Duizenden bezoeken 'vrijwilligerspaviljoen' van Pools voorzitterschap (en)

The European Pavilion of Volunteering was the Polish touch to the European Year of Volunteering. The project tours the European Union state by state; Portugal, France, Austria, Greece, and Spain are among countries visited already. For the first two weeks of September, Poland was the country toured.

Every day from September 1 through 14, Varsavians could visit a special tent set up in the square in front of the Palace of Culture and Science to meet and talk to representatives of different organisations active in volunteering. A variety of forms and types of volunteering were presented, with something for everyone.

Every day, different institutions, companies, and non-governmental organisations presented their offer to the volunteers. September 7, for example, was the corporate volunteering day, with companies and corporations presenting good volunteering practices. September 11 was the international volunteering day; participants were shown options of engaging in volunteering work abroad. Over the span of two weeks of European Pavilion of Volunteeringoperation, several hundred organisations active in assistance to the disabled, palliative care centres, rescue services, culture, and sports presented their offer to the visitors.

Anna Panasiuk of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy highlights the major interest in the Venue and in volunteering as such: ’Motivations vary - some see volunteering as an option of gaining experience, others engage in such work driven primarily by a will to help, with experience of their own in mind.’

The European Pavilion of Volunteeringenjoyed tremendous popularity, with nearly 20,000 visitors during the first six days.

Volunteering for young people proved most popular: young people are more than willing to engage in charitable support for others. Organisers are also hoping to publicise volunteering among the elderly, which ties in with plans for the 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

The European Commission initiated the event. In Poland, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy was the national co-ordinator for the European Year of Volunteering-related projects.