Volunteering

Working at Fridayhappiness

We are looking for hard-working volunteers with knowledge and interest in permaculture so we can grow our gardens and work towards our goal of being fully self-sustained. Motivated and responsible people who have skills in any of the areas mentioned are welcome. We also invite anyone who is motivated to learn and develop new skills to join our community.

Skills

  • Permaculture
  • Construction
  • Gardening
  • Arts
  • Music
  • Electrics
  • Mechanics
  • Cooking
  • Media & Computing

You will experience living in a community, where everyone works to contribute to the community goals. Living alongside people from all over the world, you will have the opportunity to learn about different cultures, languages and ways of life. This is a place to discover yourself, develop strong friendships with others and find out what unique qualities, skills and knowledge you can offer.

Membership

Volunteers are required to pay a €20 membership for Fridayhappiness Assoçiação and we require that you have valid health/travel insurance and a copy of your passport.

Dogs & Other Animals

If you are traveling with a dog or other animal, please contact us before you come to find out if this is possible.

Staying in Tojeiro

The minimum stay is 2 weeks. If you are interested in staying longer you will no longer be classed as a volunteer but as a resident and we can discuss the conditions of your stay.

We ask that you arrive either Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

If you need special medical treatment or any other issue we should know about please inform us before you arrive.

Working Hours

Work is approximately 24 hours a week. For most jobs, we start in the morning and you can have the rest of the day to yourself. In summer, we start earlier to avoid the midday heat. We decide on weekly and daily jobs and responsibilities during our morning meetings. We require volunteers to commit to a minimum of 2 weeks.

We work together in different teams which we chose in the morning meeting, so you can decide for example if you want to help in the gardening team, construction team, animal team, cleaning team or the kitchen team, for example. Some jobs are a weekly commitment, such as caring for the animals and the kitchen team, whilst others are daily commitments, which allow you to do a variety of different jobs throughout the week if you wish to.

Accommodation

We have a variety of accommodation options including caravans, vans, tents and tepees. You can also bring your own tent or you are also welcome to camp in your own van. If you intend to stay long term, you may have the option to move into a caravan or van if this comes available. We are currently working on building some sustainable huts.

Meals

We provide 3 meals a day, which are all vegetarian. There will sometimes be vegan options available, but we cannot guarantee this. We have a bar where you can purchase drinks from and a shop with snacks available daily.

What do I Need?

The winters in the south of Portugal are cold, windy and rainy, the summertime is hot, windy and dusty. Please take care that you bring the right clothes like dungarees/pair of cargo-trousers, comfortable protective shoes/boots for outdoor terrain, rainwear, a torch, medication if needed, a hat and additional sun-protection, a sleeping bag and any sanitary items you require.

General Information

We have a combination of short and long term volunteers and on average we have between 30 to 40 volunteers and residents at a time. There are a wide range of age groups among our community including families, children and teenagers and we would love if other families with children would join us.

We have been running a pizza night every Friday night since 2012, which has become a huge party which brings together locals and travellers from all over the world. People attend the party for the delicious pizza, live music and incredible vibe. This gives you the opportunity to develop skills in bar tending, pizza making, cocktail making and greeting guests at the door, among many other roles.

Surrounding Areas

The community is located on 14 hectares of land, surrounded by mountains. There is so much nature around, including ponds, lakes and streams to swim in, mountains with hiking tracks and beautiful peaceful areas to sit down with a book. There is a nearby town, Marmelete within a 2 hour walk or short drive. On the weekends, you may wish to day trip to Lagos or Aljezur, which are only 25-30 minutes away by car.

We have been running a pizza night every Friday night since 2012, which has become a huge party which brings together locals and travellers from all over the world. People attend the party for the delicious pizza, live music and incredible vibe. This gives you the opportunity to develop skills in bar tending, pizza making, cocktail making and greeting guests at the door, among many other roles.

Apply to Volunteer

You can either apply directly with us using the button below or you can apply using one of the 3 sites below:

Worldpackers
WWOOF
HelpX
Couchsurfing

We look forward to hearing from you!

Apply as a Volunteer