First Stakeholder Meeting Held in Kielce
The first stakeholder meeting of the YESVolunteer project in Poland was hosted by Kielce City Hall at their premises in Kielce, on August 24, 2024.
The event was attended by Bartłomiej Zapała, Deputy Mayor of Kielce, as well as representatives from several non-governmental organisations involved in volunteering, including:
- Regional Volunteer Center in Kielce
- Creativity Works Europe Association
- Association for Activity Cooperation Development
- Caritas of the Kielce Diocese
- FIRE Foundation
The meeting aimed to introduce participants to the project and its objectives, identify the needs of organisations involved in volunteering, and facilitate networking among attendees. The organisations highlighted the need to develop a Volunteering Development Strategy for the city of Kielce. Key proposals included:
- Appointing a dedicated coordinator to oversee the volunteering process
- Developing innovative tools to support youth engagement in volunteering
- Creating a centralized city portal to consolidate information about volunteering opportunities
- Seeking inspiration and best practices from other European countries
A crucial focus of the discussions was on enhancing the competencies of youth workers, enabling them to work more effectively with volunteers.
Additionally, the conversation centered on strategies to increase young people's involvement in volunteering, which included:
- Designing more attractive and diverse volunteering opportunities.
- Fostering long-term relationships with youth through mentoring, ambassador programmes, and workshops.
- Actively engaging young people in the decision-making processes of organisations to ensure their perspectives are valued.
This meeting served as a vital platform for stakeholders to collaborate and address the future of volunteering in Kielce. Moving forward, it will be essential for the organisations to work together, implement the proposed initiatives, and continuously evaluate their impact on the community.