Gap year and DofE

Do you want to do volunteering that makes a difference?

Go WWOOFing!

Finished those exams and not sure what to do next? If you love being outside and what to learn more about food, farming and sustainable living, making lifelong friendships along the way, why not go WWOOFing?! WWOOF hosts and other WWOOFers become your teachers, friends and team mates, working together to achieve great things.

For just £25 you can join the WWOOF UK network to find hosts. Your food and accommodation are provided in exchange for roughly half a days help each day with plenty of time off to explore the local area. Skip to the middle for a great little video “Ready for an adventure?” by Nathalie Baker.

Learning to plant out brassicas (such as cabbage, kale and broccoli) as a team – at Landmatters community

With such a wide range of things to learn and get stuck into why wouldn’t you want to spend your time off, holiday or gap year WWOOFing? Scroll on for just a few of the things WWOOFing encompasses.

Growing food

From ground preparation, seed sowing, seedling nurturing, watering and admiring growth all the way to harvesting…

Farming animals & food crops

Haymaking, sheep shearing, milking, looking after field crops, commercial veg growing, tractor driving, feeding chickens…

Sustainable building & construction

Constructing sheds, greenhouses, polytunnels, compost bays, fruit cages, cob building, timber frames, fencing…

Cooking & processing food

Cooking seasonably, processing & preserving, jams, chutneys, fermented foods, cider, wine & cheese making…

Community & friendships

Eating, living & working together, forming strong lifelong bonds, experiencing different ways of living…

Introvert? Don’t worry

Plenty of hosts accept singular WWOOFers, have your own secluded living space, time and space to breathe in the calm…

Photo credits to – Scarlett Penn, alice@wwoof, Edward Acland, Landmatters, Ben May, Pink House, WWOOF UK staff and other WWOOF Members

Have we convinced you yet?

Duke of Edinburgh – DofE

These activities may count towards your Duke of Edinburgh Award. Depending on your hosts and the activity, it could count towards your Physical, Skills, Volunteering or Residential section, please check with your DofE Leader for applicability before applying.

Once you’ve decided to start WWOOFing

Watch this 25 minute video about how to be a ‘good WWOOFer’ & what to take with you (and what not to take)

Spend some time travelling and volunteering sustainably in the UK learning about so many different things along the way. Your main expense will be travel so, if you’re under 25, get a railcard and bus cards to help you save money if you’re going to more than one place.

Thinking about WWOOFing outside the UK too?

Through the lens of a WWOOFer

Through the lens of a WWOOFer

By Joel Davies Last March, my partner and I left our careers and lives in London to embark on a year of working on diverse farms and agricultural projects between the UK and France. Having worked together as ‘Creatives’ in advertising, we’d become disillusioned and...

A giant fan of WWOOFing

A giant fan of WWOOFing

by Anna Locke of Small Meadow Farm I am a giant fan of WWOOFING. It has literally been the golden key, unlocking my project from one of my biggest challenges, - being a woman in my 50's now and losing strength, but with an endless list of tasks to complete on the...

BOO! And other lessons on the unexpected

BOO! And other lessons on the unexpected

By Julia Taliesin “So, what made you decide to do this?” Is a common question I get when I tell people about WWOOFing (and something I ask my fellow WWOOFers). For me, it was a breakup and job loss that happened one after the other almost a year ago. Talk about a jump...

Classifieds – Samhain ’23

Classifieds – Samhain ’23

Welcome to the WWOOF UK Classifieds section. Here you can find postings from members and other friends of WWOOF UK regarding opportunities, job listings, property advertisements and more. Have something you’d like listed in our Classifieds section? Send us an...

Hive Mind – Samhain ’23

Hive Mind – Samhain ’23

Do you have a question for the ‘hive mind’? Do you have any answers to these questions? Do you have any top tips you want to share? Feel free to email the editor – editor@wwoof.org.uk We shared a question from a member on what to do about...