Spring Garden
Group volunteering opportunity
Date: 2–22 April 2026
- Arrival on the 1st of April
- Departure on the 23rd of April
Location: Etyek, Hungary
Organiser: Szatyor Association
The Activities
Reform and tend to the permacultural garden
- plant seedlings of flowers, vegetables and herbs
- build a new organic compost storage
- maintain the willow hut
- renovate the greenhouse
- paint the gate
Learn about permaculture and sustainability
- take part in educational sessions on permaculture
- share knowledge on sustainability
Organise an Open Garden Day
- invite the local community
- trade seedlings
- present the garden
- communal cooking activities
Celebrate Easter
- get to know Hungarian Easter traditions
- share your own traditions and celebrate an intercultural Easter together
The venue
You will live in the Szatyor Community House - an old Swabian (German) house in Etyek, a thriving village not far from Budapest. The house has been reconditioned in recent years to host both ESC volunteers and Erasmus+ participants.
It features:
- 4 rooms (big and small)
- 5 showers and toilets
- Electricity and Wi-Fi
- Washing machine
- Educational garden with raised plant beds, compost piles, a greenhouse and a fireplace
- An outside roofed area with a fully equipped kitchen
- Pharmacy and supermarket in the vicinity
Food:
- We will cook for ourselves together as a team, ingredients will be provided
- On free days you are welcome to cook for yourself from the provided ingredients or prepare food for take away if you travel
We are looking for you if:
- You're aged between 18 and 30 and are a legal resident of the European Union
- You're interested in a sustainable lifestyle, permaculture, and community volunteering
- You're not afraid to get your hands dirty and enjoy gardening works
- You're open to living in a community, working in a team and connecting to others
Practicalities
- Pocket money: You will receive 7 EUR/day as pocket money to cover daily expenses.
- Travel reimbursement: Your travel costs will be reimbursed by Szatyor Association according to the distance between your home and Etyek (up to 309 EUR, 417 EUR if choosing green travel options).
- Green travel options: To minimize the project’s carbon footprint, we invite all of you to opt for green travel options such as buses or trains, making the journey to Etyek as eco-friendly as possible. When you opt to do so, the reimbursements are more flexible.
- Hungary is part of the Schengen area, easy to enter for EU citizens with a passport or an ID. We can host only European residents in this event.
- Accommodation: full board in the community house in shared rooms, indoor warm showers and toilets. Washing machine is available.
- Bank account: You must have a European bank account with an IBAN number to allow Szatyor Association to reimburse your travel costs and pay your pocket money.
- Health insurance: Please make sure to have your valid EU Health Insurance (EHIC) card with you. Volunteers are also insured through the ESC’s Henner insurance scheme.
- Currency: The local currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF), with 1 Euro being approximately 400 HUF.
What to bring
- EU Blue social security card (EHIC)
- comfortable, clothes/shoes that you do not mind if they get dirty in the garden, while working with mud or doing some other work. Best to bring sturdy boots that are safe for work on a construction.
- raincoat
- hat, sunscreen
- your own water bottle
- working gloves
- rain jacket
- mosquito and tick repellents
- toiletry items
- preferably natural soaps and shower gels
- special medication, if you need them
- personal documents
- musical instrument (optional)
