Spring to Build | ESC Volunteering Team in Gardie, France (Fully Funded)

An open call for 16 volunteers from the European Union countries, including France, to join the ESC Volunteering Team "Spring to Build", which takes place in Gardie, South of France, from the 20th of April to the 17th of May 2026. This volunteering project is organised by "IDC - INITIATIVE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT CIToyen" and funded by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union.

About the Volunteering Project

"Spring to Build" is an ESC Volunteering team for young people aged between 18 and 30 years. For four weeks, a group of young volunteers will come together to help develop a real eco-place that is slowly growing year after year. Every team contributes to shaping the place: gardens, infrastructures, living spaces, and shared areas. What you build, plant, or repair will remain after you leave and will be used by future volunteers and visitors. This is a foundational phase of the project. 

Spending your days outdoors, building gardens, planting trees, creating community spaces, and sharing meals with people from all over Europe. Spring to Build is not just a volunteering project. It is a collective moment of creation.

This project involves physical outdoor work and a simple lifestyle. It is ideal for people who enjoy nature, teamwork, and practical activities.

Main Activities

The project takes place in Gardie, a small village in the South of France, surrounded by hills, vineyards, and Mediterranean landscapes. Our eco-place is under development. Each volunteer team contributes to shaping:

• Living spaces
• Garden structures
• Animal areas
• Water systems
• Community infrastructure

By the end of the four weeks, you will clearly see the transformation you helped create. Volunteers will learn and experience how to live with all the basic things we need, and enjoy the personal connections. So expect a camping lifestyle and minimum use of resources. 

Eligibility | Who can apply?

IDC is looking for 16 volunteers aged between 18 1nd 30 from all over the European Union countries, who want to have a new life experience, with lots of challenges and learning! For those who:

- Feel the need to disconnect from noise

- Want to build something meaningful

- Are not afraid of physical work

- Are curious about ecological living

- Are ready to step outside comfort zones

- Volunteers should be open-minded, responsible, adaptable, environmentally aware, work team, desire to get out of their comfort zone, desire for new experiences and encounters, personal development, tolerance, and reciprocity.

- Nature lovers, flexible, resilient, open to live, share, and work in a team! Any experience with tools, carpentry, gardening, or permaculture will be great, but it’s not mandatory.

- The most important thing is the motivation to come, work in a team, and help in this transition to build together the new place. If you have talent/skills in social media and content creation of content, and you would like to share it during the project, let the organisers know.

Practical Conditions

The project covers the costs of accommodation, food, materials, insurance, and travel expenses, thanks to the fund from the European Solidarity Corps.

- Volunteers will live in shared rooms in a mobile home or in a caravan, in Gardie. Individual tents might be provided in case the volunteer needs more privacy.

- The toilets and showers are shared by the whole team.

- The cleaning of the common spaces is done by all volunteers, but each volunteer has the responsibility to clean and keep their mobile home or accommodation tidy.

- Every day, a group will be in charge of cooking for the whole team and cleaning the kitchen. The meals for lunch and dinner are shared with the whole group at the same time. Breakfast is free service!

Expenses and Benefits

- Accommodation and food are provided by the host organisation

- Each volunteer is entitled to receive a pocket money of 240 euros (for the 28 days + 2 days of travelling).

- Each volunteer will be provided with health insurance from Henner.

- International travel costs from your country of residence to Gardie, France and back will be covered by the programme according to the ESC rules as follows:

• from 10 – 99 km - 56 EUR (Green Travel)/ 28 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• from 100 – 499 km - 285 EUR (Green Travel)/ 211 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• from 500 – 1999 km - 417 EUR (Green Travel)/ 309 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• from 2000 – 2999 km - 395 EUR (Green Travel)/ 535 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• from 3000 – 3999 km - 785 EUR (Green Travel)/ 580 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• from 4000 – 7999 km is 1188 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
• Calculate your budget from HERE

IMPORTANT: 

• Keep all your travel documents and tickets for reimbursement. No documents = No reimbursement!

• For the trip, if you take green transportation, you can have more budget and more financed days of travelling (up to 6 days for the round-trip).
  

• Please email your travel proposal to the organisers and wait for their confirmation before purchasing your tickets!

- Participants are entitled to receive a YouthPass certificate after the project, where you are expected to self-assess your own learning, and you can add it to your CV. 

- Volunteers will gain experience in a minimalist lifestyle close to nature with young people from other countries.

- Volunteers will develop manual skills and empowerment to create oneself (autonomy!).

- You will have diverse experiences and participate in activities around sustainable living and ecology.

- Improved skills and abilities to be more employable in the labour market.

- Be part of a community of agents of change (let's create a better world together!).

Timeline

Application deadline: 29 March 2026

Online meeting: 6 April 2026

Arrival day: 20 April 2026

Departure day: 17 May 2026

How to apply?

- If you want to be part of this volunteering project, send your CV and motivation statement to contact@lesjardiniersdelamobilite.fr (subject of the email: ESC - IDC - Spring to build!).

- It's recommended to apply and submit your application on the opportunity webpage on the European Youth Portal website from HERE

More Details

For more details about "Spring to Build - Volunteering team", check the info-pack from HERE 

Apply Now⇗

Opportunity Website⇗

By applying for this volunteering project, you take responsibility and risks. Inform yourself about the regulation and potential risks. "Opportunity 4U" cannot be held liable for any of the potential risks, and this post is only for informative and popularising purposes.