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Help build a natural eco-house in the beautiful Lake District

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The experience

We are building a roundwood timber-frame house on a stunning 13-acre (5ha) site just outside Kendal as part of a small co-housing development with 4 other families.
We have started by building a 9m x 5m building (using the same building technique and almost all natural materials) which we are now living in.
We will shortly need help with construction of the frame for the main building, as well as developing food growing areas.

What you offer

30 hours of help per week

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Tent: You will sleep in a tent at a camping site.

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.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

Mandatory volunteer introduction video

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We are looking for keen, positive volunteers to help out in any way needed at the time. Some times this will be exciting, creative tasks like constructing the timber frame for the main house, at other times it may be maintenance work on the garden and/or food growing areas.
The main thing we ask is that volunteers are happy to turn their hands to whatever needs doing and have the patience to deal with times when there may not be as much going on as well as the stamina to work hard when needed.

We provide tents, a shower room and a kitchen for volunteers' use. We will provide a basic breakfast 7 days a week, as well as lunch and dinner Monday - Friday.

We are happy to pick up volunteers from a nearby train station (Oxenholme Lake District is the easiest to get to), but please note that if you are arriving by plane you will need to make your own way between the airport and our local train station.

More info about the site and build on Instagram: @thenaturalselfbuilder

Activities & Shift

This summer (2025) the main thing we would like to achieve is the construction of the roundwood timber 'crucks' which make up the main part of the frame of the building. This involves peeling the bark off the logs, shifting the peeled poles into position on the 'framing bed' in the workshop, then using basic carpentry techniques to carve out joints in the timber in order to make the crucks. There are 5 frames to make; each frame is likely to take 1-2 weeks with a team of 4-5 of us.
If there are fewer volunteers we may end up on other tasks, such as constructing a small timber-frame toolshed and potting shed; building a 'cornish hedge' in the garden, working on setting up veg beds in the allotment and/or polytunnel or possibly helping other members of the community with their projects.

We normally start work around 8.30-9.00 each morning; have a coffee/tea break around 11, then stop for lunch around 1-1.30. We then work for another couple of hours in the afternoon.

Rules

Respect: You should be respectful of other volunteers and members of our community at all times. Whilst we welcome discussions that may involve differences of opinion, we will not tolerate offensive, inappropriate or threatening language or behaviour. If we see, or are made aware of any such behaviour we are likely to ask the offending volunteer(s) to leave immediately.

Punctuality: Volunteers are expected to be ready to start work in the morning by the time confirmed the previous day (usually 8.30am Monday - Friday). Whilst timings during the day are usually quite flexible (and I'm by no means a hard task-master), I feel it's important to all start at the same time in the morning so that everyone is briefed on the day's work ahead.

Language: Whilst Ruthie and I both do speak French fluently, for everyone's benefit and safety, the principle language used onsite will always be English.
We are very happy for non-native English speakers to come to improve their English and we will do everything we can to help in that respect, but we have 2 important rules:
1) Be honest in your application about your standard of English. If you are a complete beginner, unfortunately this is not the volunteering position for you. This is very important from a safety perspective: if - for example and for whatever reason - I shout "get out of the way NOW" you need to understand that immediately, not be searching your phone for the translation!
2) If two or more volunteers onsite happen to have a shared language that isn't English, we ask that you only use English between yourselves whilst working. This is partly to help you improve your English and partly out of respect for other volunteers (and me!) if they/I don't speak your language.