Would you like to live and learn in a vibrant countryside community, supporting adults with disabilities while gaining hands-on experience in workshops and care? Volunteer at Tapola Camphill Village Community, where you can immerse yourself in community life and build meaningful friendships!
- Volunteering period: 18.8.2026–17.8.2027 (12 months)
- Positions available: 3
- Location: Niinikoski, Finland
- Apply at the latest: 8 March 2026
About Tapola Camphill Village Community
Tapola Camphill Village Community is a vibrant living and working community for adults with disabilities. Tapola is a private social service provider. Our task is to maintain and improve our residents’ well-being. We offer both 24-hour assisted living and supported housing. We have 50 residents and all together we are about 100 people, including co-workers and volunteers.
Tapola consists of:
- three homes for our residents
- an outdoor Workshop (working in the forests, making firewood, shoveling snow, and mowing the lawn)
- a garden and herb workshop (taking care of plants and harvesting and making products such as tea and herbal mixtures)
- an art workshop (crafts, art, and music)
- a small village shop where we sell our workshop products
In Tapola, we have a rich cultural life with different festivals and activities. Our aims and values are the well-being of all residents, enabling an individual life, supporting self-determination, and developing a balanced work and community life. In our community, everyone is special and deserves acceptance, respect, and meaningful experiences. In addition, we are very aware of the surrounding environment and take care of nature.
Location
Tapola is a countryside community located in Niinikoski village, Southern Finland. We are 10 km away from the nearest town of Orimattila, 30 km from Lahti, and 100 km from the capital city of Helsinki. Orimattila has around 16,000 inhabitants. The public transportation from Tapola to Orimattila is limited, but from Orimattila the bus and train connections are good. We have bicycles for volunteers. In addition, the volunteers with a driver’s license have the opportunity to use Tapola’s cars when paying the fuel costs.
What will you do?
Every year, we welcome 3-6 volunteers from all over the world to become integrated into all aspects of life in Tapola. We have four decades of experience in voluntary work, and everyone is happy about new people who become new friends and are, in the end, like family members. We collaborate with international organizations that provide seminars and training for volunteers who join our community.
As a volunteer, you will become part of the Tapola Community. You will provide support and build friendships with the residents. Volunteers support, together with the co-workers, the well-being of the residents. Each volunteer participates in one of our workshops to assist the residents. Training is implemented through work, and more responsibility is given to each volunteer as they show themselves ready for new challenges. Everything is about doing things together and supporting each other, not seeing the residents as only care recipients.
Volunteers are responsible for a variety of tasks, such as participating in our workshops and organizing cultural and free time activities. A typical day consists of
- common meals
- morning and afternoon workshops
- cultural and social activities
- house chores activities throughout the day and in the evening
The weekends are more relaxed. The volunteers are involved in social and leisure activities depending on what the residents want to do.
Who we’re looking for
Essential:
- willingness to adapt and enthusiasm to learn
- motivation to learn Finnish and get familiar with the residents, community life, and Finnish culture
- motivation to live in a countryside community and approach each person with respect for their individuality
- no specific previous experience required
We appreciate these skills:
- ability to take care of others
- basic knowledge of housework, such as cleaning and cooking
Tapola offers opportunities where the volunteers are free to create something new and bring in their own skills and abilities (music, sports, hobby groups, and events).
Practical arrangements
- Accommodation: The volunteers live in the Tapola area in the Väinälä-house. Everyone has their own room; other facilities are shared. The necessities for living are provided. Living in the community is a great opportunity to learn about others and yourself. All the houses and workshops are within walking distance of each other. Ten kilometers away is Tapola’s lakeside cabin, which can be used together or, if available, also with friends and families during the summer months.
- Food: In Tapola, we prepare wholesome homemade food in our common kitchen. Our cooks prepare all meals of the day for the entire community, and the food is delivered to each house. We follow a six-week rotating menu and serve healthy, basic home-style food. Vegetarian and lactose-free options are available. For special allergies or diets, a medical certificate is required.
- Free time:
- Two days off per week.
- Two vacation days per month. It is important to regularly take a rest and gather new strength for this rewarding but also difficult task. A volunteer can gather holiday days for longer periods. We encourage you to explore Finland, its beautiful nature and interesting history. Guests are welcomed into the community but we hope for discretion while being around the residents.
Training during the volunteering period
The volunteers will have an on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp organized by the Finnish National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps. In addition, they will be invited to the on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp of the coordinating organisation Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland.
To help fit into the community and Finnish culture, Tapola offers the volunteers regular mentor meetings and Finnish lessons in small groups. The volunteers will also get access to the Online Language Support (OLS) tool of the European Solidarity Corps to help them learn Finnish.
Accessibility
Unfortunately, the physical environment of the workplace is not suitable for volunteers with physical or sensory disabilities, and the staff does not have the resources to support them.
If you need additional support due to a long-term illness or other reason and would like to discuss if volunteering at Tapola could suit you, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information via Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. We’ll be happy to tell you more!
We are happy about every volunteer encounter over the years. For further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Activity topics
Disabilities, well-being, inclusion, agriculture
How to apply?
Further information
- If you wish to ask something, please, see answers to frequently asked questions and European Solidarity Corps program page.
- If you don’t find an answer to your question, please contact us at Maailmanvaihto at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. Do not contact the voluntary workplace directly.
- Please note that you can only apply for the open position by following the application instructions linked above.