FAQs
- What is a workcamp?
- How long does a workcamp last for?
- Where are the workcamps located?
- What kind of workcamps does SEEDS offer?
- How do I find a SEEDS workcamp?
- How do I join a SEEDS workcamp?
- How does SEEDS select the volunteers to a workcamp?
- When do I know if I was accepted?
- How old do I have to be to go on a workcamp?
- What should I bring with me to workcamps?
- What should I do after being accepted?
- Do I get more information about the workcamp?
- Does SEEDS offer something special in its workcamps?
- Why does SEEDS charge participation fees for workcamps?
- What about transportation? How do we get to the working place?
- How are the participation costs and transportation contributions collected?
- Do we work for the whole two weeks?
- Who leads the workcamps?
- Do I need any special skills to join a workcamp?
- Are there some last minute workcamps available?
- Can I participate in more than one workcamp?
- Are all the costs covered during the workcamp?
- Are food and accommodation provided?
- What type of accommodation will be provided?
- Where are SEEDS volunteers coming from?
- Do I need insurance?
- Are there any language requirements?
- How do the campers spend their free time?
- What happens if I get lost or have some problems to get to the workcamp?
- How can I get to Iceland?
- How can I reduce my carbon footprint while flying to Iceland?
- How do I travel from the Keflavík international airport to Reykjavík?
- How are the prices in Iceland? Is Iceland an expensive country?
- Where can I find more information on Iceland?
What should I do after being accepted?
Once you have been notified of acceptance into a workcamp/s you may go ahead and make your travel arrangements.
Volunteers participating in our projects should arrive to Iceland the latest one day before the workcamp starts, as travel to the project, if arranged by SEEDS, will leave Reykjavík on the first day of the camp in the morning. If the project takes place in Reykjavík, you can arrive to Iceland the same day the workcamps starts.
If volunteers choose to go by different means (to workcamps located outside Reykjavík), they might need more than one day to reach the destination by public transportation services. In the same way, volunteers shall not book their return journey the day the camp ends, the earliest one day after the camp finishes. In this way volunteers ensure they will be able to join the camp for its full length.
From former volunteers’ feedback you can consider staying longer in Iceland; before or/and after the project. Volunteers may group together and decide to travel the country and visit different areas to those of the project itself.
Do I get more information about the workcamp?
SEEDS will send you an Information Sheet (infosheet) about your workcamp, including detailed information about the project as directions to reach Iceland, the workcamp site, meeting points, etc.
Does SEEDS offer something special in its workcamps?
Yes, most of our workcamps have an educational/awareness-raising approach to environmental, nature-protection and sustainable development topics. We usually have, apart from the leader(s), a person fully dedicated to organising and developing fun, interactive and educational activities within the workcamp. This person is called the "Environmental Messenger" and will be in charge of activities aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues both within the local community and among the international volunteers taking part in the workcamps. She/He will be a source of knowledge on specific topics about the environment, nature protection and sustainable development. They will encourage workcamp participants to undertake simple but easy-to-implement actions which will affect the way we use our resources and we deal with the environment and the world we live in.
Why does SEEDS charge participation fees for workcamps?
Participation/contribution fees are required in order to take part in our workcamps, as these finances help to support the ongoing work of SEEDS.
Please note that your entire fee might not necessarily go towards your particular workcamp. The fees collected by SEEDS are mainly used to:
• bear the administrative expenditures of the association: salaries, rent, office bills (energy, phone, electricity, insurance, heating), personnel, external representation, mail, website, postage, equipments, supplies, banking costs, legal formalities, etc.
• aid/develop of some of our other activities - to pay food or accommodation in some of the projects, where the hosts do not provide it, co-funding for our long-term voluntary service projects and the development of particular sessions in the camps.
SEEDS is a non-profit organisation, and all funds go back into improving the service we provide to volunteers and hosts.
Most European organisations similar to SEEDS raise funds by sending volunteers abroad and charging outgoing volunteers a registration fee. In Iceland, we face a particular challenge for two reasons: voluntary service is not very popular among Icelanders yet, and the Icelandic population is very small, so the number of volunteers sent by SEEDS overseas does not represent sufficient income to run our association.
Furthermore, SEEDS does not receive any regular government funding, or financial support from our local, regional or national authorities or government.
The amount of the fees will be stated for each camp in their descriptions and are to be paid on arrival in cash, preferably in Euros.
What about transportation? How do we get to the working place?
It is up to you which mode of transportation to the workcamp you choose. You can use Icelandic public transport or any kind of individual one. The costs for transportation in Iceland might be very high and it is not always easy to reach the workcamp. We therefore recommend that the volunteers use transportation by a minibus provided by SEEDS. The costs vary according to the location of the workcamp but we always aim to make the cost cheaper than the costs of other ways of transportation provided in Iceland.
How are the participation costs and transportation contributions collected?
They will be collected together on the first day of the camp in Euros and only in cash. Unfortunately we cannot accept any other form of payment. Please make sure you bring enough money, as you may not be able to get cash during the camp.
Do we work for the whole two weeks?
We usually work five days a week, between seven (7) and eight (8) hours a day. Weekends are usually free but if requested by the hosting partner, we might work during the weekend and get days off during the usual working days, Monday to Friday.
Who leads the workcamps?
SEEDS has trained leaders for all of our workcamps; they are also volunteers and their role is to bridge the local host, the group of short-term volunteers and SEEDS. They have the extra responsibility of running the projects and communicating with all involved parties. In all workcamps, they will also be involved in the work, cooking and cleaning duties.
Camp-leaders are not fully responsible for organising your free time and they hope for your ideas and contributions.
Do I need any special skills to join a workcamp?
No, you do not need any special skills to join a workcamp with SEEDS. However, some of the workcamps are physically intensive so in those specific cases you will need to be aware of your own limitations. You will be expected to participate not only in the work with the other volunteers but also in building a positive group atmosphere; cooking and undertaking group activities together.
Are there some last minute workcamps available?
We recommend applying for a workcamp in good time. If you decide to participate at the last minute, contact us or your sending organisation. We will try to find a workcamp for you to participate in that will suit you and your travel dates.
Some workcamps become full months in advance, some might have free places, even a few days before the workcamp starts (for example, if a volunteer cancels their participation for some unavoidable reason).
