A Place to be Real Together

Short Term Core

How To Apply

First, read the job description. Do you think this role might suit you?

Email us at recruitment@othona-bb.org.uk. Please use 'Short Term Core' as the subject.

We'll email you a short introductory recruitment form and outline the next steps.

This will usually involve a preliminary visit (unless you've stayed with us in the last two years), a full application form, a few days volunteering with us, and an interview.

Unless otherwise stated, there is no closing date for applications. They are usually considered on a first come first served basis.

Short Term Core

As a short term core member you assist colleagues in a wide range of tasks, which may change over time. So your motivation and flexibility are likely to be more important than a particular skill set. Your overall aim will be to help create the accepting and efficient setting within which visitors can best experience an authentic taste of community.
 
You will probably find you are given specific jobs on a regular basis relating to the responsibilities of the Caterer and/or the Housekeeper. For instance, you may be asked to be a regular kitchen assistant, or to operate our laundry.
 
Those who have enjoyed serving as short term core members include gap year students and early retired people, newcomers to Othona and long-established regular visitors, UK citizens and people from as far away as New Zealand and South Africa.
 
Short term core members usually stay with us between 3 months and 2 years. They receive full board and lodging (and council tax paid) and £2,492 a year, often rising to £4,090 after some months' experience. You can expect two days off a week (on a variable rota) and 28 days annual leave allowance (pro rata).

All Core Members

The following are all essential to the running of the centre and will be carried out by a combination of long and short term core members and local volunteers. They offer variety and sometimes the opportunity to use (or develop) special skills or pursue a personal interest.

Common Tasks

The following tasks are shared between core members, often on a rota basis:
  • cooking
  • contributing to chapel gatherings (with support/training as appropriate)
  • cleaning
  • hosting (event liaison with facilitators and visitors)
  • dealing with rubbish and recycling

Certain tasks are usually allotted to core members for a period of time and then sometimes swapped. They allow you to pursue an area of interest in addition to your lead role. For example:
  • librarian
  • art room management
  • care of chapel and worship resources

The core members are at the heart of this Othona centre. They need to be committed to the work of the community, its ethos and values. Core members work actively to live these out in their everyday life, and to further them. The competences below provide good examples of what this means in practice. The programme explains what Othona is about. Our policy statements show how Othona seeks to realise these values in the way it manages people, its policies of equal opportunities and the green policies for house and grounds, and in its open Christianity.

The heart of Othona is people – core colleagues, visitors and all those who we interact with. People come because they know they will be welcomed, accepted and valued for who they are. Our role is not to be therapists or counsellors, but we do need to be interested in people and willing to listen and share. We also need to be aware of our own responses and feelings, and especially of the impact of our own behaviour on other people.

Othona core members live and work together, and are hosts to an ever-changing number of visitors. Core members have to be flexible, able to adapt to varied and changing circumstances and people.

The main purpose of Othona is to provide visitors with a taste of life in community. The core members need to be able to live and work together co-operatively, and provide support (and challenge). This is important not only to carry out our work but equally so we can enjoy our life together, relax and have fun.

Othona West Dorset offers an experience of Christian community of a very open sort – rooted in the Christian heritage, open to the widening future. This is an approach to spirituality where you may experience the fellowship of the spirit in everyday life. Although core members do not have to be Christian, and may be of any faith tradition or none, we expect that they will respect the importance of the Christian tradition and the values that are at the heart of Othona. They adopt a 'Rule of Life' as a framework for shared life, and participate actively in the spiritual aspects of community life including chapel services.

 

Tony Jaques, after 20 years' experience, shares about the personal qualities that core members need in Living and Working at Othona – Is it For You?