Fiona King is our Regional Host Contact for North Scotland and she recently organised, on Sunday 31st August, a gathering for hosts in her region at Aberlour . She writes:
Travelling down to Aberlour to meet Kerry and her family on the Saturday, we enjoyed a scenic and atmospheric ride in our magic bus with our WWOOFer Clara. We wanted to help decorate the barn, share a meal and have the rare luxury of time away from the croft.
Having had half a dozen hosts agree to come with family members and WWOOFers, we felt confident we could have a fun day, help Kerry get some work done and share inspiration for the future. The organising part was easy and everyone brought produce to share; plums, fish from the Western Isles, salads and home baking. I am sure you are all familiar with the healthy eating and long meal times when talking and sharing stories can produce as much as the practical work done each day.
Mostly folk came from nearby but Uist was well represented! Archie and Angie said: ‘Having reached retirement age it is good to have the energy of young WWOOFers around the place as long as you have time to recover in between.’
Next time we will aim for the west coast, maybe even look at an overnight camping spot to allow more to attend from outside an area. I believe everyone left with enthusiasm, knowing a little more and new friends made.
For me this is something we can build upon, WWOOF as a community. I count WWOOFers as my friends and hope to meet more hosts by volunteering as the RHC. There is a need for local people around all hosts to see what is possible with regular help and the enrichment we gain by sharing tasks, energy and enthusiasm.
