Since shortly after we started, we have had volunteers coming to Tirylan House for free stays in return for some work (usually in the forest garden). These have been a mixture of people, some contacting us through Buddhist or Middle Way Society connections, and others being Wwoofers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms – an organization that arranges volunteer placements). Many of the wwoofers have left positive reviews that you can read on our profile on the WWOOF site.
We now like to encourage volunteers to come on one of our working retreats if they can, although we are also open to individual negotiation for volunteers to come at other times. Working retreats offer volunteers (however they found us) the opportunity to get a fuller experience of being here that is more like a regular retreat. They are 1 week long and take place between specific dates, so that volunteers are more likely to arrive and leave at the same time as others. During that week we ask people to work in the garden for 6 days for about 4 hours a day. We will also be offering some meditation sessions, and perhaps discussion and arts sessions, depending on the experience and needs of whoever is on a particular working retreat. There will also be regular shared meals and periods of free time each day. There will be no requirements to attend particular activities, but we hope you will want to join them to deepen your experience of volunteering into a retreat-like one.
If you volunteer outside the framework of a working retreat, it is quite possible to create your own retreat-like programme, but it will be more your own responsibility to do so. We will do what we can to support you, but we may have other commitments during that period, and there may or may not be other volunteers around. We may be able to arrange longer stays of up to several weeks or a month this way, especially during the winter. In winter we really appreciate having help from volunteers, but things are likely to be quieter, and you need to be prepared to work outdoors in poor weather.
Please note that you need to be reasonably fit and in reasonable physical and mental health to join a working retreat. It is fine if you are recovering from a physical or mental health issue, but please tell us about this when booking. We will try and accommodate tasks to your capacities, but obviously there is a minimum level of health and fitness needed.
Here are the dates of our planned working retreats during 2026.
14th-21st April
22nd-29th May
18th-25th June
27th July-3rd August
28th September-5th October
No money changes hands if you attend any of these working retreats. You can either arrange them as a volunteering placement through WWOOF, or you can book them on our website using the retreat booking form (but without any need to submit payment). Please give us as much information about yourself as possible in the free writing boxes: it is helpful if you can tell us things like your age, usual occupation, and living situation. We may get back to you to confirm your booking, and/or to ask for further details before doing so.
For further details about volunteering and working retreats, please also see our WWOOF profile. You can also contact us if you have any further questions.