International Youth Volunteering with the Spanish Red Cross

International Youth Volunteering with the Spanish Red Cross

The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. It promotes humanitarian values and provides emergency help to people in crisis throughout the UK and around the world.

The British Red Cross has ambitious plans to increase the engagement of young people to take action as humanitarian citizens. In joint partnership with our sister Spanish National Society, we are able to offer two unique long-term youth volunteering opportunities in Spain for young people from the UK.

The Spanish Red Cross is part of the international Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement which shares the seven Fundamental Principles. The Spanish Red Cross is a highly regarded emergency response organisation in Spain, whose work includes refugee and asylum issues, First Aid, International Humanitarian Law and education and participation work, including with the Red Cross youth (la Cruz Roja Juventud) which is a parallel organisation.

PROJECT 1: TARRAGONA

In Tarragona, the Red Cross runs a house for 8 people living with HIV/AIDS, who have been homeless, may have been drug users, and have no family/financial support. The 24 hour house provides the service users with a place where they can get help in the transition from living on the streets towards becoming independent, gaining skills for employment and accessing adequate health care. Different organizations across the region run houses like this one, and provide different levels of care to the service users. The Spanish Red Cross house is a level 3 house which means that it provides 24 hour support to the residents (1 being the most basic level of care, 4 the most intensive).

The Tarragona Red Cross office is the main office, with about 60 employees, in the area. Their main focus areas of work are Emergency Response, with a particular focus on sea rescue, First Aid at Events and First Aid training and projects on social intervention with immigrants, the elderly and managing a surplus food distribution programme for vulnerable families in the community. The Red Cross youth also has a department within the building and works on humanitarian education in local schools through a network of 60 young volunteers. In total the area has about 2000 Spanish Red Cross volunteers.

THE ROLE

We are looking to recruit one volunteer, who will live with volunteers on other EVS projects in Tarragona over the course of the 10 month placement. The volunteer will work daily at the HIV/AIDS house run by the Tarragona Red Cross, and run activities depending on their areas of interest and the support needed by the service users.

The service users tend to be mostly men, and aged around 30-40 years old, although there are always exceptions and most are referred to the Red Cross house by social services or the local health services. No drugs or alcohol are permitted in the house (although methadone is allowed and all residents take ARVs), and the residents are monitored by psychologists and social workers, and the volunteer will be part of this team. Service users must adhere to the house rules of attending meals, sleeping there, attending all activities and taking part in the daily rotas of cooking and cleaning.

The EVS volunteer will help the social workers run sessions, both activity sessions and group therapy sessions, and, with time, the volunteer will hopefully organize and run their own activities for the service users – usually once a day for a couple of hours, ranging from yoga, computing, music to creative and craft activities. Volunteers will also be asked to accompany the service users on local medical visits, and to attend weekly team meetings with the psychologists and the social workers to plan the week’s activities and discuss any of the service user’s individual medical and social needs.

Volunteers will work alongside the social workers and university volunteers during the first few months to gain a clear idea of the service users’ needs and the range of activities that are possible. Volunteers will work in the house between 10am to 2pm Monday - Friday, 5 days per week, and several afternoons per week. Language classes (Spanish and Catalan) will also take place in the afternoons. Some flexibility is required to accommodate activities that occasionally run at the weekends and team meetings. There are also 2 days of holiday per month of placement (not including national public holidays nor compulsory training courses during the EVS placement), which can be taken with prior arrangement with your supervisor.

The volunteer will be expected to study Spanish and Catalan for at least two - four hours per week in order to facilitate integration into the host community and the project.Moreover, the volunteer is strongly encouraged to become actively involved in other activities or services of the Red Cross in Tarragona that may be of interest.

Volunteers will be encouraged to use their own initiative, and will be provided with support from the Spanish Red Cross. It is important that volunteers are committed, involved and sensitive to the needs of others.

PRACTICALITIES

The placement will run from mid-September 2013 for 10 months. The successful candidates will be funded and accredited through the European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme of the European Commission. More details about EVS can be found at

Our priority is to recruit young people who would otherwise not have access to such international opportunities. A small, but comfortable house will be provided for volunteers to share in Tarragona. Travel to and from work will be via public transport. The service users’ house is next door to the Tarragona Red Cross office, about 20 minutes out of town on the bus. In addition, each volunteer will receive a small maintenance allowance as pocket money.

Volunteers at the Red Cross are highly valued for the skills and energy they bring to our work. The successful candidates will receive pre-departure and on-arrival training from both the Red Cross and the European Commission, as well as have access to confidential support and supervision throughout the duration of the placement.

Location: Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

Tarragona is the capital city of the north-eastern Spanish province, sharing the same name. With a Mediterranean coast sporting several Blue Flag beaches, local dishes are themed around seafood, nuts, oil and garlic; whilst the local attractions tell of its past – the city is peppered with Roman ruins. Barcelona is nearby, a 1 ½ hour train journey away.
Reporting to:

• AraceliOtón Sánchez – Volunteer Coordinator and HIV/AIDS project Coordinator, Tarragona Red Cross (responsible for volunteer’s role at the house)
• OliveraTaban – Associació PROA (responsibles for volunteer’s housing, finances, language tuition, Youthpass content supervising and drawing up, medical expenses claim proceedings)
• Katherine Smart: Programme Coordinator – International Youth Volunteering, British Red Cross

QUALITIES WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The successful candidates will be aged 20-28, and will also demonstrate the following:

• Committed, mature and independent work ethic
• Genuine interest and/or experience in social work and working with those from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly the homeless or people with substance misuse issues or HIV/AIDS
• Excellent communication and social skills
• Creative, supportive and willing to take the initiative when running activities for vulnerable people; understanding of working in a project with long term goals
• Understand the importance of looking after yourself and have the ability to switch off at the end of the day
• Realistic expectations regarding the benefits and challenges of volunteering overseas for a number of months
• Prepared to live with a modest allowance and accommodation
• Good English & a good knowledge of Spanish (at least AS level or equivalent, if not higher) with a willingness to study, learn and communicate in Catalan
• And most importantly, a commitment to the Red Cross movement, volunteering and working with people living with HIV/AIDS

PROJECT 2: MANRESA

In Manresa, the CreuRoja Manresa youth team works with children and young people who are from excluded backgrounds (e.g. migrants, those in the travelling community, homeless families and/or those with poor socio-economic conditions), providing them with practical support (a place to wash clothes, shower and eat a meal a day) as well as a supported environment where the children can get psycho-social support from social workers as well as support with their homework and a space to play.

All of the 3 projects run by the youth team are thematically linked by a common commitment to young people and humanitarian action at a community level. The aim is to prevent social exclusion, and improve the individual young person’s daily routine and well-being. The active participation and contribution of volunteers is vital to achieving these goals. Moreover, the CreuRoja Manresa highly values sharing experiences among volunteers from different countries, and encourages youth exchanges and international cooperation. The CreuRoja Manresa is committed to providing a positive experience for volunteers as well as for those young people that participate in their projects.

THE ROLE

We are looking to recruit one volunteer, who will live with volunteers on other EVS projects in Manresa over the course of the 9-month placement starting at the end of October. The volunteer will work between 3 projects, Casal-ot, Ludugurus and JNA (JovesNucli Antic) run by the CreuRoja Manresa, depending on their areas of interest and the support needed by the different projects.

Casal-ot offers 3 hours of evening activities for the same group of 20 children, aged 3 – 12, Monday - Friday. The children are divided into groups and rotate through hands-on games, board games, and computing. Those that have homework may get help with it, and each child has a responsibility in the kitchen (clearing, laying the table, washing up etc) related to the evening meal.

The children are encouraged to sign up for the activities outside the centre too – such as swimming lessons or visiting the library, and to participate in trips and events offered in the local area (celebrations for Christmas or St George’s day, for example).

One of the main aims of Casal-ot is to provide the children with positive role models and to promote a healthy lifestyle and engagement with school.

Ludugurus: The Ludoteca is a bespoke building based over three floors, and provides a youth group environment for different age ranges during the weekday evenings between 5.30 and 8.30pm. The groups are aged 6-10, 10-12 and 12-14 and the Ludoteca offers an outdoor space to play football, a homework room for quiet study as well as computers for games, board games and arts and crafts projects.

As the same group of young people attend the Ludoteca on a weekly basis, the social workers, in tandem with the volunteer, play a crucial role in being around to provide a ‘listening ear’ and detect any areas of concern or changes in behaviour that can then be discussed in a neutral environment

JNA (Jo’venesNu’cleoAntiguo – Teenagers from the Old Town): Attended predominantly by boys, the JNA is based around some designated outdoor space which includes a football pitch/basketball court. The age range is from 12-16, for 2 hours per evening, and includes a different sport each week, as well as occasional workshops on health, sexuality, healthy eating etc. The football team may also play at weekends in local leagues.

The project has grown hugely in popularity and can reach up to 300-400 people during the summer. Plans for future expansion include starting up a project to reach girls in this age range and to facilitating the move for young people from JNA to becoming a Spanish Red Cross volunteer at age 16.

The volunteer’s time will be divided between the three projects outlined above for 25 hours per week, running activities, meeting with other staff and volunteers to plan, monitor and evaluate activities, and supporting the young people. The volunteer will be expected to study Catalan for at least one-two hours per day in order to facilitate integration into the host community and the project.Moreover, the volunteer is strongly encouraged to become actively involved in other activities or services of the Red Cross in Manresa that may be of interest. Areas of focus for current projects are up-skilling women for employment, gender-based violence and support to the elderly.

Volunteers will work at all three services during the first few months to gain a clear idea of the programmes provided to the children and young people, and will then be able to tailor their interests with the needs of the services, possibly focusing on one project for a discrete time period of several months. Volunteers will work an average of 6-7 hours per day, 5 days per week, with a fair amount of evening work. Some flexibility is required to accommodate activities that occasionally run at the weekends and staff meetings. There are also 16 days of holiday during the placement (not including national public holidays), which can be taken with prior arrangement with your supervisor.

Volunteers will be encouraged to use their own initiative, and will be provided with support from the Red Cross. It is important that volunteers are committed, involved and sensitive to the needs of others.

PRACTICALITIES

The placement will run from September 2013 for 9 months. The successful candidate will be funded and accredited through the European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme of the European Commission. More details about EVS can be found at

Our priority is to recruit young people who would otherwise not have access to such international opportunities. A small, but comfortable apartment will be provided for international volunteers to share in Manresa. Travel to and from work will be via public transport or on foot. In addition, each volunteer will receive a small monthly allowance.

Volunteers at the Red Cross are highly valued for the skills and energy they bring to our work. The successful candidate will receive pre-departure and on-arrival training from both the Red Cross and the European Commission, as well as have access to confidential support and supervision throughout the duration of the placement.

Location: Manresa, Catalonia, Spain
Reporting to:

• Olga Macias Reyes – Volunteer Coordinator, CreuRoja Manresa (responsible for volunteer’s role)
• Alba Pascual Sarri - Responsable de Programes Europeus de Joventut (responsible for volunteer’s housing, finances and language course)
• Katherine Smart: Programme Coordinator – International Youth Volunteering, British Red Cross

QUALITIES WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The successful candidate will be aged 20-28, and will also demonstrate the following:

• Committed, mature and independent work ethic
• Genuine interest in youth work and working with those from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Understanding of the importance of safeguarding
• Excellent communication and social skills with children and young people
• Adaptability and ability to cope with problems
• Creative, supportive and willing to take the initiative
• Realistic expectations regarding the benefits and challenges of volunteering overseas for a number of months
• Prepared to live with a modest allowance and accommodation
• Good English & a good knowledge of Spanish (at least GCSE level or equivalent, if not higher) with a willingness to study, learn and communicate in Catalan
• And most importantly, a commitment to the Red Cross movement, volunteering and working with children and young people

APPLICATION PROCESS

We have applied for funding from the European Commission for these roles and should know if this is secured by early August. Any offer of a placement will be provisional on a positive response for this.

British Red Cross pre-departure training dates are likely to be in August.

For more information, see:

or email Katherine Smart

International Youth Volunteering Programme

Spain Application Form 2013-2014

Please complete all sections in English. All information provided will remain strictly confidential. Please send a CV (max 2 pages) with your application form.

Section 1: Personal Information
Last Name / First Name / Middle Name(s)
E-mail: / Date of Birth: / Gender:
Male Female
Town and Country of Birth: / Passport number: / Nationality:
Current correspondence address: / Home telephone: / Mobile telephone:
Permanent address (if different): / Home telephone:
Do you have any existing insurance cover (travel/medical)? If so, please give details below
Emergency Contact Information
Name: / Relationship to you: / Home telephone:
Home address: / Email address: / Mobile telephone:
Section 2: Education (continue on additional sheet if necessary)
Secondary School/College: / Years Attended: / Qualifications Obtained (GCSE, A-level, NVQ etc.):
to
to
Tertiary Education (College, University etc.): / Years Attended: / Qualifications Obtained (Diploma, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate etc):
to
to
Section 3: Work Experience (continue on additional sheet if necessary)
Organisation: / Year: / Position: / Responsibilities:
Section 4: Additional Skills
Languages: / Spoken: / Written: / Reading:
Driver’s Licence: / Other:
Section 5: Additional Questions (continue on an additional sheet if necessary)