📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The ESC project takes place in the village of Veseli nad Uhlavou in Western Bohemia in cooperation with the local association Tvrz Veseli. This association was founded with the aim of restoring the ruin of a castle in Veseli nad Uhlavou, to make it open for the public and for cultural and educational purposes. Its activities involve saving the castle and fundraising to renovate the castle. The castle has a complicated past and now is in a very bad state. This project will focus on removing rubble from the part of the castle which is being renovated and on maintenance of the park.
In this project, you are actively working for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities (UN SDG11).
💼 What the programme involves
The work will be manual and it will be done at the castle and in the castle park. The tasks in the castle will include: construction of a wooden plank fence - painting wood, working with a hammer, screwing and assembling the fence; work in the castle park - raking grass, transporting wood, transporting rake grass on a wheel, trimming small branches; work in the castle - clearing the remains of wooden elements that remained in the walls after the demolition of the beams. Transportation to the place of work is daily 10 mins by train. The work can be physically demanding, but everyone will contribute only as much as they can. You will get protective gloves and appropriate tools from the local host. Bring working clothes which can get dirty, solid shoes and waterproof jacket or raincoat (in case of bad weather). Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Study part: Presentation of the castle and its troubled history, excursion to Klatovy underground, getting to know history of the region, meeting locals during a music evening at the castle etc.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be hosted in the house of the local association’s member in the village of Pocinovice (about 6 km from the workplace). Sleeping on mattresses in your own sleeping bags. There are two big rooms, WC, a bathroom and a kitchen. If you need more privacy, you can sleep in a tent in the garden. Lunch will be provided at the workplace every day. You will prepare other meals on your own as a group. A washing machine is available.
📍 About the location
Veseli nad Uhlavou - a small village (about 58 inhabitants), a part of the Janovice nad Uhlavou municipality. The village of Pocinovice (around 548 inhabitants). Both are located at the foothills of Sumava National Park, close to Klatovy. From the place of accommodation (Pocinovice) to the workplace (Veseli) you will go every morning by train (20 min), related travel costs are covered. The train station is near the castle. In Pocinovice, there is a bakery, pub, library, some small shops and sports grounds. Leisure time: Trip to Chodsko region and participation in a local festival in Domazlice. volleyball match with local players, trip to a pilgrimage place of Dobra Voda (5km by forest road), trips to historical cities Klatovy a Plzeň, swimming, making a campfire with locals, excursion to the local brewery, organizing a fun afternoon for local children etc.
⚠️ Requirements
This project is supported by the EU program European Solidarity Corps. Some of the conditions differ from the usual workcamps; there will be detailed info provided after your acceptance. For more info about ESC visit https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en.
ℹ️ Additional information
The project is suitable for history lovers and people interested in living in the countryside. Due to living in a house with a host you will have a unique opportunity to experience local culture and customs, at the same time we ask you for respectful behavior.
