EcoDecor - Gathering Support

Team volunteering opportunity in Manas Garden

Dates: 04.08.2025 (arrival) - 26.08.2025 (departure)

Location:   Etyek and Lengyeltóti, Hungary

Organiser: Szatyor Association in cooperation with the Gyüttment community and GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) and Manas Garden

PROGRAM

August 4, 2025 

Arrival in Etyek and 3-4 days of team-building activities (getting to know each other, team-building, preparation work)

After a few days 

Travel to Manas Garden, Lengyeltóti – together with the team, we will explore the area and join the preparation work

August 14-17, 2025

GEN Gathering – supporting the festival’s realization, assisting with tasks, participation in workshops

August 21-24, 2025

Gyüttment Festival – similar activities, free exploration, and experiences

August 25-26, 2025

Closing and Departure – final reflection, farewells, and sharing the experiences gained during the camp

THE VENUE

Our first venue will be the Szatyor Community House in Etyek.  The next stop is going to be the beautiful Manas Garden in Lengyeltóti, Hungary. This ecological community space focuses on sustainability, permaculture, and self-sufficient living. It provides a perfect setting for volunteers to immerse themselves in nature, work on eco-friendly projects, and participate in workshops and community events. The garden combines local plants, sustainable farming practices, and a sense of community, offering a unique opportunity to learn and contribute to a more eco-conscious lifestyle. As a volunteer, you'll experience firsthand how nature and conscious community living come together in a beautiful, supportive environment.

ABOUT THE GATHERINGS

The European Ecovillage Gathering 2025 will celebrate 30 years of Ecovillage impact under the theme Tending the Roots. This annual event brings together people from around the world to explore community living and sustainable practices. Attendees will have the chance to meet ecovillagers, learn tools for community development, and discover ways to regenerate socially, economically, culturally, and ecologically.   Set in Hungary, this year's gathering honors the 30th anniversary of the Global Ecovillage Network and 20 years of Gaia Education. The event will blend ancient traditions with modern sustainable living practices, offering a transformative space for growth and connection. 

 

 

The Gyüttment Festival celebrates rural life, sustainability, and community. It brings together people passionate about eco-conscious living, farming, and rural development. The festival offers workshops, talks, and experiences, focusing on how to live in harmony with nature and embrace a simpler, more meaningful lifestyle. This year marks its 10th anniversary, featuring over 100 programs that explore sustainable living, knowledge sharing, and community building. It’s a space to learn, connect, and share experiences with like-minded individuals.

FOR WHOM

We are seeking open-minded, creative, and enthusiastic volunteers who enjoy working together and consider sustainability, community life, and collaboration to be their core values. If you are skilled at designing and creating visual decorations, or if you are eager to learn new skills, this is the place for you!

WHO CAN APPLY:

  • Young people (18-30)

  • Legal residents of Europe

  • With curiosity and enthusiasm to learn about eco-construction

  • Willing to get your hands dirty and open to a communal experience and supporting festivals.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

  • The opportunity to be part of an inspiring community, working towards a more sustainable and beautiful future.
  • Experiences and new friendships while creating unique projects.
  • The chance to participate in the Global Ecovillage and Gyüttment Festivals, gaining personal experiences.

PRACTICALITIES

  • Pocket money: You will receive 7 EUR/day as pocket money to cover daily expenses.
  • 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.
  • Travel reimbursement: Your travel costs will be reimbursed by the 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.
  • Bank account: You must have a European bank account with an IBAN number to allow Szatyor 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.

THE VENUE IN Etyek

  • 4 rooms (big and small) with bunk beds
  • 5 showers and toilets
  • Electricity and Wi-Fi
  • One educational garden with raised plant beds, compost piles and a fireplace
  • An outside roofed area with a kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Pharmacy and supermarket in the vicinity
  • You will live in 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 (who will live across the yard) and Erasmus+ participants. It features:
  • In Etyek, we will prepare the food ourselves. 

THE VENUE in Manas Garden - Lengyeltóti:

  • You will be sleeping in tents - bring a tent and sleeping bag. 
  • There is a large communal shower and bathroom building at your disposal with warm running water.
  • Washing machines will be provided.*
  • The weather is usually comfortable, and warm. Prepare your clothing (that you don1t mind gettin dirty) for a variety of temperatures ranging anywhere between 10°C to 30+°C
  • We don’t have public WiFi, so please prepare with your own data! 
  • At the festival venue, meals will be provided.

Departure: 

  • On the 26th of August.

What to bring:

  • Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat
  • Your own towels and toiletry items
  • Your own mug, knife, water bottle
  • Necessary personal items
  • Sunscreen and sunglasses
  • One pair of thicker clothes – it will be summer, but there might be rain or colder evenings
  • Headlamp
  • Preferably natural soaps and shower gels
  • Swimming suit
  • Musical instrument (optional)
  • Blue EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC) , masks
  • Special medication, documents, if you might need them