In December I travelled, with my wife Jan, to Iona which is a small island off the west coast of Scotland. We had arranged to live and work in the Iona Community which is a Christian foundation started by George MacLeod, a Glasgow Clergyman, in 1938. The focal point of the Community on the island is Iona Abbey which has been restored and now offers the opportunity for visitors to live and work within the Community and engage in activities, chores and social events.

As volunteers both Jan and myself were assigned a work schedule. Jan worked in the kitchens helping to prepare the meals which started with breakfast through to midday lunch and finally finished with an evening meal. I worked as a housekeeper which meant doing general cleaning and assistance duties such as helping to prepare the main dinning hall for meals.

As we were based there over Christmas we were involved in preparing the Abbey for guests who would be staying within the Community at that time. This meant putting up various decorations within the different areas of the Abbey which added to the surroundings and created a mesmerising atmosphere.

The island itself is also a beautiful and peaceful place to spend time. The walks around the coastline are breathtaking and the sea has a clear turquoise colouring.

As there is only a small cluster of people (Less than 100 employed, volunteers and guests) within the Abbey you quickly get to know those with the Community. Jan and myself were sharing a house on the island with other volunteers. This was our base while we worked in the Abbey and had a communal area where we would meet and socialise. However, the main meeting time for all focussed around meal times where those employed within the Community, the volunteers and the guests all ate in the main hall.

From a personal perspective I was intrigued to observe how the Community engaged with technology. Many of the volunteers kept in contact with the outside world through the use of email which was accessible through a computer available within the shared house. Many, including myself, also used the Internet to upload the various photos that were taken while on Iona. Other computer access was available elsewhere throughout the Community. However, I would describe the use of technology as being discrete and certainly did not distract from the overall ethos of the way of life being promoted. If you would like to find out more about the Iona Community please visit www.iona.org.uk.