Volunteering
in The Valley
I own a Valley high up in the mountains in Murcia, Spain. Besides living here, I also host volunteers who want to try out a self-sustainable life with no costs, in return for helping me with various projects related to living and building self-sustainability.
Terms for volunteering
Requirements
You must be 21 years or older.
I will need a copy of your passport before I can confirm the final details.
You must be able to lift and carry 25 kg and be able to climb a ladder.
You must be a team player and actively contribute to making this stay a pleasant one for everyone, including yourself and me.
Non-smokers only.
No children.
Pets are allowed.
No costs
In return for helping me out with various projects, transport, and maintenance, you will be welcome to stay and live in the Valley with no costs. Food, water, and accommodation are provided by me.
Any personal costs outside of the Valley must be covered by you. Like getting to The Valley and going on excursions, or going to a restaurant or theme park, etc.
Responsibility
Volunteers take on an equal share of cooking and cleaning, like everyone else. This will be organized weekly.
In the evenings, we set up the plan for the next work day. It will be your responsibility to be ready at the agreed start time.
If you break or lose something, you repair, replace, or pay for it.
We work as a team. Nobody ends the workday before the tools and work area are cleaned and organized. We help each other and leave no one behind.
As this is volunteering, there is no contract. Both the volunteer and the host can, for any reason, decide to end the volunteering and the stay at The Valley. If so, it is preferred to give a notice as soon as possible to give each other a chance to re-plan and reorganize. In the event of an emergency or security issue, a notice may not be required.
Volunteer work
Helping me with maintenance on my property, helping me with my self-sustainable building projects, and helping me with the transport of supplies, materials, and myself is regarded as volunteer work.
Breaks during work hours, cooking, and cleaning are not volunteer work, as it is a natural part of life.
Work on my business is not volunteer work, and volunteers will not be asked to help me with that.
Safety equipment (except shoes), tools, and training will be provided during work hours.
Volunteer work hours
In return for living at The Valley with no costs, volunteers must put in 3.5 hours of work a day.
Sometimes, because of weather or because no one wants to quit on a very interesting project, or we want to take a whole day or weekend off, the hours may be moved around a little, but in the end, we will always end up at 25 hours a week (3.5 hours a day in average). The days off may be any of the weekdays or the weekend, depending on the weather or the progress of the projects.
Due to the hot weather in the summer, we start working at 06:30 am. We finish working at 10:00-10:30, depending on whether we decide to take a break or not.
After summer, we normally start working at 08:30 and finish working at 12:00.
Or if we decide together to take 2 days off every week, we work 5-hour days, 5 days a week. Starting earlier in the summer, or working longer in the winter.
Car/Van/Campervan
I primarily accept volunteers who come with a car, van, or campervan. If you do not have a car, click here for a second option.
The reason for this is that I will need help with the transport of supplies, materials, or myself, up to 2 times a week.
Transport will be counted as Volunteer hours from when we leave the Valley until we return to the Valley. I will pay for the fuel that has been used for my transport needs. To compensate for the usage of the car, the driving time will be counted doubled and regarded as Volunteer work. Helping me shop, loading, and unloading will be counted as normal volunteer work hours.
If we decide to go on excursions together to explore the area, the passengers in the vehicle will cover the fuel costs and parking costs. Excursions are not counted as Volunteer work.