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Supported Volunteering / Step by Step
With more than forty years’ experience of supporting people (mostly but
not only young people) to volunteer internationally, we know the huge potential
gains in terms of personal development that can be achieved. UNA Exchange believes
that opportunities to be challenged and to grow should be available to as many
people as possible. Our own activities in Wales mostly take place in
disadvantaged communities where young people are struggling to move forward, to
find employment and who face many difficulties in their everyday lives. We
would like to see more of the young people local to our own work taking part in
volunteering abroad as we believe it can help to address some of the issues
they are facing.
The Step by Step programme was created as a way of increasing the
participation in international volunteering of young people with fewer
opportunities. The programme is targeted towards anyone aged 18-25 and resident
in Wales who faces one or more of the following obstacles:
·
Disability
·
Educational
difficulties
·
Economic
obstacles
·
Cultural
differences
·
Health
problems
·
Social
obstacles
·
Geographical
obstacles
It is also
essential that Step by Step participants meet the following criteria:
·
Recommended
and supported by a local support worker (eg. youth worker)
·
Currently
involved in some form of volunteering/engagement;
·
Ready
for the experience and open to be challenged, to discover, to encounter and
deal with difficulties;
·
Able
to attend one of the (compulsory) Pre Departure Training dates (16 June, 14
July or 18 August) in Cardiff;
·
Able
to fundraise £150 towards participation (£100 of which must be passed on to UNA
Exchange before taking part).
Through the Step by Step programme we try to manage and reduce the
barriers that such young people might be facing by providing additional support
(ourselves and via the Local Partners), training and follow-up. And,
importantly, the programme is almost fully funded (travel, insurance, training
costs and a small personal allowance are all provided). We are able to cover
the costs of participation with the generous support of GwirVol (the Welsh
Government’s youth volunteering initiative) and the Erasmus+ programme.
The opportunities offered through our Step by Step programme are all run
by trusted and long-established partners of UNA Exchange in other countries.
They are existing projects/activities, into which Step by step volunteers are
invited and integrated; they are not treated differently to any other
volunteers, except that they are given more support to get there (practically
and personally). Most of the opportunities are for 2-3 weeks, but each year we
have a handful of two month projects on offer to those who have already
completed a shorter international project. We also offer two or three small
projects (youth exchanges) for groups of young people who are not yet
ready for an independent experience. Towards the end of 2015 we hope to have a
small winter/spring programme on offer, in addition to the mainstream summer
programme of volunteering.
For more information on the programme and activities offered please have
a look at the 2015
Programme and also check out the Frequently Asked Questions .
If you are a young person interested in the Step by Step programme,
please note that you will need to come to us via a local organisation with
which you are already involved.
If you are a local organisation and would like to talk about Step by
Step and a possible partnership, please contact [email protected] or call 029 2022 3088. We’d love to
hear from you!