The Abbey Sutton Courtenay

We are a charity based in a medieval courtyard house with 800 years of history. All the money we make gets reinvested into the charity and the building and the volunteers benefit greatly from being able to stay in this very unique Grade 1 listed historical building in a beautiful garden setting in a quiet Oxfordshire village. They value the experience and find the cultural exchange they get here extremely enriching. They meet people from all backgrounds and their work is greatly valued and respected by everyone. They help us to keep the Abbey alive.

I am the charity manager and I run the day-to-day operations of the Abbey and live on site. I work closely with the board of trustees (also known as directors) who are responsible for the charity's governance and strategy. Usually, I have a team of 4 or 5 resident volunteers helping me each month. Volunteers are asked to work 5 hours a day/5 days a week. Depending on the activities, it can be less or a little bit more. If so, the hours are always compensated the week after (e.g. one more day off). I am pretty flexible if needed but depending on our activities, I also expect some flexibility in exchange. Once the work is done, the volunteers have a lot of freedom and I value independence. The Abbey is not a real Abbey but it is a wonderful place, warm and welcoming for everyone: guests, visitors, and volunteers. I will always do my very best as a manager to give them the best experience possible.