Based on observations, talks and a survey joined by 32 associations and rural homemakers’ clubs from our home Żyraków commune (Dębicki district, Podkarpackie province), we have identified local problems, such as high demand for equipping volunteers with new skills and appreciating their commitment (80% of individuals surveyed claimed they did not feel that their activities were noticed or acknowledged by anyone). We also organised social discussions attended by commune residents and took part in consultations regarding the preparation of the Strategy for the Dębicki District. Inhabitants claimed they were willing to engage in volunteering activities and in the implementation of their own initiatives, but they needed knowledge and tools.
We will address these problems by training 25 volunteers to engage in grassroot initiatives for local communities in their villages located in the Żyraków commune. We will train them in principles and good practices of voluntary work, and in recruitment. We will also teach them how to motivate others to engage in social activities and how to build local cooperation. Trainees will also find out how to establish relations within group and how to integrate it, will take part in a meeting devoted to personal development and ways to stay motivated. Trained volunteers will diagnose local community needs and then will implement 8 initiatives engaging other commune inhabitants in them. With support provided by the Community Council in Żyrakow, the Social Leader Organisation Centre will be established – holding workshops, but also serving as a local meeting point for discussions and planning joint activities. We will publish a calendar with photos of most active individuals in our district and will organise a Volunteering Gala, inviting local authorities and entrepreneurs, so that we can get to know one another better and present outcomes of our enterprise.