📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
After a successful project last year, Concordia will host again during summer 2020 a group of international teenagers to help Rock Farm near Brighton maintain and develop their local community farm. Rock Farm is part of One Church Brighton, an organisation with several social project in and around Brighton area. Rock Farm grows produce on six acres of community land in West Sussex, offering access to horticultural therapy and community gardening for a range of volunteers and vulnerable groups.
The farm follows permaculture principles and grows organic vegetables sold throughout the year at a local market in Brighton; all sales profits go to fund several social and educational activities organised by One Church Brighton for vulnerable people in different areas of Brighton and Hove.
💼 What the programme involves
With the host, the volunteers will be involved in maintenance of the plot of the farm. Tasks will include watering, weeding, planting and digging, as well as learning and using permaculture techniques. The group members might also help developing Rock Farm’s plot, for example by building educational areas or other improvement works, as well as various manual tasks at the farm. On some days the group members might meet local volunteers and vulnerable adults, who use the farm as a therapeutic outdoor working space. Depending on the needs of the host organisation at the time of the project, there might be also the chance to spend one day doing volunteering work in Brighton, either doing maintenance work at One Church headquarters or helping with one of the social activities organised for the community of Brighton and Hove.
Cultural visits and leisure activities will be organised together with the group with the aim of practising the English language.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will be accommodated in a church hall in Brighton, sleeping on camp beds and sleeping bags in separate dorm rooms for male and female; there is a big kitchen and toilets, while showers will be taken in a nearby hostel. Volunteers will be taken each day to Rock Farm with a minibus – it takes about 30 minutes from the accommodation to reach the farm. The accommodation is about 30 mins walk from central Brighton, so the volunteers will have the chance to visit this lovely and vibrant seaside city full of sights and fun things to do. The group will be in charge of cooking.
📍 About the location
Rock Farm is based near Steyning, about 20 miles from Brighton. Volunteers will have the chance to visit the local area and go for hikes in the countryside. Visits to close-by sites will ensure that the group get the whole feeling of the area, and learn about living in the British culture.
⚠️ Requirements
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Volunteers who enjoy working outdoors and get their hands dirty are welcome. A motivation letter and parental consent are required.
ℹ️ Additional information
ACCESSIBILITY: Volunteers need to be able to work outdoors in all type of weather, and walk a few kilometres on uneven ground.
EXTRA FEE: £400 (GBP) – this covers all costs of food, accommodation, transportation and leisure activities organized during the project. The fee can be paid through Paypal with a link provided by Concordia on application. Please note that there is no need to be registered with Paypal in order to make this payment.
