Short-term volunteers come to help with our work for certain pre-arranged weeks in the spring and summer each year. They are asked to contribute for bed & board - £10.00 per night. Since we take only four volunteers per week and demand is great, especially in summer, the programme tends to get fully booked up fairly early each year.

We always recommend that potential volunteers have a good think about why they want to come in the light of what we have to offer. The Volunteer Programme is not a course, and we do not give any formal training or instruction. Conditions are far from luxurious. Volunteers have the chance to learn and experience what we are doing through working, talking to people, consulting information material and the Bookshop, etc.. It is very much up to the individual. A variety of different work tasks are undertaken in each volunteer week, and an element of flexibility is essential (especially dependent on the weather!). Sometimes volunteers are simply asked to help with whatever jobs are most urgent at the time. It is easy to imagine that we spend all our time erecting windmills or building solar panels, but actually most of the work we do is pretty ordinary: digging holes and barrowing rocks about, weeding and clearing beds, moving compost, fixing and painting things.

Accommodation is basic Youth Hostel-style, shared with other volunteers. Food, drinks and soap are provided. Volunteers need to bring a towel, a torch, strong work clothes, sun-protection and waterproof clothing -the weather is unpredictable. If you have them, please bring gardening gloves and steel toe-cap boots. We can usually provide these if you don't have them. We ask you not to bring any animals or illegal drugs. The minimum age for residential participation is 18, and since we regrettably have no crêche facilities it is not possible to bring children.

We ask volunteers to arrive on the Monday of the week they are booked, NOT Sunday. There is no work organised for volunteers at the weekend, but they are welcome to stay until Sunday lunchtime. Travel to Machynlleth is fairly easy by car, train, bus or thumb. From Machynlleth the three mile walk to the Centre can be enjoyable, especially along the back road. Buses run erratically to CAT or nearby Pantperthog every day except Sunday.

For dates and a booking form please contact: Rick Dance, CAT, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 9AZ.

Please note that our short term volunteer programme is very popular (luckily for us!) and tends to be fully booked by the end of March each year. Book early if you want a place.