Forthcoming Summer Season

With snowdrops and crocus plants in full flower, Mother’s Day passed, and longer days, spring feels imminent, and the summer doesn’t seem quite so far away.  Planning for the G&A summer season is well underway starting with the appointment of a team of interns who will be helping us to run Green and Away this year.

Each winter Peter, our chair of Trustees and myself as coordinator, advertise, then select and interview candidates to join our internship program. This is the fifth time we have run the programme and each time we are astounded and humbled at the talents and range of experiences of the applicants.  Some of them have packed more into 20 years of life than most 40 year olds and are an inspiration.  They are sure to be the leaders, movers and shakers of the future and we are proud to have them working with us this year.

This season we will be expanding into new areas.  We are hosting The Pantaloons for two outdoor theatre performances and having seen them twice before we can definitely recommend putting the dates into your diaries.  Our smile and laugh muscles hadn’t worked so hard in years when we saw them perform all 40 Canterbury Tales in one evening.  This time they will be performing Sherlock Holmes on 17 July and  A Midsummer Night’s Dream on 11 August.  Tickets available from their website at The Pantaloons and later from our office on site.  We have limited tickets so do book well in advance for performances that will have you laughing and chuckling all the way through and then sending away with a feel good factor of 10 out of 10!

One of our quirky breakout spaces

We are hosting 5 conferences and events this season too.  Details are on our website.  We aren’t quite fully booked so if you are looking for an unusual quirky venue that has a lot to offer, then look at our website page Hiring Green and Away for more information.  Not only are we different, we have a lot to offer including a professional service, beautiful site, home cooked organic food, homemade cakes and bread, charming conference spaces and all at a very reasonable price.

The reason we can offer such good value is that all of the staff are volunteers including our trustees, managers and the coordinator .  They all work for Green and Away because addressing issues around climate change are essential if we are to avert the worst effects scientists are predicting, and we passionately believe that it is time to stop polluting and desecrating our home, the Earth – and because what we do is fun.  The way forward is to build strong communities, support  and respect each other, be adaptable and flexible.  This approach does not bring a smugness from having a low-carbon footprint, instead it gives us something most of us have lost – a sense of belonging and connection to each other and to the earth.  Many people have commented that spending time with us brings a shift in their perception and that there is so much more to business and life than ‘the bottom line’!  Working together in a way that takes account of nature and being in harmony with it is not hard but brings its own gifts of beauty, appreciation and friendship.  We hope more people will come and experience the magic of Green and Away…

We hope we won’t see this much water again in summer 2013

Sustainable Practices and Environmental Audits

This summer we plan to carry out an environmental audit and to assess our carbon footprint.  We don’t expect this to be a straightforward business as most of the parameters are designed with buildings in mind, not tents.  We are very fortunate to be offered some expertise from one of our supporters who works at an environmental consultancy which will be a great help.

When we started Green and Away every aspect of the project was considered from a sustainable angle, from the food, to the toilets, to heating the showers.  The criterea has always been that we make the least environmental impact we possibly could.  However if you are a prospective organiser looking for a venue, the guidelines for choosing an eco-conference centre ask, amongst other things, to check if grey water is being used to flush toilets.  We don’t use grey water for toilets as we have composting toilets not flush ones.  This means our water usage is much lower but we are also not causing energy use outside

A G&A composting toilet

our conference centre, normally used in disposing of the sewage, and we should have plus marks for producing a compost that can fertilise trees therefore giving a net gain!  We don’t use disposable plates, cups and cutlery, we use second hand ones we have bought from a car boot sale thereby lengthening the life of the utensiles and reducing the embodied energy per item per year of use.  We wash everything by hand so no electricity is used and we heat the water with solar power when the sun shines or wood if it doesn’t – both carbon neutral systems.  We do encourage the use of public transport although country buses are notoriously few and far between.  Some conference organisers arrange a mini bus pick up from the station which enables more people to use public transport.

The problem with standards is that they have to have arbitary fixed boundaries around the business.  This means that one is not really taking in the cradle to grave impacts of each system in use.  For example the embodied energy used in solar panels along with the implications of mining precious minerals could mean that the units are very carbon hungry in their manufacture but very sustainable in producing electricity.  So how easy it is to compare solar electricity with a coal-fired power station electricity?

Some years ago, one of the executives of an environmental organisation was taken to task for driving a ‘gas guzzling volvo’ as this did not seem to fit with the image of sustainability he was trying to portray.  His answer was that his volvo was over 15 years old and had at least another 10 years of life left in it.  If it is run to the end of its life and one takes the embodied energy of manufacture plus fuel used into account, a volvo looks quite sustainable.  What is not sustainable is buying a new car every two years and scrapping them when they are only four years old for some relatively minor damage.  It is quite a shock walking round a car reclamation pound and seeing how many quite new vehicles are being broken up because they have a pranged wing.

Solar Hot Water heater

Our culture of replacement over repair and trading up for the next new model is making far more demands on the earth’s resources than is sustainable.  We really need to lift our viewpoint from what is immediately in front of us and see our activities in the context of the wider world view.  Not everything that looks green is green and not everything that looks consumerist is a problem. Ultimately we need to rethink how and what we use, how we can extend the life of useful things by repairing them.

A brand new Eco-conference centre filled with sustainable gadgets may look attractively green but how can that compare with Green and Away’s recycled, repaired, low tech, low impact approach?  We will have to see what our carbon footprint shows us and if this is a meaningful tool for measuring sustainability.

 

Keeping the Environmental Flag Flying

Last week Friends of the Earth held a big party to celebrate 40 years of activism for the environmental cause.  For a relatively small organization, Friends of the Earth has an impressive legacy. Through their more than 40-year history, they have provided crucial leadership in fights resulting in landmark environmental laws, precedent-setting legal victories and the exposure of political malfeasance and corporate greed. FOE was one of the earliest organisations to champion the environmental cause, and inspired people around the world to set up their own environmental organisations.  In the early days their staff and supporters were radical and unsual people who were brave enough to stand up for the Earth and against those doing their best to destroy it.  Back then there were few people who believed there was a problem and refused to acknowledge one when presented with the facts.  Now FOE is an international organisation and only a minority of self-interested people dispute the justice of their campaigns.

Another organisation which was right at the forefront of the environmental movement, in fact even before FOE, is Resurgence.  This organisation started as a magazine back in 1966 and grew out of the peace and anti-nuclear movement.  It took on its current guise  in 1973 when Satish Kumar took over as editor.  He has guided it over the years to become “ — a magazine for people who care about the environment, enjoy reading, relish new ideas and are looking for inspiration on sustainable living. ‘  Readers of Resurgence magazine have been people who care passionately about the earth and what happens to it and all its inhabitants. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Resurgence Magazine.

Both organisations have, in their own small or not so small, ways made a huge difference to the way people think and to the acceptance that we have to take responsibility for what we do on and with the Earth.  Although governments are not doing everything needed to protect the environment and the earth, they are aware that this is one of them most important issues that face us today, partly because of activities by these organisations.  The environmental movement is a force for change and it is happening.

Green and Away has been one of the many other voices for change.  For 21 years we have been hosting conferences and inspiring people to take more notice of the environment and to do something about it.  FOE campaigns, Resurgence informs and Green and Away leads by example.  We have been supporting green and environmental organisations all of our existence, have hosted Resurgence for the last fourteen years and FOE on five occasions.  It is vital for people to meet and come together in order to make things happen.  What better place to be pushing forward the green agenda than at the ultimate environmentally sustainable conference centre?

The environmental movement has a lot to celebrate but we are all to aware that there is still so much to do.  Convincing people that there is a problem was a huge task and one that has mostly been achieved.  Now the challenge is to find another way to live that is more sustainable as well as a better quality of life so that people will happily change.  This new way will not be rooted in money and possessions but in community and relationship.  It is only when we care and our hearts are engaged with each other and the earth that we are happy to live a different and sustainable life. The rewards for living this way cannot be measured in monitory terms like GDP, but they could be measured in well being or Gross National Happiness as they do in Bhutan.  Every summer those of us who live and work at Green and Away find that we are living this way and we aim to enable others to do the same.

The Crew 2011

 

Recommendations from past interns

We thought it would be helpful to have a few words of encouragement from past interns for those people wondering whether to apply or not, and what we got was brilliant testamonials about how valuable the experience was. Read on…

“I arrived on day one to the unspoilt rural paradise, the long lush grass beneath my feet and the people who would make the next 2 months so special. Peter, Helen and the rest of the gang are so knowledgeable about not only the Green and Away project, but about sustainability and green debates on a wider scale. The summer passed with many informative discussions with a range of influential “Greenies”, opening my mind to new perspective as well as learning about the eco-life that Green and Away demonstrates so well. From fresh, locally produced foods to solar, wind and fire power, composting toilets, alternative building and usefully reusing anything available, Green and Away certainly practices what it preaches! It is still, three years later the only place I have known to do this with such commitment. The experiences and knowledge I gained at Green and Away have certainly benefited me when finding related jobs as well as influencing my long term dreams!”

Sofia Yarwood (UK) 2009

 “I spent the summer of 2009 for seven weeks with Green and Away as an intern. I was assigned to the kitchen and I enjoyed it very much. I learnt so many things regarding sustainable and healthy cooking. I worked as the kitchen manager helping run the field kitchen which was producing three meals for around 35 crew members each day, plus additional catering for around 130 delegates at each of five conferences of two days each. My work included menu planning, stock control, food ordering, health and hygiene awareness, managing staff and volunteers and rotas as well as cooking. I enjoyed the time I spent there so much and I kept volunteering the following year. I feel like I am a member of the G&A family.”

Yilmaz  A. (Turkey) 2009

 “I can honestly say that the time I spent as an intern with Green and Away was one of my best summers yet! As an intern we got to witness G&A from set-up, through functioning as a conference centre, to take-down at the end. During set-up I found myself leading little construction teams. Completing the various (and often puzzling) structures was hugely satisfying. Whilst the site was running, I spent my time between the office and the kitchen. In the office I got an idea of how the organisation operates and in the kitchen I got to experience being a kitchen manager. I learnt a lot from each of these posts.

It’s hard to say what I enjoyed most about G&A. It was fantastic to spend so much time outdoors in beautiful surroundings and I loved the sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. But I think what I liked best was the real sense of community and being able to enjoy simple pleasures with a wonderful group of people. I hope to go back soon!”

Becky Piggot (UK) 2009

“As a graduate student studying international environmental policy, I chose to intern at Green and Away to gain an outside perspective on how others around this world take on environmental issues. While at Green and Away, I learned valuable skills in sustainable food practices, alternative energy, volunteer management and organizational structure. I also greatly enjoyed the ‘afternoon chats’ from the trustees, which covered interesting topics like building dams for tribal communities in Sinai, alternative medicine and hydrogen automobiles. These skills and lessons were very tangible as they dictated your daily routine while on site.  My time at Green and Away has helped me live a happy and healthy life, as well as prepared me for a career in community-based environmental activism. Most importantly, I met amazing people who still continue to inspire me from a distance.”

Sarah Gilliam, (U.S.A) 2010

“Through being a kitchen manager intern at Green & Away 2010, I gained important skills and lasting friendships. Right from the start of the application process I was kept in the loop by the management team, and that continued until the end of site takedown when we left the site we had found it. I learnt more than I could have ever expected from my experiences there, particularly in terms of personal growth and development. I’m so happy to be part of the Green & Away family, and I plan to return for a third time this summer!”

Bryony Ridge (UK) 2010

 “Green and Away is perfect for potential interns who want responsibility with a strong support network around them, as they are expected to work hard and autonomously yet there is always somebody there to help you if you need it. Regular mentor sessions ensure that you are never out of your depth and allow you to track your career and personal development. But, it’s not only work! You will meet a fantastic array of people from all different walks of life and live in a truly unique community that teaches you more than any office ever could.”

Miriam Al-Sayed (UK) 2011

 “As the maintenance intern for Green and Away I learnt a great deal of practical and organisational skills, how an organisation is run and how to organise a group. I made some good friends, got to do a range of things that I’ve never tried before such as carpentry, and to top it all off I got as much free tasty food as you could eat three times a day!

I was shown the ropes (quite literally) by Peter Lang as to how to carry out my job and received some excellent training, regularly working with the other interns as a team. It was an experience I greatly enjoyed and would highly recommend it as a highly informative great experience.”

Gordon Moran (UK) 2011

Thank you to all the past 20 interns for all your hard work and dedication.  We couldn’t have done it without you.

If you know of anyone who would like to follow in the footsteps of Gordon, Sophie, Yilmaz, Miriam, Sarah, Bryony or Becky, please show them the Internships page of our website for more information.

 

Passing on our environmental expertise

In the next few days Green and Away will be advertising for 7 people to come and join our management team on an internship.  As a voluntary organisation, where even those in charge can’t always spare 8 weeks of their summer to come and help run Green and Away we have had to find a way to plug the gaps.  For the last 3 years we have run our internship programme to offer the opportunity of learning many new skills to young people who are keen to find work in the charity or environmental sector. In just two months the interns learn about event management, people management, commodity supply, maintenance, food, cooking, health, renewable energy, and lots more.

The catering interns manage a field kitchen producing up to 200 meals three times a day, plus bread and cakes, while coordinating a staff of 20 people.  For a 20 year old whose previous experience was helping out in the local pub when on holiday from university, this is a big ask but one that Bryony rose to magnificently.

The office interns have to give an introductory brief every one of the 100 or so volunteers who come through our gate during the course of the summer, arrange social events for the volunteers, liaise with conference organisers, keep track of all people movements on site and carry out various projects as well as the day-to-day task of keeping a large organisation running.  Emily and Frances had the additional task of acting as PA to the coordinator and they coped wonderfully.

The maintenance interns are responsible for the integrity of more than 50 assorted structures, the solar and wind power, solar hot water system and a collection of willing handymen.  Gordon was more used to a lecture theatre and studying Anthropology than keeping all our spares and repairs sorted plus care-taking the site but he did a brilliant job.

The deal for our interns is that they work for nothing, the same as the rest of our staff of volunteers and trustees, but they get all food, a tent if they need one, an intense training period, lots of responsibility and mentoring from the coordinator.  In addition we provide an education program aimed at widening their knowledge of the environmental sector and send them away with a full report and reference for future employers.  For some it is a baptism by fire and they do things they never thought they could.

Green and Away has benefitted enormously from these wonderful people and they have made strong friendships with each other and other volunteers.  It has certainly show us that the calibre of graduates is not only excellent but what amazing young people they are.

Applications are due in by 23 March for interviews on 14/15 April.  If you know of anyone who might be interested and internship with us please direct them to the Internships page of our website.