Boat London, United Kingdom

4.0
(25 reviews)25

Help me build the first ever wikihouse eco boat in central London

High demand host
This host has received 5 applications recently. We recommend you apply for other positions too.
Connect with international travelers
14 travelers recommend this host to meet travelers from all around the world
Connect with the locals
14 travelers recommend this host to have close contact with locals
Accepts couples and pairs of volunteers
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What you offer

25h

Hours per week
Help out and collaborate with your host only a few hours per week.
Building & Repairing
Help with a wide range of repairs or building.
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What you get

2

Days off per week
Have some time off for yourself, go explore the city or rest for a while.
Shared Dorm
You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.
Breakfast
You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.
Lunch
You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.
Dinner
You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.
Use our equipped kitchen
Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Free Laundry
You can use our laundry room freely.
Bikes at your disposal
You can use our bikes any time you want.
Support
Get help from the Worldpackers support team in case you need it, at any point of your trip.
Verified Host
This host has been verified by our team before joining the community.
WP Safeguard
Did something not go as planned? Contact our team.
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Availability

Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Stay at least
2 weeks
Stay up to
12 weeks

The Experience

By day, I run a tech non-profit. We make it fun and easy for refugee parents and isolated older folks to learn english and make new friends, by cooking and eating together in schools. In 2020, I started converting a 1920s Thames Lighter Barge into the first ever wikihouseboat on a beautiful central London marina with fibre broadband (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiHouse). Now I need some help finishing the job so I can repeat it with refugees.

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Requirements

  • Intermediate English
  • Over 21 years old
  • Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

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25 Reviews

4.0

Host & Team

4.5

Hours & Tasks

4.0

Boat

4.0

Learning & Fun

4.5

How this experience will transform you

  • 14 Meeting international travelers
  • 14 Meeting locals
  • 14 Practicing English
  • 10 Immersing in the local culture
  • 8 Creating true social impact
  • 6 Learning about sustainability

Brazil

5

It was certainly an interesting experience to be in a houseboat for the first time learning new skills and helping improve it. The tasks seemed challenging at first, but I learned to have a different kind of patience through the guidance given to me. I discovered more then, life always gives us alternative paths that lead us to our desired solutions as long as we keep an open mind. I was able to explore cultural differences and expand on my communication styles. Ben is an extremely nice guy and I now consider him a friend. My experience was not perfect, but certainly positive. Thank you!

about 1 month ago

Brazil

5

It was an enxciting experience helping to do some finishes inside the boat. I've mostly done painting and some furniture projects. The location of the boat is great, Ben in an amazing person and the other volunteers where great too!

3 months ago

United States

5

Ben was a great host with an interesting project. He was great to talk to and a very interesting person. I am happy I had the opportunity to get to know him well and learn about his project and goals. The Marina where the boat is docked is close to trains to access the city; It is a cool small community and you are provided full access. Thanks Ben!

6 months ago

Belgium

3

It was an interesting experience for me. Ben is a fun person to be around and has a big heart. Although he is very chaotic, he truly cares and is very attentive. In ways I thought it worked really well for us and we created a great team! Dare to be interested about his life and ask questions, he's a great story teller and very open to share. You'll have to be an independent worker since he is quite absent (due to meetings) and be flexible when plans change or little tasks come in the way. The profile is not up to date, so it was very different than I expected but still I had a nice time!

28 days ago

Mexico

4

This was a nice experience for my last weeks in London. It was very interesting to stay at a boat in the marina, in the middle of the city. Ben is a super nice guy, he gave me a tour of the place upon arrival and shared his experience so far with this project. He is a very good cook and has great conversation. What I think could be improved is the info on the position: - The project changed from a refugee help center to a personal living space - The design changed from a Wikihouse to a DIY refurbishing one - The hours are usually more than 25 a week, so you must negoiate your time off

6 months ago

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About the host

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Hosted by Ben

Response Rate
This host usually answers to 30% of the messages
Response Time
This host usually writes back in 4 days

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