The CSV EVS Active Citizens and Social Inclusion Project 2014 will bring together a number of organisations from the UK, Albania, Austria and Germany who have many years experience of EVS projects. The organisations will work together through strong partnerships to devise a wide range of high quality, meaningful, face to face volunteering opportunities which will address real social needs in society and communities in the UK. The project will be based in a diverse range of geographical locations across Scotland, Wales and England, including Essex, Norfolk, North Lanarkshire and Torfaen. The project will work with children and young people who are socially isolated, people with learning, physical and sensory disabilities, older people and people with mental health issues. The objectives of the project are: • To enable everyone involved in the project, volunteers, beneficiaries, organisations and project staff, to learn and benefit through the experience • To enable people to gain skills, knowledge and experience, improving their chances of gaining employment or accessing educational opportunities • To promote social inclusion • To enable people to live active independent lifestyles and to take an active part in their communities • To improve the health, well-being and quality of life of individuals • To raise individuals’ levels of attainment and achievement and help them achieve their full potential • To improve the communities in which the projects operate • To promote cultural diversity and make people aware of different countries and cultures The project will involve 10 volunteers from Albania, Austria and Germany, aged between 18 and 30. The volunteers will each volunteer for approximately 12 months. The activities with include: befriending and mentoring beneficiaries, talking, listening and building relationships, and providing support and companionship; supporting people to access social, leisure, sports, educational and outdoor activities to build their confidence and community integration such as going to leisure centres and cinemas, swimming, walking, bowling, eating out and attending education classes; supporting group activities such as luncheon clubs, health and fitness groups, arts and crafts groups and knitting circles; supporting people to investigate their own volunteering opportunities and to volunteer themselves at a community projects such as at charity shops, nurseries, community cafés, animal sanctuaries, environmental projects or gardening projects; supporting people to gain new skills through training sessions in life skills, basic skills, budgeting and travel; supporting people to set up and run their own groups such as steering groups, newsletter groups and new media groups; assisting people to access public transport to get to opportunities, community facilities, shopping and appointments; and identifying new opportunities and interests to suggest to the beneficiaries. The project will be run through the partners working together to recruit volunteers, organise intercultural seminars to select volunteers, develop well planned volunteering opportunities, and supporting activities through a system of volunteer and project partner reviews. This will all be coordinated through CSV’s International Team hub. It is expected that the project will deliver considerable impact on all volunteers, partners and beneficiaries and promote active citizenship and social inclusion. The volunteers will have an intercultural experience, learn about the beneficiaries they will volunteer with, improve competences and gain new skills, knowledge and experience, have improved personal development, be more aware of European affairs and be better prepared for the world of work or study, preventing future youth unemployment. The Receiving Organisations will benefit from the added value that the volunteers will bring to their work including cultural diversity, different experiences and perspectives, new ideas, and new interests and skills, enabling them to diversify the activities they undertake with beneficiaries and communities. The Sending Organisations will meet their objectives of sending volunteers to a different country to have intercultural experiences. The beneficiaries will become more socially included and more active citizens through taking an active part in their communities and accessing social, leisure, educational and outdoor activities. CSV will meet our objectives to promote volunteering in an international context, promote and increase the cultural diversity of our volunteers and provide opportunities for cultural exchanges between our volunteers and our project partner organisations It is hoped that the project will leave a sustainable legacy to the volunteers, beneficiaries and communities, through the activities continuing after the project and being developed through other Erasmus+/EVS projects and volunteers in the future.