Workcamp Leader in the East andSouth of Iceland

Mid-Term-Volunteer Placement Description:

Placement in the field: Environmental, educational and renovation Work / Group Management

Number of placements: 4

Location:The leaders will spend their time in Fjardabyggdin the East of Iceland and in Hveragerði which is in the south 40 km away from the capital Reykjavik.They will also have the opportunity to visit Reykjavik.

“Fjarðabyggð" is an association of villages in the Eastern fjords of Iceland. It includes the towns of Eskifjörður, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Mjóifjörður, Neskaupstaður, Reyðarfjörður and Stöðvarfjörður, all tiny fishing villages with steep mountains towering just behind the houses. In this area you will see some of the features that make Iceland a unique place in the world: spectacular fjords with a rich sea life, a great variety of birdlife, and countless breathtaking hiking paths.

Hveragerði is a small town of about 1,700 inhabitants that lies some 45 km east of Reykjavík. This friendly little community sits on top of a highly active geothermal field, which provides heat for hundreds of greenhouses where fruit, flowers and vegetables are produced throughout the year. Even bananas grow in these greenhouses! The name Hveragerði means ‘hot springs garden.’ Geothermal energy is Hveragerði’s lifeblood, and you probably won’t find such a natural wonder in the middle of a populated area anywhere else in the world. Nearby you will find an even more geothermally active site: Gufudalur, the lovely ‘Steam Valley’ behind the town. This whole valley is full of hot springs, geysers, mud pots, fumaroles and steaming vents.

Short description of the project/projects: The workcampleaderswill work as a team under the supervision of the project manager of the organization. They will be involved in preparing, organizing, running and evaluating nature-oriented, agriculturaland environmental protection projects in Iceland. Those projects are organized with international volunteers and usually last for 2 weeks. In each group there are one or two leaders from the organization.

At the beginning of the stay here, they will receive qualified training from the organisation members. This training will capacitate them to perform the projects´ activities, which vary between cleaning beaches, planting trees and different kinds of environmental-related tasks to taking care of environmental awareness campaigns. At the same time, will receive guidance in how to plan, organize and lead the projects, including topics as group management, conflict resolution, bookkeeping, development, leader roles, intercultural cooperation, motivation, etc. They will also receive practical information about planning a project, spare time activities, first aid, etc.

Once the season to working on the field arrives, the work will consist in supervising and developing the projects, coordinating groups of 8 to 20 international participants staying two Weeks at a time. At the end of each campthe project coordinator will be expected to produce an evaluation of the projects and their results.

Activities: Our primary activity is organizing environmental-related projects where people coming from different countries perform voluntary work. In organizing them, much emphasis has been put on making sure the volunteers see that their work is important, they help a community in need, or they work for the protection of the environment. In the meantime, they themselves form a community and get in close contact with locals as well as with other participants of the project from different cultures and nationalities. They find out about each other's habits and ways of life, also getting an insight to the problems of the area and its inhabitants.

Profile of the organisation: Veraldarvinir, Worldwide Friends (WF), was founded in 2001 as a non-profit organisation promoting nature and peace oriented activities for volunteers wanting to spend some time in Iceland. We also send local volunteers intending to have similar experiences abroad. WF aims at promoting active participation of people and its mobility, intercultural learning and voluntary service, through non-formal educational activities. The main activities offered are workcamps, seminars, local events and exchange programmes suitable both for young people and adults.
WF is a non-profitorganisation with international scope.

Salary per month: No salaries or pocket money are paid

Starting dates:01.10.2015, 20.01.2016, 01.04.2016 and 10.06.2016

Duration: Three to six Months

Further support from the organisation:

Provides accommodation: Yes

Food is provided: Yes

Local travels: You will have the opportunity to travel all around Iceland free of charge with the scheduled minibus trips organized by WF Iceland.

Int. travels: Not paid

Insurance: not provided. You have to get a health and accident insurance for your stay in Iceland.

Desired Profile: 22 years old +.Course of studies: Particular field of studies or defined subjects are not set. WF would like to host someone motivated to work for an NGO promoting environmental and peace oriented activities.

Linguistic skills: English spoken and written needed. Other languages are seen as an advantage.

Technical skills: Management of basic data processing packages as Microsoft Excel and Project Management, Word, Outlook and Explorer.

Skills and competencies: Our leaders have to be positive and highly motivated to participate in group activities. Ability to organize on her/his own initiative. Time-management skills and ability to work under time pressure during high peaks of the season.

Documents to be submitted:CV and motivation letter

WF MTV – 02

Workcamp Leader in WF farm in Reykjavik – sustainable living

Mid-Term-Volunteer Placement Description:

Placement in the field: Environmental, agriculture and renovation Work / Group Management

Number of placements: 2

Location:Reykjavik is a city full of energy, just waiting for you to experience it. Powered by heat from the earth below, with ever-changing weather sweeping across the landscape, its natural features are matched by the energy of its residents. Think of the qualities of a great city - fun, culture, nature, clean air - and Reykjavik has them in spades. All the advantages of a modern, forward-looking society are complemented by the beautiful natural setting. In a country of only just over 300,000 people, the Reykjavik Capital Area has a population of about 200,000. However, since it’s the only major city in the country, Reykjavik has a lot of the amenities that you would only expect to find in a much larger center elsewhere in the world.

Reykjavik is the world’s northernmost capital city and is centered on the Seltjarnarnes Peninsula. Come at the right time of year, and infavorable conditions you will see the city’s skyline silhouetted against the glowing, shimmering curtain of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. Reykjavik is framed by the majestic Mt. Esja and the blue waters of Faxafloi Bay to the north, while rugged lava-fields spread to the southeast. On a clear sunny day, the Snaefellsjökull glacier glitters on the western horizon like a crystal.

Short description of the project/projects: The workcamp Leader will work under the supervision of the project manager of the organization. They will be involved in preparing, organizing, running and evaluating sustainable, art, nature-oriented and environmental protection projects in Iceland. Those projects are organized with international volunteers and usually last for 2 weeks. At the beginning of the stay here, the leader will receive qualified training from the organisation members. This training will capacitate him to perform the projects´ activities. At the same time he will receive guidance in how to plan, organize and lead the projects, including topics as group management, conflict resolution, bookkeeping, development, leader roles, intercultural cooperation, motivation, etc. He will also receive practical information about planning a project, spare time activities, first aid, etc.

Once the season to working on the field arrives, the work will consist in supervising and developing the projects, coordinating groups of 8 to 15 international participants staying two Weeks at a time. At the end of each campthe leader will be expected to produce an evaluation of the projects and their results.

The organization is renovating an old farmhousein the outskirt of Reykjavik 15 km away from the capital centre. Since the creation of Worldwide Friends, the organization has been looking for the opportunity to set up a project to renovate and work in farm. The volunteers will help us with the renovation and to take care of the work in the farm. We have chickens, a walapinigreen house for growing herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers and a piece of land where we grow potatoes, carrots, lettuce and other types of vegetables.

Volunteers will also participate in workshops related to visual art and decoration in the farm and surrounding area.

The purpose of this camp is to use the resources that Mother Earth has to offer. We will grow vegetables;collect herbs, berries, seaweed among other things. Worldwide Friends volunteers stay in our house in Sveinsstadir which is located in the outskirt of Reykjavik. This place is like a farm in the city so you can enjoy pure nature and at the same time the city life of the capital.

The volunteer will lead the following camps:

Sustainable living in Reykjavik and the WF farm

Other camps if needed.

Profile of the organisation: Veraldarvinir, Worldwide Friends (WF), was founded in 2001 as a non-profit organisation promoting nature and peace oriented activities for volunteers wanting to spend some time in Iceland. We also send local volunteers intending to have similar experiences abroad. WF aims at promoting active participation of people and its mobility, intercultural learning and voluntary service, through non-formal educational activities. The main activities offered are workcamps, seminars, local events and exchange programs suitable both for young people and adults.
WF is a non-profit organisation with international scope.