Voluntary Visits

Staying with us as a voluntary visitor

Part of a community

Kalpa Bhadra Kadampa Buddhist Centre is a small meditation centre in a big worldwide family founded by the internationally acclaimed meditation master and author Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. The mother centre is based in Ulverston, Cumbria and you’ll find centres and temples from bustling Hong Kong to the Grand Canyon; and from Brazil to South Africa. Each centre is different and together they all reflect the many peoples and cultures of our rich and varied world. What all these centres share in common is we are all members of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union.

What you get from volunteering

There are so many benefits from volunteering and working visits. Joining us for a working visit might provide you with opportunities to meet new people or take some time out of a busy life and reflect on your life’s purpose or meaning. You may want to drop into a meditation class, develop new skills or explore the surrounding beauty of North Wales. Whatever you choose, we’ll be here to support you and hear about your adventures and personal journey.

Llandudno is a beautiful seaside town on the North Wales coast. The meditation centre is a couple of minutes’ walk from the seafront, the town centre is a 15-20 minute walk away and the local area is renowned for its wildlife, hills, mountains and rugged beauty. The world-famous mountains of Snowdonia are about an hour’s drive away. There’s so much to do in the local area, we doubt you will ever be short of inspiration on how to spend your free time.

Voluntary visits

When you choose a voluntary visit you are helping us with jobs that help with the running of the meditation centre. These might be household jobs such as cooking, cleaning, gardening or maintenance jobs such as painting and decorating. If you have specific skills or experience such as building, carpentry or web/graphic design, you may be able to help with these skills too. Typically you will work 25 hours a week as a volunteer, usually 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. There’s an hour for lunch plus morning and afternoon breaks. The evenings and weekends are yours to enjoy.

The meditation centre will provide you with accommodation which will usually be in a shared room with others of the same sex. All bedding and linen are provided. The centre will provide you with meals or a food allowance. There’s also free tea, coffee and fast wi-fi throughout your stay. As a working visitor, you will also have free access to all our meditation classes and courses. Working visits are provisionally for a week with the possibility to extend your stay. Some voluntary visitors enjoy so much being a part of a Kadampa community they apply to become residents at the centre!

How to apply

Thank you for your interest in joining us for a working visit. We warmly welcome applications from everyone, irrespective of age, gender, sexuality or race. The best way to get started is to drop us an email at admin@meditatenorthwales.com. Please let us know a little about yourself and the dates you are interested. Please also include details of how we can get in contact for a short conversation. After this, if a working visit sounds like something you’ll enjoy, there’s also an application form to be completed.

Please note that the rules for working visitors are the same as for guests, as explained above.