Buddhafield Festival 2026
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About the project
Buddhafield Festival 2026
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The International Voluntary Service is a peace organisation working for the sustainable development of local and global communities throughout the world. We are a leading charity which has existed since 1931, involving volunteers in international exchanges at home and abroad (international voluntary projects). IVS is the British branch of Service Civil International (SCI), a world-wide network of like-minded branches and partner organisations supporting the mutual exchange of volunteers to work on projects of direct benefit to local communities.
Since 2025 Volunteer Action for Peace merged with IVS and we are now the same charity.
Aims
IVS/VAP aims are:
• To foster peace and understanding between people and nations through voluntary work.
• To provide volunteer help to international projects and organisations working for the benefit of the community.
• To organise international projects and other activities in the UK.
Activities
We deliver a range of activities, the largest of which is coordinating a programme of international voluntary projects in Great Britain which are run in partnership with local voluntary organisations and community groups. A typical short-term project consists of 6 to 15 volunteers from several countries who work and live together for 1 to 3 weeks. Projects are diverse, ranging from environmental conservation to supporting refugees or from holiday play schemes for children to working with people with learning difficulties.
💼 What the programme involves
During set-up and take-down there will be organised events around Buddhist themes, attendance at which is completely voluntary. There are generally also alternatives such as spontaneous musical gatherings, often around a fire. They will also have someone on site who is their direct contact for support and pastoral care. They will meet as a group together each day.
Work description
Needless to say, in order for the Festival to be a life-enhancing and indeed for some a life-transforming experience, much hard work is required. From the day we arrive in an empty field with a small vanguard, our numbers gradually swell until we have around eight hundred volunteers welcoming the three thousand visitors. The set-up crew erect the structures that will act as kitchens and venues. They establish the infrastructure such as plumbing, compost toilets, showers and saunas. They make the site beautiful and safe with flags, bunting, paths, fences and lighting. Then during the Festival we have stewards to welcome and guide festival goers, to manage parking and traffic and to attend to people's well-being. Toilet wizards maintain the compost toilets. A team of recyclers sorts materials so as to minimize landfill. The kitchen crew feed volunteers and festival goers alike. The site crew look after the infrastructure, tents, water etc. During the set-up phase, volunteers will get one day off and during the festival two days either as full days or half days, depending on the needs of the particular teams.
IVS/VAP volunteers will be invited to work in one of a number of areas before and during the festival, for example: the Healing area, the Buddhafield cafe, site crew, recycling and ‘toilet wizards’, décor, welcome and departure teams.
During the Festival the volunteers will have work shifts, but will also have time to enjoy the huge variety of events taking place and facilities available as outlined above. Volunteers are asked to attend daily morning meetings, the exact time depending on what area of work they choose to join. The work is very team-based. The whole enterprise runs on goodwill, awareness of each others’ needs, good communication and mutual support.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers should bring their own tents, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and everything you would need for a camping trip. Weather can be range from very hot in the sun to very cold at night, so please bring plenty of blankets as well as sun cream, warm-weather clothes and proper waterproof jackets and trousers. Showers and toilet facilities are outdoors and though cleaner and better cared for than other festivals, they are outdoors and basic.
🍲 Food
Buddhafield will provide 100% vegan food and hot drinks and snacks are available throughout the day. If you need animal products, you will have to bring with you a supply of food that does not need refrigeration.
📍 About the location
The festival is located in the Blackdown Hills near Taunton, Somerset
⚠️ Requirements
Volunteers will be interviewed online by IVS/VAP before they get the final acceptance in the project.
They are required to read the following document before the interview:
Safeguarding Code of Conduct: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HKmzCb7llBp6rKb69L6TQvus6eqHOn1wZ352m0fUFjs/edit
They have to know how to speak english
between 18-99 years old
🤝 Meeting point
A member of the Buddhafield team will meet people at a local coffee shop called Coffee#1 close to the train station and help them get to the site. If you want to travel with a team member it is important that you arrive at Taunton train station by 4:30 on Wednesday 8 July to allow enough time to get to the coffee shop. We will leave for site at 5pm. If you have heavy bags or need help getting to the cafe please call the Buddhafield contact person (we will send you the name of contact details by email in a few days).
ℹ️ Additional information
95 GBP
Fees used for
HOSTING FEE:
For IVS/VAP to run a programme of voluntary work projects in Britain we need to ask all volunteers participating in our projects to pay a hosting fee of £95 GBP.
The fee should be paid in advance at this link in our website: https://ivsgb.org/fee-for-short-term-uk/
IMPORTANT: Please note that volunteers will only receive a final confirmation of their placement after we have received notice of the payment of this fee.
What to bring:
Buddhafield Festival is in July, when English weather can be very varied. It can range from sunny and very hot to cool and rainy in the daytime. The nights can be mild, but often they are very cold. In order for you to be comfortable in all weathers it is essential that you bring the following clothes and supplies:
Buddhafield is strictly zero alcohol and drugs - please do not bring these. If you smoke tobacco or vape, remember to bring enough for your whole stay.
Please also bring everything else you need to be comfortable camping in a field including medicine and sanitary products. We often spend the evenings around the fire, playing music or sharing poetry so we invite you to bring instruments or anything else that you would like to share, too.
Hot Water Bottle
Solar Charger/Portable USB charger
Torch
Earplugs (we highly recommend wax or silicone – some people in tents near you may snore and they cannot help it!)
Hat
Suncream
Toiletries
Light clothing for warm days
Warm clothes (jumpers, trousers, socks & thermals)
Clothes for all weather conditions:
Warm Socks
Wellington Boots
Waterproof jacket & trousers
Pillow
Extra blankets (as warm as possible)
Sleeping Mat
Sleeping Bag
Tent (fully waterproof)
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📅 Available sessions
GB-IVS W13.5
08/07/2026 at 00:00 → 23/07/2026 at 00:00
ℹ️ Key information
Age required
18–99 years old
Solidarity donation
95.00 GBP ≈ 114 EUR
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
Blackdown Hills, Wellington TA21 9PA, UK
GREAT BRITAIN
🌍 Location info
Local currency
United Kingdom Pound (GBP / £)
Exchange rate
1 GBP = 1.195652 EUR
Rate as of 31/05/2026
Timezone
British Summer Time
Local time: 21:15 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🏠 Accommodation
🗣️ Languages spoken