There are many entities that work at a national level in European volunteering projects, but sometimes, in the day-to-day tasks, you forget the existence of such a wide network of colleagues in the sector. That is why, for a few years now, institutions have promoted meetings that can facilitate cooperation and the network among the entities.
From November 21 to 24, the III Annual Meeting of Entities with experience in European volunteering took place in Vitoria (both European Volunteering Service – SVE, as well as the new European Solidarity Corps program), organized by the Spanish National Agency (ANE for its name in Spanish).
During the meeting, 25 representatives of entities from all the autonomous communities were able to meet and share their experiences. The main thread of this meeting was sharing good practices related to the entire volunteer process – previous preparations, monitoring, evaluation, and diffusion, etc. Thus, and with the help of the others, we learned how to improve our own projects.
Furthermore, we continued developing the document of proposals for the ANE in a joint and participative way, in order to offer not only complaints but also possible solutions to the problems encountered by the entities. We were also able to ask about the new program, directly to the representative of the ANE, and share among the group the strategies for the future.
The annual event is a unique moment to talk about our work with colleagues with whom we share situations, experiences, and frustrations, and to do it in a new environment, with informal spaces where to enjoy the company.