Internships – Green & Away

Internships at Green & Away

Introduction

Green & Away is looking for several passionate and hardworking individuals to join our summer internship programme. Our programme is varied and adapted to suit you and your interests. What we can offer you is a place to learn new skills, meet a range of different people and learn about sustainability, environmental events, and a behind the scenes look at running a charitable organisation and outdoor community.

As an intern, you will be a valuable member of the crew throughout the summer and will be responsible for managing teams of volunteers. We have groups of volunteers staying for different durations, and we need our interns to be the backbone of the crew, providing ongoing knowledge of the site and undertaking longer term projects. On-the-job training and an induction will be provided in the first week, with continual guidance from a dedicated member of the trustee board. You will have the opportunity to measure your progress through regular check-ins with the interns managers. Interns will join the volunteers during the setting up and taking down of the site.

Successful applicants for the internship programme should work well as part of a team as well as independently, enjoy taking on new challenges and responsibilities, and have an interest in sustainability, charity work, ecotourism, and outdoor living. You will gain considerable management experience and learn about the challenges involved in sustainable living and environmental education.

Green & Away is an entirely volunteer-run organisation and as an educational charity, teaching our interns has been an integral part of our work for over ten years. All interns are expected to stay on site throughout the season and are provided with three vegetarian meals a day and a space to pitch your own tent. If you would struggle to bring your own tent or sleeping equipment, we can provide you with one of our spares.

Green & Away has hosted interns every summer for around six years and the feedback we have received has been excellent. Our interns have gained life-changing skills with us and have described their time as the best summer of their lives. Green & Away is a unique and magical place, with something for everyone.

We warmly welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, abilities, ages, religions, and orientations to apply as interns.

Internship programme structure

At Green & Away, we tailor our internships to your skills, areas of interest and what you’d like to develop. You could run one long project, or a portfolio of smaller projects, all with a focus on sustainability, ecotourism and outdoor living.

Past projects have included:

Writing a strategy for our charity
Designing and painting educational boards and signs
Doing a carbon footprint analysis
Helping with our social media
Designing and running educational workshops for our volunteers

Green & Away runs via a number of “departments” and alongside your individual project, you will be tasked with responsibilities within one or several of these departments (you can tell us your preferences in your application). You are advised to read the departmental descriptions and think about which parts interest you, as well as what skills you have and could lend to us for our summer season. The departments are as follows:

Catering and sustainable food
Hospitality and ecotourism
Technical and maintenance
Office and project management
Eco events management

Our internships are really flexible, so if you‘re really keen to run one of these departments, or if you want a real variety, just let us know! We’d especially like to have someone run our kitchen so if you’d like to gain experience in catering this could be the perfect opportunity of you.

Duration and travel

All internships will start on Monday 9th June 2025 and end on or around 15th August 2025 (exact end date is subject to weather and take down progress). Successful applicants will camp on site for the duration of the placement and will have two days off a week.

Green & Away is located three miles from Worcester which has a main line rail station and buses which come to within a few minutes’ walk of our site. Please see our website for travel information.

Accommodation and facilities

Green & Away takes place outdoors and under canvas. You will need your own tent, however, we may be able to arrange one for you if you are unable to bring one and you let us know in advance. Full board is provided (three vegetarian/vegan meals a day and regular tea breaks with cake!). The site has hot showers, clothes washing facilities and composting toilets. All safety equipment you may require will be provided.

A licensed bar with subsidised pricing, comfortable seating areas, and arts and crafts facilities come as and when we have built them. There is WIFI and phone/laptop charging facilities. Please note, when you first arrive the field will be almost empty (although our toilets and showers will be operating), so please be prepared for this.

Although Green & Away is set up on the outskirts of a small village near Worcester, the nearest shop and post office is two miles away.

Costs

Green & Away does not pay any of its volunteers, trustees or interns. We provide three meals a day to everyone volunteering on site. Your only cost throughout the internship will be your travel which Green & Away will part-subsidise, anything you decide to do offsite on your days off, or any drinks and snacks you choose from the bar which you will receive at a reduced rate.

How to apply

Applications are now closed for 2025.

Department descriptions

Catering and Sustainable Food Management

Our field kitchen is an integral part of our events and is ideal for those who have a passion for food and who are looking to gain catering experience.

We cater vegetarian meals for approximately 30 people in between events and up to 200 when events are held.
You could be responsible for preparing vegan/vegetarian meals, organising volunteers, developing rotas and placing orders with our local and organic suppliers. Experience of working with food is desirable but not essential. We have tried and tested menus and recipes to help you, but you will also have the opportunity to use your creativity to design your own menus.
You would gain a qualification in food hygiene and safety as well as practical experience in managing dietary requirements and allergies, maintaining a hygienic and tidy kitchen and sourcing sustainable and seasonal produce.
If you have a passion for food and cooking, a high level of organisation and great people skills then this department is for you!

Eco-Events Management

As a sustainable conference venue, we host around six events per season, ranging in size and style. We are looking for interns to help coordinate event bookings, assist with event management and take care of delegates during their stay.

Events typically last 2-3 days and we accommodate between 20 – 140 guests of all ages and backgrounds. We provide marquees for the events themselves and accommodation tents for guests to stay in.
You will be responsible for liaising with event organisers, managing and coordinating teams of volunteers, as well as assisting the Event Manager to ensure a successful event.
You will also take the lead on organising events such as our annual Open Day, to showcase Green & Away to our local community and nearby groups, businesses and organisations.
This is ideal for someone who has excellent communication skills and enjoys problem solving and taking initiative, as well as providing a high standard of custom service.

Hospitality and Ecotourism

Throughout the summer we have guests staying on-site with us in either our cosy bell tents, or standard camping tents. We’re looking for interns with excellent people skills to welcome guests onto the site, assist with running our bar and cafe, and manage our on-site accommodation throughout the season.

Responsibilities include administering accommodation booking, leading teams of volunteers to turn around accommodation, organise cleaning of the facilities, running the bar and café as well as maintaining the wider aesthetics of the site.
You will also be responsible for liaising with volunteers, guests and the Events, Office, and Catering departments to ensure that everyone who stays at Green & Away feels welcome and taken care of.
This is perfect for anyone with a keen eye for detail who is passionate about providing excellent standards of customer service and care.
You will gain valuable experience in sustainable tourism, team leading, hospitality and bar skills, and stock control.

Office and Project Management

This isn’t your usual office job. Our field office is based in a modified caravan with the best view of our beautiful event site. You won’t just be sitting at a desk, rather you’ll be leading morning meetings around our centre circle, moving about the camp to liaise with team leaders and volunteers, and being an overseeing eye of all that goes on onsite. Working in the office will give you a great insight into project management and you will play a key role in running our eco-events venue and environmental education charity. You will be responsible for maintaining the day-to-day running of the camp.

Daily responsibilities include answering phone calls and responding to emails, financial admin and accounting, placing supplies orders and working closely with our Coordinator to ensure everything runs smoothly on-site.
You will gain experience in office administration, project management and volunteer organisation. You will also have the opportunity to learn the intricacies of running a charity and managing a successful events venue.
While in the office, you will be the point of call for volunteers, welcoming and inducting new arrivals (both guests and volunteers), managing job rotas and liaising with our local neighbours and suppliers. Therefore, you will need to be approachable with good communication skills, high levels of organisation and attention to detail.
You could also be responsible for designing and implementing marketing campaigns and strategies as well as creating and sharing social media content, with support and direction from a member of the Green & Away team. As part of this role, you will learn about aspects of running a successful charity and events venue and how marketing can be used to help us reach our charitable aims and new audiences.

Site Management and Equipment Maintenance

We need people to help run our site and keep our marquees and equipment in good condition. Here you will learn and be able to develop multiple hands-on skills associated with maintaining our eco-friendly site.

You will work closely with, and be supported by, our Site Manager and learn about the practicalities of low impact living, managing an outdoor venue and maintaining specialist equipment.
We need a practically minded person who relishes responsibly and wants to develop their knowledge and practical skills in sustainable and off-grid living solutions, renewable energy systems and marquee and tent maintenance. You will also have the opportunity to install and maintain our biomass boiler and solar panels, as well as plumbing and electrics.
As an eco-friendly site, we try to reduce buying new things as much as possible and so you will have lots of opportunities to practise your repair and woodworking skills.
You will need an excellent attitude to safely and must be comfortable with both solo work and being part of a team.

Artist in Residence

Green & Away offers an artist residency for the duration of the summer season. This placement provides an opportunity for an emerging artist to develop and demonstrate their creativity at a unique environmental venue. The successful candidate will have a lot of independence over the course of their residency, and the organisation is open to your ideas for what you want to create on the site. You will, however, be encouraged to contribute an interesting piece of environmental, ecological, or land art, working with natural or recycled materials, which will be either permanent or present for the duration of the season and which will add to the atmosphere of the site. The ability and willingness to explain and educate volunteers and visitors to the site about your work and to collaborate on other creative projects are also desirable.

To apply for this position please email volunteer@greenandaway.org for more information.