We kicked off this phase of the technical assistance with a webinar on 18 October that introduced participating organisations to Volonteurope´s  new website. The website, and specifically the new community platform is designed for online activities and interactions, and this platform will serve as community of practice, mutual learning, experience exchange and partnership creation. What´s more, platform and its facilities is aimed at creating a meeting space for other organisations consortia engaged in the EUAV programme in order to shape the initiative together.

The October 18 webinar facilitated by our developers, Somos Más, gave the participants’ their opportunity to interact with each other, play with and explore the different tools and functionalities that will be used in our future activities – starting with the trainings on the selected quality standards of EUAV. Additionally, during the session, EU Aid Volunteers Technical Assistance working group was created in real time, forming a base for the development of the next activities and providing a space for accessing materials on the EUAV Initiative.

This week, on the eve of the Volonteurope’s 25th Annual Conference, Apathy or Action: Young Europeans Take a Stand, the Technical Assistance consortium team gathered in Nantes to discuss project advances, future actions and opportunities for the network, as well as to present and discuss the project  with the Volonteurope´s Board and Annual General Meeting.

It´s also been an opportunity for consortium partners – HBAid and GVC – to join Volonteurope as full members, strengthening cooperation within the scope of the project as well as contributing to European-level advocacy relating to volunteering, active citizenship and social justice.

Please find below a testimony from HBAid:

On behalf of Hungarian Baptist Aid as a partner organisation of the Technical Assistance project we are in a special position to be given this opportunity learning and development, and expansion of our work. HBAID is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Throughout its operation volunteers have provided a wide range of support in the fields of humanitarian and spiritual assistance. These volunteering missions have varied from helping homeless people on the streets of Budapest during winter time   in our Streetfront Division, to providing professional support in a medical team working with marginalised groups in Hungary and abroad. These are some of the most important pillars of our work.

In our role as an implementing partner, under the leadership of Alianza por la Solidaridad and also partnering Volonteurope and GVC we have been provided with a unique opportunity to receive tailor- made technical assistance.  It has enabled us to upgrade our organisation to a different level, thus gaining the knowledge to become a certified sending organisation. Furthermore, as an implementing partner, we are also taking an active role in providing technical assistance to 17 organisations within the project.

By also joining the Volonteurope international network as a member we are expecting to explore and expand our volunteering activities domestically and on international level, establish new partnerships, and learn about new methods and sectors for expansion of our engagement in volunteering activities.

If you want to find out more, then please visit the EU Aid Volunteers page on the Volonteurope website, and become part of our community. Looking forward to seeing you there!

By Kasia Tusiewicz, Alianza por la Solidaridad