Be a volunteer! Inclusive volunteering as tool for social inclusion and skill development
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Be a Volunteer! project aims to develop and strengthen the skills of young people (aged 16-30) with disabilities, enhancing their employability and active social participation, through inclusive volunteering activities.
The project will utilise non-formal educational methods for the training of young individuals, with an emphasis on experiential learning. Throughout the project, skill-building programs will be designed and used to support volunteering coordinators and people with disabilities to participate in inclusive volunteering activities.
The main target groups are young persons with disabilities, aged between 16 and 30; civil organisations and professionals working with young people with disabilities; broader societal segments interested in promoting inclusivity and equality for individuals with disabilities.
To achieve its objectives the Be a Volunteer! project will:
- Gather best practices in training as learning activities - The project aims to create a Competency and Skills Matrix, which involves researching inclusive volunteering and identifying desired skills for both volunteers and volunteer coordinators. Additionally, it will produce a Handbook of Best Practices featuring five exemplary practices from each participating country.
- Organise a Blended Mobility – Involves a 5-day workshop where 5 participants from each country, comprising 3 young individuals with disabilities and 2 professionals, convene. During this workshop, they will receive training based on the findings from the Competency and Skills Matrix and the Handbook of Best Practices. This training precedes their engagement in volunteering activities.
- Produce a practical toolkit (“Know-how”) on Comptency and skill-enhancing training for young people with disabilities (age 16-30) and coordinators of volunteering activities. The toolkit will be developed as a result of the Blended Mobility workshops.
- Coordinate volunteer initiatives – Inclusive volunteering will involve 50 participants with disabilities and 10 assisting professionals from five countries. This initiative spans nine months, with each volunteer committing to 120 hours of service.
First meeting
The five project partners- from Hungary (Nem Adom Fel Alapítvány), North Macedonia (Ischekoropstestvo za site Valandovo), Italy (Associazione Diversamente Onlus), Spain (Federacion Provincial de Asociaciones de Personas con Discapacidad Fisica y Organica de Sevilla), Belguim (European Association for Service providers for Persons with Disabilities) and Bulgaria (VVI Foundation) had their first meeting in Budapest in March 2024, where they discussed hopes, vision and next steps.
Next meeting will be in Sofia (July 15th – July 17th , 2024), where Values, Virtues, Integrity Foundation will facilitate the competences and skills development training. Stay tuned!
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Competence and skills Development training in Sofia, Bulgaria 15-17 July 2024
The Competence and Skills Development training brought together 35 participants- young people with disabilities, youth workers, and non-disabled young people from Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Italy, and Spain. The three-day event, held at the Astoria Grand Hotel in Sofia, aimed to develop the competences and skills of young people with disabilities through volunteering.
The activity was designed to provide a unique space for participants to test innovative tools and methods, focusing on non-formal education and experiential learning. The program was packed with engaging activities, including interactive games, group building exercises, and a shadow theatre workshop. Participants also had the opportunity to design and implement their own volunteering activity in the heart of Sofia. During the volunteering action they cleaned a park, painted and danced Flamenco with locals and promoted the Erasmus+ program and its opportunities for young people.
The event was a great success, with participants reporting feelings of empowerment and motivation to engage in more volunteering activities in the future. They also made new international friendships and developed valuable soft skills. As a tangible outcome of their participation, all participants received a Youthpass certificate, recognizing their learning outcomes.
Our project will continue with a training event in Sardinia, Italy, taking place in early October 2024. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to get involved!
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