Workcamps within the European Solidarity Corps
You want to volunteer in another European country, but you are not sure whether and how you can best finance it? Then you should take a closer look at the volunteering teams that are part of the European Solidarity Corps.
Volunteers of Volunteering Teams receive reimbursement of travel expenses and a small allowance for their work in a volunteering team. There are a few bureaucratic requirements to be met and there is a strict age limit of 18 to 30 years.
In January of this year, together with several international partner organizations, we put together a series of recommendations and "best practices" as part of a seminar in order to establish common standards for volunteering teams - just as we have done for the "regular" workcamps for many years to have. Most of the plans we made together, were turned upside down with the pandemic and most of the volunteering team projects planned across Europe had to be canceled. However, there are still a few projects that can take place in France and in the Czech Republic this autumn:
The town of La Ferté-Alais is located in the Gâtinais Regional Nature Park in the Essonne Valley in France. La Ferté-Alais has had a lot of experience with international workcamps in the past and is very committed to projects that celebrate local heritage, involve local youth and bring the community to life. Saint-Pierre church is an old chapel in the city center. After several international camps have been working on the renovation of the church and its surroundings in recent years, the city wants to continue this work this year.
What will we be working on here?
During this workcamp, you and the other volunteers will build a wall around a part of the courtyard behind the church. This makes access to the inner courtyard and the church easier for the local population. You have never built a wall before? Don't worry, you will learn traditional masonry techniques with lime mortar under professional guidance and instruction.
Support the Free Farm association in the Czech village of Ceske Kopisty, part of the Camphill community movement: This family-like community offers space for people with and without special needs to work and live together. The community members can develop their skills in agriculture, beeswax candle making and cooking on the farm. The Free Farm sells vegetables it produces, but its main goal is not to make a profit. The aim is to expand cooperation with other farmers and to create a direct relationship with individual consumers using the concept of community farming.
What will we be working on here?
In this camp you help on the organic farm: weeding, planting, chopping, harvesting, cleaning, storing, watering, collecting herbs etc. If you are not used to working on a farm, the work is often physically demanding, but because everyone works together and helps, it is definitely feasible. In addition to the farm work, your support is needed to further renovate and maintain the farm house and its surroundings. Pack good work clothes, sturdy shoes, a hat and a rain jacket - you are definitely going to be out and about a lot ..!
Would you like to travel back in time 3 weeks? Discover the past in the country in France? Spending time in nature and in endless open fields? Then this camp in Sorbier is just the thing for you. Together with a group of international volunteers, you are involved in the construction of an open-air museum that shows old rural crafts and shows a permanent exhibition of engines and tools that were used in the past. Led by a team from the town hall, this project brings residents and work campers together to celebrate the legacy of the village. The people of Sorbier are looking forward to welcoming you, sharing old working methods and techniques and introducing you to their traditional way of life.
What will we be working on here?
You will help with a variety of tasks in the camp, including: repairing parts for the museum (cleaning, painting), preparing the field for the outdoor exhibition (cleaning, leveling, laying gravel), building and setting up sheds / shelters , Protection of the site (renew the fence) and creation of signs and information boards.
Register now
Here you will find the complete calls for projects and a few more volunteering teams that will be funded this summer by the European Solidarity Corps. You can easily apply for one of the projects via the database. You can apply as long as there are still free places.
Any questions about the individual projects or the registration process? Lukas will be happy to help you:
Send an email: outgoing@ibg-workcamps.org
Call: 06022/279 38 51
Write via messenger (Signal, Telegram & WhatsApp): +49 1520 2185131
Coronavirus / Covid-19: Current exemptions for placement in international workcamps
Are you interested in joining a workcamp aborad, but wondering whether and how the spread of the new corona virus SARS-CoV-2 will affect your travel planning? We have put together a few helpful links for you to find out about current travel conditions. In addition, we adapt our placement conditions for international work camps to the current circumstances. Here you will find the most important information.