Gap Year Students taking a break
GYREUM welcomes dynamic volunteers !

If you are hard worker, good with people and you feel comfortable on some of these fields, contact us:

- catering

- curtain making

- picture framing

- carpentry
- cleaning
- plumbing
- electricity
- marketing
- gardening

Long term or short term
ask more:

 

 

Guidelines

for help xchange& (woofers)

Experience has shown that it is better to for us to be clear regarding what it means to volunteer here, so that people have a fair idea of what we are about before they arrive.

We realise that many people are coming to us from very different experiences, places, cultures, lifestyles, etc.. The Gyreum is quite isolated, and you need to be quite independent and self-sufficient, particularly if you do not have your own means of transport. If you are not prepared for this, some aspects of living here  can create considerable frustration. But if you are open to it, then you can come to enjoy and appreciate the silence and the solitude and the big group dinners.

If you find that some of the items listed below leave you cold, then perhaps the Gyreum Volunteering Experience might not be for you:

During your stay here, you are expected to:

  1. Keep the accommodation clean and tidy (we might need to put other helpers, and/or paying guests, in the house as well) This means washing up regularly after meals, sweeping the floor, etc  
  2. Help with the washing up if you are having meals with us. (Please note that these two items above are not considered 'work', but part of living in a larger community of people.)
  3. Put anything you use, particularly tools back in their place immediately after use, so that the next person that needs them can find them easily, and leave the tools you used and the working area clean and tidy. Again, this is part of working in a larger community of people.
  4. Not to invite anyone, local or not, into the Lodge without asking us first permission to do so.
  5. Be flexible as regards meal arrangements. While all the foodstuff is usually supplied, you are expected to prepare the food. Depending on the number of volunteers here at any one time, this might involve a roster basis.
  6. Come here with appropriate gear so as to be equipped to work outdoor (proper clothing and waterproof shoes): We may have items of clothing/footwear that might fit.
  7. Not to be 'clock watching' as regards when to knock off work. The working day is not a set 9 to 5. Some days the work will be predictable, and if the weather agrees, then it will be possible to count on putting in about 5 hours a day. But this is Ireland! If there is bad weather or exceptionally good weather after a bad spell, or if there is a specific job or project that has to be finished that day, then we will ask you to work less (in the case of bad weather) or much more in the case of the latter two examples.
  8. Be aware of your energy consumption. Please switch off lights, don't fill an electric kettle to the limit and then only use half a cup, etc. Please be mindful of the amount of fuel you need to heat the house. Do you need to have the house as warm as it might be at home (where someone else might be paying the bills)? If you are feeling cold, do you need to burn more wood, or can you put another jumper on? (This is not to say that sometimes you do need to add more wood to the fire!)
  9. Ask yourself: do you really need to wash those three items today, or can you wait until there is a full load? Please ask us if we have things to wash (we always do) as there is only one washing machine. Note that as we use mostly ecofriendly products, we supply the washing powder as well.
  10. Communicate with us as to how you are feeling about the work/the place/ us. Depending on the number of people here at any one time, we will try to have a short meeting or informal conversation to allow issues, problems, ideas, suggestions to come up and be discussed at least once a week. But if there is a problem or question or issue which comes up outside of this weekly meeting, please bring it to our attention.
  11. Respect the value and integrity of an exchange. A successful exchange works both ways: as you are giving voluntarily of your time and effort you must feel that it is 'worth it' for you, that you are learning from the experience, gaining insight into the many challenges of trying to live a more sustainable way of life or simply relishing the opportunity for peace and quiet. We are always very happy to share any bit of knowledge or know-how with people staying here, and please don't hesitate to ask.
  12. Equally, we are always receptive to any comments and suggestions for improvement you might have regarding how the place is run. For our part, we must also feel that we are receiving useful work back in exchange for the food and accommodation (the same accommodation we use for our guests).  We are loathe to be calculating the 'worth' of an exchange from a monetary point of view, but prospective helpers should be aware of the input from us, and that what we offer to helpers is the same as what is offered to paying guests on our courses.

All this being said, we are deeply grateful to those who have helped us here especially those who have worked in tandem with the Community Garden and feel very fortunate to have met so many interesting people from many different countries.


VOLUNTOURISM

Across Spring and Summer 2010 we will have 10 day missions.  A great mix of trade learning, language learning and fun events.

Suit student groups/ individual interested in sustainable design etc.

Prices include all accommodation/ food/ transfers from bus and train and Knock Airport. Also occasional trips to pub music sessions and an afternoon of hiking and an afternoon of surfing.  It would then be made up of 8 full days of learning/ working, two half days and a weekend in the middle which people can do their own thing or go on organised hikes or visits to local archaeological sites and mountains. Price for each course is €290.  If you choose to do both courses it is €500 for both. For groups of over 7 it is €260 pp.  If you book before Spring Solstice 2009 you get 12.5% discount.  Places limited to 21 people per course.  If you want to be guaranteed a place reserve now by emailing your choice and requirements.  Booking fee deposit is 50% up front which is non refundable but is transferable to another person (s). There will be more details on skills and design of these mission courses by mid January 2009.