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Be a Volunteer Coordinator

Could you live in community at Sharpham for 12 months practising and supporting retreats?

" The Barn has given me so much - a space to really meet myself in body, mind and heart. So much healing and growth plus polishing some rough edges. As long as I live I will be grateful for what The Barn has offered me" - former Barn coordinator

A Retreat Coordinator is a one-year voluntary position at either The Barn Retreat or The Coach House.

There are three postings each year, with start dates at the beginning of January, May and September.

You will work alongside three other coordinators and a manager in the day-to-day running of the centre and receive accommodation, full board, expenses and dana from retreatants.

Sharpham Trust Coach House Retreat

If you...

  • have a regular Buddhist or mindfulness meditation practice and a strong interest in Buddhist teachings
  • have self-awareness and emotional intelligence, particularly in terms of recognising your own emotions and how these emotions may affect others
  • have an interest in people, including skills in active listening and empathy, in addition to a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness
  • have a willingness to learn and ability to self-reflect
  • respect diversity and working with diverse populations
  • are a practical person with some knowledge and experience of one or more of the following: gardening, maintenance, basic administration and IT
  • want to work as part of a team, and show equanimity towards all others
  • have a driving licence

Sharpham offers you the opportunity to...

  • give service by coordinating the running of our weekly retreats
  • live with others in a like-minded community
  • attend Dharma talks and discussions with visiting teachers
  • develop your facilitation and group skills

If you would like more information:

Please contact us for more details and an application form.

Note: it is important that you have spent a week on retreat at The Barn Retreat or The Coach House before applying for this position.

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Martyna Raczka spent a year giving service to The Coach House, and talks about the positive effect on her and her practice in the above video.

Added Patti: "It is a chance to live in community and deepen your mindfulness practice and connection with the natural world while being supported by myself and the wider Sharpham team to facilitate The Coach House retreats.

"I hear myself often saying ‘life is not a dress rehearsal’ and my mindfulness practice reminds me that this precious moment is all there is to be with. 

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Martha Wright gave a year of service as a Volunteer Coordinator at The Barn retreat centre at The Sharpham Trust.

Not only did she join a warm community of fellow coordinators, she developed her own ability to hold space for retreatants - and she grew as a person too.

"It's a year nearly since I finished, and I'm still feeling the effects in my own relationships of that learning".

Here Martha shares the two-way benefits of her time at Sharpham.

Volunteer coordinators at The Barn meditation retreat centre at The Sharpham Trust