By Adrian Fisher MBE, an award-winnng maze designer from Durweston

The Workaway scheme, typically involving 15,000 people a year, is wonderful for developing international understanding.

Hosts and intending guests describe themselves and their situation, and if there is mutual interest, make direct contact. Their stay is a few days or longer, sometimes part of a broader trip. As hosts, we provide accommodation and meals, but most importantly we welcome them into our family. We’re keen to learn about them, their lives and their cultures.

They join us to see motorbikes on Poole Quay and have fish and chips, or walk in the Dorset countryside. They share meals when we have friends round, to help improve their English. Work such as gardening, paving, woodwork or painting is typically a few hours a day during the week, leaving them time to come and go, explore England, meet their friends, or do whatever interests them most.

As Workaways, they sometimes bring valuable skills. Michael from New England ‘the staircase maestro’ built a splendid oak staircase in our cottage, and has built various spiral staircases around the world; he is currently in Peru. New Zealanders Tracy and Andy were delightful guests with plastering skills on a two-year world trip before returning to build their own home. Sara and Tracy brought excellent horticultural skills.

Thais and Rafael from Brazil were a lovely young couple, and even invited us to their wedding; they now have two children. Gala and Roman from Moscow stayed whilst their daughter attended an English language summer school in Devon, and as keen fans went to a Beatles convention in Liverpool; it was their best family holiday ever. Gala has since gone freelance with her photography. Memet was a marine architect from Turkey. Ashraf had excellent written English but needed to improve his spoken English, since he suffered from deafness; various friends helped him improve, not least Father Francis who gave him English lessons and organised a parish farewell party. Ashraf gained his English proficiency certificate before returning to the Maldives.

From Spain, Marcos (27) with two degrees in estate management and forestry, earned real money for the first time in his life doing bits of gardening for our various friends; he was so thrilled.

He said: “Definitely this experience has been really enriching for me and I hope it will help me in my future career but mainly as a person, that is the most important for me.”

Another Spaniard (36) had a dozen friends, all unemployed, none of whom can afford to start a family. Across the Euro currency countries of southern Europe, long term youth unemployment is around 35%. Workaway provides each one of them with broader horizons and memorable experiences.

Once this pandemic is over, get onto the website workaway.net and either get travelling, or start hosting. Either way, you’ll never regret it.

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