ABOUT THE PROJECT

Volunteering is a beautiful journey, but like all journeys, it comes to an end – or does it? This was the starting point of the project Mobility for Youth Workers: BEYOND MOBILITY – Expanding the Impacts of Volunteering, held in Idrija from 16 to 20 March 2026. The activity brought together youth workers with the common goal – to find innovative and sustainable ways to extend the learning journey and impact of volunteering beyond the mobility itself.

9 COUNTRIES, ONE SHARED QUESTION

In our building – an inspiring example of what volunteering can create – we gathered 14 participants from Slovenia, Norway, France, Poland, Armenia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Finland and Greece. All from different organisations, with different missions, approaches and fields of work. As the training started, we had a bit of time to get to know each other and what we do. Later on, we went through the volunteer life cycle, exploring each stage of it. We paid special attention to the exit phase, discussing how to support volunteers after their mobility ends and how to keep them connected with organisations. The discussion wrapped up in an engaging debate that focused on the question of making a structured exit phase a standard practice in volunteering, considering its potential advantages, obstacles, and impact on all involved.

FIELD TRIP TO LJUBLJANA

On Wednesday, we had a field trip to Ljubljana, which made for a slightly different kind of day. We visited Zavod Voluntariat and Filantropija, discovering other good practices in volunteer management and exploring opportunities for new partnerships and collaborations. We also saw that even at a higher organisational level, there is no single perfect recipe for expanding volunteer programs or scaling impact – each organisation approaches challenges in its own way.

TURNING THOUGHTS INTO PLANS

PRETVARJANJE MISLI V NAČRTE

In the last days, we focused on reflection – looking back at what we had learned, what insights resonated with us, and what we found most useful. We also did a brainstorming session with the aim to generate solutions and project ideas, which later on were developed into concrete plans ready for further development.

MAIN RESULTS OF THE TRAINING

• Participants gained a deeper understanding of the volunteer life cycle and the importance of supporting volunteers beyond the mobility period
• The training highlighted good practices and innovative approaches in volunteer management from different countries and organisations
• Special focus on the exit phase helped participants explore ways to maintain long-term connections with volunteers
• Networking, field visits, and discussions inspired new ideas, partnerships, and collaborative projects
• Brainstorming sessions enabled participants to develop concrete project plans and solutions for extending the impact of volunteering
• New partnerships

*This activity was funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the National Agency can be held responsible for them.