Volunteering, work in the Cairngorms

[Dogoak]

Great opportunities to volunteer up in the Cairngorms. 25 hours work, hut to stay in and food!
Probably suited for younger folk with no family commitments, etc;

http://lazyduck.co.uk/jobs/

Not affiliated but have heard only good things.

 

[Wayne]

Gosh. 25 hours of free labour to stay in a caravan. Not sure I would be jumping for this opportunity.

 

[Dogoak]

Gosh. 25 hours of free labour to stay in a caravan. Not sure I would be jumping for this opportunity.

It's only 25 hours a week = part time so there's enough hours in the week left for another part time job which you could get paid for and time to go and play in the great outdoors. There are also cabins with stoves. your food and accommodation is included.

As I said, it's more of an opportunity for a youngster. Ideal to gain a varied skill set in a cracking environment and have the time to enjoy yourself as well.

There's plenty of volunteering work around for which you have to pay for the privilege.

 

[Tengu]

(Why is Tengu not working on St Kilda? Tengu is poor, that is why.)

(And Tengu is sensible.)

 

[Tengu]

(Checks site)

So, basicaly they want a slave without the bother and expense of going and buying one....yes?

And notice they offer no qualifications or references...

And they want a PHOTOGRAPH.

<shakes head sadly>

 

[Nomad64]

Surprised at the negativity in the responses to this.

Seems to be basically what Wwoofers has been offering for years.

https://www.wwoof.org.uk/

As already said, people pay good money for "voluntourusm" trips in the UK and abroad and some schemes do exploit people (or their parents chequebook) but this looks like great opportunity for a younger person to get some skills, fill out their CV and break the "no skills = no job", "no job = no skills" cycle.

For a young person 2 months doing something like that beats the hell out of spending the summer in Ibiza handing out flyers for bars for your beers and bed or working for Ronnie Mac and living at home. Would also benefit a more mature person between jobs, a fit pensioner or someone looking to change career direction or rebuild their lives.

The countryside we all enjoy would be in a lot worse shape if it wasn't for the surprisingly cheerful "slaves" toiling away under the yoke of local Wildlife Trusts and other exploitative masters!

 

[Bishop]

At first I thought yep slave labour but upon reflection it's quite shrewd. There is a growing niche group of young millennials (with money) looking to get into the small-holding/Off Grid lifestyle and this feed the chickens or you don't get fed approach would be a good introduction to daily chores & commitment required of self sustainability. Plus if going down that path you could be living in a old caravan for the better part of a year whilst you build your own shack or yurt so best to work out the kinks & psychological issues of close quarter living beforehand.

 

[Toddy]

Reading through their site; and bearing in mind that friends who stayed there absolutely rated the place for it's ethos and total chill out in a beautiful bit of the world; basically it's five hours five days a week, and for that you have accomodation (which isn't cheap up there) and good food&#8230;..that leaves a couple of totally free days and a lot of hours a day to spend doing whatever you please.

It's not a job, per se, but it would still look good on a reference.

I think for someone capable, with a good attitude and a want to spend some time in the area, it's an interesting prospect

M

 

[Robson Valley]

What a lark of a job! Food and accomodation thrown in? 25 hr/week committed?
Very different to live in the scenery that all others only find the time to visit for a few days.

I lived in and worked in the western mountain National Parks = Banff & Jasper.
Lots of other work living in Prince Albert National Park. The _whole_ parks, not in the townsites.
I did some bathymetric cartogaphy in the PANP office to summarize echo sounding data.

How? Because I had many years of camping and bush experience with my family, often 10-20 miles from a road.

We have "work-away" young people already here again for the summer.
They work on some mountain farm or ranch, food and accomodation and paid.
On their own time they can work for pay for anybody in the district.

I got a young Brit late last summer for cleanup in the grapes and elsewhere.
He did 110% of what I asked = relieved no end when he was done.

 

[Hammock_man]

Veg, egg and bread offered but that's all. Would still end up costing you!

 

[Tengu]

I find it cheeky that a business should want volunteers. (arent there local youngsters wanting jobs?)

And they want a Photograph...Yup, your face must fit.

Would you apply for a job that asked such invasions of your privacy?

 

[Wayne]

I still think this is getting cheap labour and avoiding minimum wage regulations. Quality paid work is scarce in this part of the world. If it was a different style of company offering the same terms there would be lots of complaints of exploitation.

Its not the same as volunteering for an organisation such as the national trust repairing paths and dry stone walls.

 

[Toddy]

It's common for such arrangements at sites like this. The crannog centre does it, so do at least six other small holdings/fisheries that I know of.
Think of it as fair exchange for accommodation&#8230;and in this case there's good food available too, for five half days work. Good experience, bed and breakfast (and lunch, etc.,) access to a bike to get around (bike hire is normally £8+ per day)

As for face fitting, it's perfectly normal to ask for a photograph on any job application, or volunteer application. I don't see the issue to be honest.

M

 

[Mesquite]

As for face fitting, it's perfectly normal to ask for a photograph on any job application, or volunteer application. I don't see the issue to be honest.

Actually Mary it's not normal to ask for a photo on a job application within the UK. In all the jobs I applied for I have never ever had to supply one, nor have I seen it as a requirement in job adverts.

Companies use photos to discriminate on a large number on grounds like race age sex etc. It's as Tengu says, they want a photo to make sure you 'fit' their image.

As for free food, great if you want to exist just veg, eggs and bread and the occasional BBQ. Anything else you want food wise you'll have to buy out of the nothing that they'll pay you or from the other low paid job that you might be lucky to get that's nearby.

 

[Shewie]

That sounds like a great opportunity for somebody in the right situation, if you could squeeze the hours into a couple of days it would leave the rest of the week to explore the mountains

A roof over the head (albeit a fibreglass one) and some basics provisions sounds fair enough

 

[Janne]

Volunteering should be done with charitable organisations.

 

[Toddy]

Why ? there's nothing up there that would fit that criteria and give a roof over head and food and transport.
This isn't so much volunteering as being paid in bed, breakfast and bike seven days a week, for five half days work.
As for needing more food&#8230;.there's enough there, it's good healthy simple food; if you want more, then that's up to you.

Mesquite, but Son1 has minions, lots of minions, he says it's standard to have a photo come with cvs. Son2 says he's supplied one with every cv he's supplied. I believe it's more to do with being sure it's the right person at interview.

 

[Janne]

I am not a native english speaker, but for me the expression volunteering is a positive infused word. What that business does is to get workers economically for free, while making money for the owners.

If my son told me he would like to do such a thing, I would have a few questions: Health (accident, both medical and dental)insurance- who pays? Any Liability issues that can pop up - who is liable for what?

Why no meat included, it is not a vegetarian place?

I checked the place's prices and bookings. Superb business, excellent income, so it must be very nice there.

 

[Mesquite]

Mesquite, but Son1 has minions, lots of minions, he says it's standard to have a photo come with cvs. Son2 says he's supplied one with every cv he's supplied. I believe it's more to do with being sure it's the right person at interview.

Strange your boys say it's standard up your way because I can assure you it's not down here.

I worked for 2 years with a company that helped people back to work as well as being unemployed myself a couple of times recently so sent out hundreds of applications without it. All the advice given is you never send a picture because it can be used to discriminate.

What is standard is if you're invited for interview you're asked to bring photographic proof of your identity as well as your right to work in this UK and that deals with showing the employer you're who you say you are.

 

[Grotzilla]

Sounds like a great deal to me. Don't most people just work to cover their bills anyway? At least you'd be doing something you love

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