COVID-19
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The Autumn is with us and Winter is looming and, Covid-19 has not gone away! Just as we had a responsibility to protect ourselves and everyone else at the start of the pandemic, so now we have a responsibility to keep going forward, to learn to live with it. The safety of our volunteers and the communities that we work within are of paramount importance to us.
The AWdF re-opened its projects to volunteers and funded work experience placements at the start of July and has now all but completed its programme for the current academic year. We are now planning for our 2020-2021 programmes, starting from September. |
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COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
We operate our accommodation out of five houses/ apartments comprising between them seven bedrooms each with three bunkbeds and each with its own bathroom and toilet. We accept volunteers in ‘bubbles’ of between 2-6 people to share these bedrooms. They have to operate within their bubbles for the first week at least of any stay with us. Beyond two weeks we allow bubbles to merge to free up more temporary space.
All of our volunteers are given a personal private airport transfer from the airport directly to the project. They are driven in a project vehicle by a trusted member of staff and have to have their temperature taken before they enter the vehicle, be wearing a mask and are provided with hand sanitiser. Only AWdF volunteers and members of staff are allowed in the vehicle, which is disinfected daily and after airport trips.
All of our volunteers are given a personal private airport transfer from the airport directly to the project. They are driven in a project vehicle by a trusted member of staff and have to have their temperature taken before they enter the vehicle, be wearing a mask and are provided with hand sanitiser. Only AWdF volunteers and members of staff are allowed in the vehicle, which is disinfected daily and after airport trips.
All elements of our programmes have been adapted to be Covid-19 secure
activities
Horse riding, trekking, surfing, paragliding, kayaking, wind and kite surfing are all delivered by professional, qualified and insured local providers with whom we have a long relationship and complete trust. Familiarisation trips around the island are conducted in our own transport.
work
We offer a number of work options and students/ volunteers can mix and chose as they wish
Cetaceans
We rent small research vessels exclusively for AWdF volunteers to conduct our marine based research programme and we have also developed a land based research project using telescopes/binoculars to monitor cetacean behaviour and the impact of marine traffic, including our own rib. This gives our volunteers an intimate interaction with the whales and dolphins and great exposure to a number of important research methods- photo identification, telescope, theodolite, hydrophones….
Education
We are developing a range of experiential learning workshops, aiming to approach education from a creative standpoint and encouraging students to be more self aware, to become global citizens and to be the change we all want to see in the world. These workshops will cover a range of global issues that are not usually covered in schools and are designed to be carried out in the UK and Tenerife, initially, and then across the globe. ‘Show me and I forget, teach me and I might remember, let me do and I will learn.’ These workshops will be available through our website and on the TES educational resource site. They are developed as part of our work experience programme
Eco Tourism
We have developed a model through which volunteers/ students can select an activity, (currently students are working on Surfing, Trekking, Veggie Cookery, Photography, Sensory Garden and Eco Farm tourism projects) They have to examine current offerings on the island and make a detailed analysis of the international tourist market for such activities. The outcome has to be a report to be presented to the activity provider detailing how they could improve their product offering and suggesting a detailed route to market and pricing strategy. The aim is to incorporate all improved businesses on to our eco-tourism website www.truefairecotourism.com
Film Making & Photography
We are encouraging creative students to develop their film making and photographic skills. We can supply equipment and mentoring expertise and priority exposure at our London Eco Film Festival (TheLEFF).
Eco Farms
We are working on eco-farms and are developing our own tree and plant nurseries with a view to cooperating with local educational groups in our Art & Nature programme. We supply all materials and volunteers/ work experience students gain supervised experience.
Animal Rescue
We work with animal rescue centres primarily socialising the often distressed rescued animals but with the option to do more veterinary or educational work if of interest.
Cetaceans
We rent small research vessels exclusively for AWdF volunteers to conduct our marine based research programme and we have also developed a land based research project using telescopes/binoculars to monitor cetacean behaviour and the impact of marine traffic, including our own rib. This gives our volunteers an intimate interaction with the whales and dolphins and great exposure to a number of important research methods- photo identification, telescope, theodolite, hydrophones….
Education
We are developing a range of experiential learning workshops, aiming to approach education from a creative standpoint and encouraging students to be more self aware, to become global citizens and to be the change we all want to see in the world. These workshops will cover a range of global issues that are not usually covered in schools and are designed to be carried out in the UK and Tenerife, initially, and then across the globe. ‘Show me and I forget, teach me and I might remember, let me do and I will learn.’ These workshops will be available through our website and on the TES educational resource site. They are developed as part of our work experience programme
Eco Tourism
We have developed a model through which volunteers/ students can select an activity, (currently students are working on Surfing, Trekking, Veggie Cookery, Photography, Sensory Garden and Eco Farm tourism projects) They have to examine current offerings on the island and make a detailed analysis of the international tourist market for such activities. The outcome has to be a report to be presented to the activity provider detailing how they could improve their product offering and suggesting a detailed route to market and pricing strategy. The aim is to incorporate all improved businesses on to our eco-tourism website www.truefairecotourism.com
Film Making & Photography
We are encouraging creative students to develop their film making and photographic skills. We can supply equipment and mentoring expertise and priority exposure at our London Eco Film Festival (TheLEFF).
Eco Farms
We are working on eco-farms and are developing our own tree and plant nurseries with a view to cooperating with local educational groups in our Art & Nature programme. We supply all materials and volunteers/ work experience students gain supervised experience.
Animal Rescue
We work with animal rescue centres primarily socialising the often distressed rescued animals but with the option to do more veterinary or educational work if of interest.
Workshops
Throughout our volunteer placements we run a variety of interactive workshops, aiming to inform volunteers on the importance of becoming a global citizen. These workshops include; vegan cookery, beach cleans, creative/craft, plastic recycling and re-purposing, zero waste living, storytelling and breaking borders workshops that aim to address problems of discrimination around the globe.
project work
In addition to work and activities, the third element of our programme is in facilitating volunteers/ students in developing their own, personal contribution in pursuance of personal interests or career goals. We have created a number of creative spaces for Covid 19 friendly use and have WIFI throughout the complex.
ALL transport logistics are provided internally to avoid the use of public transport.
We also have a specialist coordinator whose role it is to help students/volunteers project manage their own project.
We use, and recommend, specialist insurance that covers the eventuality of the Foreign Office advising against travel.
ALL transport logistics are provided internally to avoid the use of public transport.
We also have a specialist coordinator whose role it is to help students/volunteers project manage their own project.
We use, and recommend, specialist insurance that covers the eventuality of the Foreign Office advising against travel.
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