"Connecting Communities" will provide a long-term project that supports 4 EVS volunteers to intergrate in the Sheffield community through regular engagement activities, and that work in partnership with local organisations and groups to develop a meaningful and sustainable EVS programme. Bringing together EVS accredited partners from the UK, France, Italy, Romania and Turkey. With is project, we are keen to develop and improve on our previous EVS project conducted between April - October 2016 - as a 6 month programme, we felt that a longer programme of 11 months would enable a greater level of intergration and provide an increased timeframe for the volunteers to develop sufficiently in confidence to be able to start working on their own initiative and organise their own activities, as well as having time to reflect and improve. Local context:Sheffield is a polarised city, with many neighbourhoods in the 5% most deprived in the country (www.sheffield.gov.uk). There are increasing mental and emotional health needs in young people and women in Sheffield, matching national trends and linked strongly with deprivation and health inequality....The city also needs to ensure older people get the services they need, and that young people, black & minority ethnic people and women are more able to access better quality employment (State of Sheffield report, 2016). EVS Volunteers will work within this context and create through their own interests, skills and competences, activities and events that respond to the local needs of the community. Objectives of the project:1. To provide a fantastic learning programme for 4 EVS Volunteers for 11 months, to support them to intergrate into life in the UK and support them to develop skills in community development.2. To develop a programme of EVS-led activities that engage the diverse local communities of Sheffield, including intercultural and intergenerational activities, to bring communities closer together3. To increase YDV's network and reputation as a quality EVS Coordinator and to promote EVS opportunities within and outside the UK. Locally we will engage with a wide range of local residents to our office in Sharrow, working with the participants to create an accessible and varied programme of community activities and events addressing a range of social needs including social isolation, anti-social behaviour and health and well-being. By the end of the project we hope to have created strong links with the local community, who actively engage in the building as a hub of activity and a place that can make a difference in the area. Regionally and nationally we hope to increase the reach of Youth Discovery Ventures and get our name known for delivering exciting, impactful, intercultural experiences for young people. The EVS Volunteers will support us to increase our support and reach for EVS Sending and we hope to organise events to promote EVS in the UK and increase the reach of YDV across England.