lot more land this year and that’s a lot more work…..so if you’d like to come and volunteer with us, thank you and please get in touch.
The general volunteering information that was on the site last year…….
Loads of exciting things will be happening in the next year. Whatever your skills and experience, there will be something for you to get into. Some the work will be:
- plastering the walls of the barn using clay from the river
- making an brick floor in the barn
- building a shower unit incorporating the water from the well and making a grey water run off to the vegetable patch
- making the field more beautiful - lots of work with flower borders, trees, garden sculpture, vines, making and developing hedges
- looking after the vegetables
- making a natural stage and terraced seating on the side of the hill
- helping at events
2012 will be my sixth summer with volunteers - wow -what happened to the time and my Bulgarian is still terrible! Its been a great experience, I’ve met some wonderful people and made loads of new friends. If you read my blogs, you’ll see that some of my volunteers have loved it so much here, they now live here. Be warned! I’m hoping to continue that trend this year - I’m looking forward to many interesting conversations around the fire at nights and making long term friends. I hope you’ll be one of them.
Volunteering here is for anybody - you dont need loads of specific skills, although if you do, then thats extra great - I love it when builders or plumbers come! But there are always hundreds of things waiting to be done and I’m very good now at fitting the right people with the right job. Its mostly land based and of course, seasonal. In the spring, we’re planting. transplanting, tending seedlings and weeding. In the summer, its drought control as we make sure the plants survive the August heat and of course, we harvest things and eat them! In the autumn, its more harvesting and preparing the ground for the winter. So I can’t immediately tell you what you’ll be doing but its never tedious and, I hope, its always satisfying. Go to our People page and see some of the things that previous volunteers have done.people page
I prefer if volunteers come for around 3 weeks - it takes a while to fully get into things, but there are a few specific projects that are just waiting for someone who can only stay a week. I dont often say ‘no’ to people unless I feel that they wont fit in. Life here is fairly unstructured although I have a plan! The people who enjoy this place the most, are the ones who can be flexible, who are prepared to muck in, work hard and relax. Initiative and common sense goes a long way here. Scroll right down this page for more details of work times etc. I’d love to have someone or two staying here long term but that will wait till the right person comes along, meanwhile, I need volunteers with any or no specific skills to help me with the regular stuff and there are often some interesting short term projects.
If you are interested in coming here, contact me and we’ll find the right thing for you.
I mostly get my volunteers from Helpx.net, Workaway, WWOOF or from this site. The deal is that you work 30 hours a week and I provide accommodation and food. There is one bedroom in the house with 3 single beds and plenty of tents for the summer if you prefer the lovely field -and we share the domestic chores. If you can cook, then you can share those skills with everyone and cook dinner sometimes. The food is usually great, even if I do say so myself! There is no shortage of it and cooking involves seeing what is available in the house or garden and thinking of a great way to use it – different to the idea of thinking-up a dish and then going to buy the ingredients from Tesco…. Eating and cooking is about celebrating all aspects of food and I must be honest and say that I have little time right now for people with food hang-ups or food disabilities. So if there is a list of things that you “can’t” eat or there are loads of things that you think you “shouldn’t” eat, or if you dont believe in seasoning food, then you are not really going to enjoy being here. Enjoyment and appreciation of good tasty food that is cooked with love, is essential if you want to spend time living here.
Please don’t book a volunteering spot unless you’re definitely coming – or if your plans change, which they may do, please let me know. A couple of people just didn’t turn up -how rude and those places could have been taken by someone else.
