SIDECAR 2026 participation for inclusion
Asociación Cultural YOUROPÍA
Oviedo, Spain
Description
"SIDECAR 2026: participation for inclusion" is an 11-month volunteering project about youth counselling, youth participation, mental health and inclusion, that will be carried out in Oviedo (SPAIN) between January and December 2025. The voluntary service will include two different activities, one with young people, especially those with social obstacles (with Youropía) and one with people with mental diversity and psychosocial suffering (with Hierbabuena). We aim to fight exclusion and generate learning opportunities for the promotion of participation, active citizenship and involvement in decision-making processes. Our activities focus on: youth information and counseling; promoting personal and social empowerment; and supporting the development of cultural, recreational and leisure activities, that benefit the individuals and the community.
Accommodation, food and transport arrangements
The volunteer will stay in a single room in a fully equipped flat, within walking distance to both the main venue of the activity and the city centre (about 15-20 minutes on foot). Kitchen facilities and bathroom will be shared with other flatmates. In general, local transport is not necessary. The organisation will cover transport costs for activities where travel is needed. The participant will receive a monthly allowance for food and pocket money at the beginning of each month.
Training during the activity
At the beginning of the service, the participant will receive training on the work done by the organisations and guidance on how to carry out their tasks. The volunteer will have access to an online Spanish course, which can be complemented with in-person, support according to the needs of the participant. The volunteer will take part in the Training and Evaluation cycle organised by the Spanish National Agency. The volunteer will gain competences both at personal and professional level: teamwork, effective communication, sessions design, conflict management and creativity, among others.
Participant profile
People between 18 and 30 years old, from Programme countries, willing and highly motivated, able to join us in April 2025 and stay for the entire duration of the volunteering activity. Previous knowledge or experience are not needed, but it is necessary to have interest and sensitivity for the topics relevant to the project: mental health, inclusion and youth information/counselling. We are looking for an empathetic and understanding person, willing to learn, challenge prejudices and share experiences. Since a large part of the service will be connected to participation processes with groups, the volunteer should be an open and sociable person, who likes to interact with people from different backgrounds. IMPORTANT: taking into account the nature of the activities and the need to establish communication with people with fewer opportunities without any knowledge of English, a fairly high level of Spanish is necessary. If you recognise yourself in the profile we have described and you think that you could be the person we are looking for, apply for this placement, including a motivation letter and your CV, until the 11 of November. (If you do not include the CV or the motivation statement, your candidature won’t be taken in consideration). Please, take into account that if you are not resident in Spain, you will need an accredited supporting organization (“sending organisation”) from your country. Although the combination of activities requires some flexibility, in general the participant will adhere to this weekly schedule: 20 hours with Youropía, 8 hours with Hierbabuena, 2 hours for language training (through OLS or other), 2 hours for mentoring and follow-up. The volunteer will support Youropía in: talks and workshops in educational centres; “Mobility Info-point” for young people; coaching of youth groups for mobility and participation projects; cultural projects and initiatives; summer/holiday camps for children; creation of visual material and monitoring of social networks. The volunteer will support Hierbabuena in: leisure and free time activities such as: "Charlar y caminar” (Chatting and walking); cultural and outdoor activities; "Healthy Cooking Workshop"; artistic expression and computer sessions. In addition: support for specific projects (e.g. Mad Pride), organisation of talks, creation of posters and monitoring of social networks.
Activity dates
A total of 48 week(s) during the period 12/01/2026 to 13/12/2026
Activity location
Calle Historiador Juan Uría, 15, Oviedo, Spain
Activity type
Individual volunteering
Looking for participants from
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Türkiye
Activity topics
Social challenges
Citizenship and democratic participation
Health and wellbeing
Deadline for applications
Application deadline: 11/11/2025 23:59
Project code
2025-1-ES02-ESC51-VTJ-000348104