Springwood Sanctuary
VOLUNTEER WITH US
It's the Year of the Fire Horse... what better time to get involved at a horse sanctuary?
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Availability:
We welcome a maximum of two people per week to volunteer at Springwood as we like to keep the sanctuary a quiet place to enjoy nature. It is recommended to book well in advance to reserve your space if there are specific dates you'd like to be here. ​​​
Volunteer Days (non residential):
If you are local to the sanctuary and able to visit on a regular basis we greatly appreciate your help volunteering for 2 hours a day, either once a week, once a month or whenever it fits with your schedule. Please contact Jacqui about regular volunteer availability. ​
What your volunteering involves:
Volunteering usually involves activities like; cleaning fields, yards and barns, putting out hay for the herd, fencing, painting and repairs of barns, feeding horses, gardening, foraging, tree planting plus a variety of ongoing jobs that require attention.
Working Hours:
Springwood Volunteers are requested to work in a caring and mindful way. For those visiting on a daily basis or on the Springwood Volunteer Retreat, the main shared work period is usually from 10.30am – 12.30pm. There is a meeting at 10.15am for participants with the co-ordinator where we check-in and after which volunteer assignments are given.
VOLUNTEER RETREAT STAY
For those wishing to stay here to immerse in nature and benefit from the peaceful of the Sanctuary
The Springwood Volunteer Retreat is a unique opportunity to enter a true Sanctuary environment, to stay with us and to participate in mindfully caring for the animals and the land. This self guided retreat is intended for those who are interested in mindfulness, nature and a conscious vegan life, who want to use the stay to take time for internal focus, wellbeing and a deep connection with nature. You do not need horse experience as there will be no direct handling of the horses during your stay. You will however be immersed in their incredible healing energy and welcomed into their herd space as you quietly work around them, caring for their land, helping to prepare their feeds, herbal remedies and their other day to day needs.
Springwood Sanctuary is a haven of peace and is therefore not open to the public. It is our intention to enable a quiet sanctuary for those living here. This retreat is therefore a unique way to visit and experience this beautiful place.
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During your time here you will be given a general orientation toward the principles of Mindfulness, our ethos with equines and our approach to caring for the land and wildlife holistically.
Working as a part of the Springwood volunteer team is physically demanding and an educational experience. It provides an opportunity for you to be in retreat, and at the same time to experience the benefits of living within a vegan sanctuary, to develop your Mindfulness practice and to become inspired to live a gentler pace of life. This programme provides a place to set yourself and your preferences aside for a while and practice selfless service to nature and the animals. What you receive from being here will be directly reflective of what you give.​
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Volunteer Retreat Stays (residential):
Springwood Volunteer Retreats are by donation to the sanctuary of £50 per person per night plus two hours per day volunteering help (five days a week). Your donation helps towards the cost of caring for the horses here. If you'd like to visit with a friend in a shared bedroom, your donation will be £35 each per night.
Food and drink:
This is a self catering volunteer retreat. Please bring your plant based food and drinks with you. There will be a separate fridge provided for you. You will be cooking your own meals cleaning the areas that you have used in the house and annexe and keeping things tidy please. Cooking of your meals and cleaning is to be done outside of the volunteer hours. Drinks - Spring filtered water, tea, coffee, plant milks and herbal teas are available throughout the day.
Accommodation:
Volunteer Retreat accommodation is in 'Otters Holt' our farmhouse annexe in the heart of the sanctuary, with your own bedroom (twin beds) and bathroom with shared kitchen and living room.
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When can I stay?
Volunteer Retreats are usually available between May and October - space permitting. Occasionally we offer volunteer retreat places to those looking for a winter experience - please enquire for more details and pricing.
Wifi and mobile signal:
Wifi is free of charge, please use your own device. All phone calls are to be made using your own personal mobile phone. The mobile signal is not strong here but WhatsApp and wifi calling work reasonably well. (Please note we do not have fastfibre or a very strong internet connection.) The only landline at the sanctuary is not accessible unless for emergencies. To fully benefit from being on retreat it may be beneficial for you to “unplug” from technology for as much as possible. However, if you need to work remotely whilst here please discuss this with us beforehand so that we can accommodate your preferred work schedule and enable you the best wifi signal possible. .
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Things to Bring:
For your enjoyment - As previously mentioned, in order to fully benefit from being on retreat it may be beneficial for you to “unplug” from technology for as much as possible. You therefore may want to bring books, a journal, some creative projects, a camera, sketching / painting materials, musical instruments etc.
Clothing - please prepare for all weathers: waterproof coat, waterproof trousers (even in the summer as it’s a lovely experience sitting with the herd early in the morning whilst the dew is still on the ground), closed toe walking shoes, wellington boots, comfortable clothes, hat (sun hat in summer / warm hat in winter) and gloves (gardening gloves year round & warm gloves in winter) are all recommended.
Food – your choice of plant based food and drink for breakfast, lunch and supper plus snacks during your time here.
Towels – for showering (also wild swimming in the lake / paddling in the river if you are interested in doing this).
Bedding – Bed linen, duvets, blankets and pillows are supplied.
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Things not to Bring:
Please specifically note that Springwood Sanctuary respects the precept of ahimsa (non-violence) and therefore adheres strictly to a vegan diet. Meat, eggs, dairy, honey and any other animal products are not permitted on our premises, nor are recreational drugs. We request that you do not smoke whilst on your volunteer retreat. For your safety and in line with our insurance policy, smoking and consumption of recreational drugs / alcohol during time spent around the herd and other volunteer tasks is forbidden.
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We suggest that you minimise screen time, alcohol and caffeine consumption at other times whilst on retreat here in order to fully benefit from your experience.
Please also be mindful of minimising toxins and chemicals in your cleaning and personal hygiene products whilst you are here as these go directly into the septic tank on the land. If possible use vegan products that have not been tested on animals and are kind to the planet. Please do not use strong perfumes around the animals.
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Please always respect the sanctuary’s rules and boundaries and do your best to work in a safe and mindful manner. Any injuries or losses whilst on a volunteer retreat are at your own risk and Springwood Sanctuary bears no legal responsibility for these.
Out and About:
Shops & public transport – We are very rural here. The nearest shops are a 10 minute drive away. If you don’t have your own transport we usually go to the local shops once a week and can give you a lift.
Online shopping can be delivered (Tesco and Morrisons).
Llandysul is 10 minutes drive away with shops, cafes, kayak club, pubs, takeaways.
Carmarthen is 30 minutes drive away with train station, shops, cafes, large supermarkets, cinema, restaurants, Botanical Gardens.
Lampeter is 20 minutes drive away with shops, supermarkets and cafes.
Newcastle Emlyn is 30 minutes drive away with shops, cafes, restaurants and a theatre.
Buses – nearest bus stop is half an hour walk from the sanctuary.
We are able to pick you up from the station / bus stop by prior arrangement.
Bicycles aren’t recommended here as the lanes are very narrow, with a lot of steep hills.
The Cardigan coast with many beautiful beaches and resident bottle nosed dolphins and seals is just 35 minutes drive away.
The Brecon Beacons are 40 minutes drive away. There are also many historical venues eg castles in the surrounding area.
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For bookings, futher information and contact:
Jacqui Howe is the main contact when you want to arrange to book your volunteer retreat at Springwood.
Please complete the application form which will assist us in organising your stay here. Jacqui’s mobile / WhatsApp contact number is 07946 869454. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the above further, please get in touch - we will be happy to assist you.​
Please be aware that when you have agreed to come here you are making a commitment to yourself and to us, and we are relying upon your participation. If you are not able fulfil your booking please let us know as soon as possible. We greatly appreciate your offer of help and support at the sanctuary. Our volunteers are very important to us. Your input greatly improves the smooth running of the sanctuary and benefits the lives of all the animals living here.
Thank you very much for your interest in supporting us.
Aims and objectives of Springwood Sanctuary:
Springwood Sanctuary is set in 80 acres of Welsh countryside with a two acre lake and is bordered by a mile of the River Teifi. Under the ground is white quartz and fresh water springs. We are blessed to have this spring water nourishing us by feeding the cottages (having first gone through a filtration system). The land and river is home to an abundance of native wildlife. We protect the land and wildlife and create a healing environment for people by living mindfully with love, compassion and care for the Earth and her inhabitants. We’re rewilding the land, enabling it to heal from previously being farmed for decades, now enabling it to increase the rich biodiversity of flora and fauna so that ecosystems can flourish and everything can live in balance. We encourage the wild medicinal plants (often referred to as ‘weeds’) to grow, we do not micro-manage the land, we allow trees and hedgerows to self-seed and plant trees to support riverbanks and other areas where necessary. All this creates natural habitats for wildlife and nature to thrive.
We aim to live a sustainable lifestyle by minimising consumerism, waste, toxins, chemicals and therefore living with a lighter footprint on the Earth. Where possible we use hand tools on the land, reducing disruption to wildlife, pollution and noise. We grow vegetables and flowers in our polytunnel and vegetable garden with organic, permaculture and no dig methods. We are aiming to also establish a medicinal and sensory herb, flower and forest garden.
We offer others the experience of being at one with nature in this peaceful, healing sanctuary setting via residential volunteer retreats or volunteer days. You don’t have to be vegan to visit, but we do ask you to please respect our values and not to bring any animal products into the sanctuary. We’re happy to support you by cooking tasty meals with you if you do not wish to cook your own plant-based meals. Please discuss this beforehand with Jacqui. If you’d like support transitioning to a vegan lifestyle when you leave the sanctuary we are happy to offer this too.
The Springwood herds are two herds of horses, ponies, a donkey and a sheep who have been rescued and rehabilitated with healing and holistic care. We do not use the animals here in any way - we enable them to live with autonomy and free choice in a species appropriate way. We give them the highest standards of animal welfare and care, 24/7 access to shelter and companionship, good quality food, foraging and grazing, fresh spring water, herbs and healing. The sanctuary's mission is to inspire a shift in awareness and consciousness away from the “use” and “mis-use” of animals in any way. We support others with a model for change that can be replicated around the world. Our ethos is to recognise that we can all only really thrive when nature, humans and other beings live in balance with each other. Therefore our three guiding principles are to mindfully combine animal welfare, nurture of the land and holistic wellbeing for humans.
