Aarhus som frivillig hovedstad i Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

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1 Aarhus som frivillig hovedstad i 2018 Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

2 borgmesterens forord Mit navn er Jacob Bundsgaard, og jeg er Borgmester i Aarhus. Jeg vil gerne fortælle dig, hvorfor Aarhus bør vinde titlen som Europæisk Frivillighovedstad i Aarhus er en by fuld af engagerede borgere, innovative virksomheder og studerende fra hele verden. Aarhus har samarbejdsånd, sammenhængskraft og en stærk tradition for frivillighed. Vi er i øjeblikket i gang med at gentænke velfærden gennem frivillighed og social ansvarlighed, fordi vi tror på, at aktive medborgere er den vigtigste ingrediens, når det kommer til at gentænke traditionelle roller og forståelser af velfærd. Det er vores vision at politikere, borgere, virksomheder, foreninger og ansatte finder sammen om nye måder at skabe velfærd på i Aarhus. Som Europæisk Frivillighed hovedstad 2018 vil vi: Bygge på vores kulturarv og tradition for frivillighed Udvikle nye potentialer og nedbryde barrierer for deltagelse på tværs af sektorer Vi vil skabe anerkendelse om den vigtige rolle, som frivillige og foreninger spiller i udviklingen af vores velfærd i Aarhus Lad os nu høre mere om Aarhus frivilligsektor og møde nogle af de frivillige, som det hele handler om! 2 - Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad 2018

3 Finn, Flemming og hans hund, Lucky, er frivillige som besøgsvenner på et plejehjem i Aarhus. De er på besøg hos Frederik. Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

4 Velkommen til Aarhus Lige ud til havet og gamle skove ligger Aarhus som et livligt byområde omgivet af skøn natur. Aarhus er en åben og inkluderende by, hvor der er plads til alle. Unge som ældre, børnefamilier, studerende, kunstnere, virksomheder og iværksættere: Uanset hvor du kommer fra, vil du føle dig hjemme i Aarhus. Med en befolkning på mennesker er Aarhus Danmarks andenstørste by og den hurtigst voksende i landet. I løbet af de sidste 10 år har byen fået nye beboere og skabt nye arbejdspladser hovedsageligt inden for videns-, service- og innovationsbrancherne. Som en by fuld af aktive borgere, innovative virksomheder og studerende fra hele verden er Aarhus karakteriseret af en stærk samarbejdsånd og sammenhængskraft. Vi byder udfordringerne velkommen I Aarhus er der en tro på, at der altid er plads til forbedring, og at vi ikke må være bange for at de store udfordringer. Uanset om det drejer sig om store innovationsfremskridt eller små skridt i 4 - Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad 2018

5 retning mod mere effektivitet, så handler det i Aarhus om at tage, hvad der er, og forbedre det. Evnen til at gentænke sig selv har gjort Aarhus til en by med meget internationalt samarbejde, og en inspirationskilde for både virksomheder og andre byer. Aarhus kaldes ofte for Smilets by, og det er et navn vi er stolte af. Uhøjtidelig, ligetil, forfriskende, optimistisk, ambitiøs og fuld af liv. Aarhus vision er, at Aarhus er og skal blive ved med at være en god by for alle. En by i bevægelse. En by der arbejder sammen. En stærk tradition for frivilligt arbejde Aarhus har tradition for frivilligt arbejde og arbejdet når ud til mange. Der udføres frivilligt arbejde inden for mange forskellige områder: fra ældrepleje og socialt arbejde til sportsklubber og kultur. At være frivillig er en fantastisk måde at være medborger på. Der er mere end 2700 aktive foreninger, klubber mv. i Aarhus. Det betyder, at der er et væld af muligheder for at finde et område, der passer til dig og gør både andre og dig selv glad. Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

6 VISION Aarhus 2018 Arv I Aarhus har vi en stærk samfundsmæssig arv og en stærk tradition for frivillighed, som vi ønsker at bygge videre på. Vores vision er at gentænke byens sammenhængskraft gennem frivillighed og socialt engagement, og på denne måde fremme at vores borgere lever sunde og glade liv. For at få visionen til at slå igennem vil vi fortsætte det tætte samarbejde mellem politikere og borgere, skabe nye partnerskaber på tværs af sektorer og udvikle nye arenaer, hvor alle kan deltage. Vi stræber efter at skabe det bedst mulige miljø for frivillighed og nedbryde barriererne på vejen. I 2017 er Aarhus og hele Region Midtjylland Europæisk Kulturhovedstad. Temaet er Gentænk, og de frivillige såkaldte gentænkere støtter op om de mange arrangementer i løbet af året. Aarhus sigter efter at samle omkring gentænkere. Med titlen som Europæisk Frivillighovedstad 2018 stræber Aarhus efter at fastholde denne evne og forpligte sig til at videreudvikle Aarhus som en god by for alle. diversitet I Aarhus bidrager de frivillige til velfærden ved at løse en lang række vigtige opgaver, som kommunen ikke må og ikke kan løse. Frivillige bygger bro mellem mennesker og mellem sektorer. Fremmer sundhed, fællesskab og omsorg for de svageste i vores samfund. Derfor stræber Aarhus efter at understøtte alle frivillige og byde dem velkommen. I 2018 håber vi at endnu flere vil deltage. Vi ønsker at nedbryde barrierer og understøtte at børn, studerende, familier, ældre, mennesker med mentale eller fysiske handicap og virksomheder kan være en ressource for andre og være frivillige. Vi vil sikre os, at bureaukrati og lovgivning ikke står i vejen, og vi vil tilbyde den nødvendige støtte for deltagelse, og således udvikle omfanget og mangfoldigheden i det frivillige arbejde. 6 - Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad 2018

7 Samarbejde Social inklusion I Aarhus stræber vi efter at give alle mulighed for at deltage i sociale fællesskaber og fritidsaktiviteter. Vi tror på, at det at være en aktiv del af samfund modkæmper eksklusion og hjælper med at forebygge ekstremisme. Derfor ønsker vi i Aarhus fremadrettet at styrke foreninger og frivillige initiativer, der fremmer social inklusion og lige adgang til fællesskaber og ydelser i Aarhus. Aarhus borgere spiller en central rolle i at organisere initiativer og få mennesker involveret. Det har vi set mange eksempler på. For nylig har bevægelsen Venligboerne gjort en stor indsats for at byde de mange nye flygtninge velkommen og skabe god integration i Aarhus. Initiativet har involveret en stor del af Aarhus. Fremadrettet ønsker vi at anerkende og arbejde videre med denne udvikling. Vi ønsker at give alle mulighed for at engagere og bidrage, og vi vil anerkende deltagelse som en værdi i sig selv. Deltagelse skaber relationer og større forståelse mellem borgere i Aarhus derfor skal barrierer, der forhindrer deltagelse, også nedbrydes. I Aarhus er det vores vision, at borgere, frivillige foreninger, virksomheder og den offentlige sektor arbejder sammen om at udvikle vores velfærd. I fremtiden bliver vi nødt til at finde nye måder at samarbejde på og bruge vores ressourcer til at: Støtte unge mennesker i at få en uddannelse og et job! Vi skal udarbejde modeller, hvor frivillige foreninger og frivillighed indgår som noget, der er kompetenceskabende og bygger bro til uddannelse og arbejde. Sikre en bedre overgang fra arbejde til livet som senior! Frivillighed kan være et håndtag, når det kommer til at forebygge ensomhed og isolation blandt ældre i Aarhus. Få flere virksomheder til at deltage og være socialt ansvarlige. Et tættere samarbejde kan skabe ressourcer og viden på tværs af sektorer. Vi vil se frem til at kunne bygge videre på erfaringerne fra tidligere frivillighovedstæder såsom Barcelona, Lissabon og London og kunne bidrage med vores historie, viden og erfaringer med frivillighed i Aarhus. Med titlen som Europæisk Frivillighovedstad 2018 vil Aarhus kunne se frem til at byde sine europæiske naboer velkommen, udveksle viden, danne nye netværk og skabe grobund for at deltage i fremtidige frivilligprojekter i Europa. Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

8 Meet some of our volunteers Martin - DGI Aarhus/Danish Sports and Training Association 26 YEARS OLD, DAILY MANAGER AT AARHUS CROSSFIT I am a basketball coach for DGI Basketball. I have been coaching since I was years old, so it s been around 10 years. What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I remember as a young basketball player, how motivating and inspiring it was at various schools and camps to meet the more experienced players and look up to them. Therefore, as I began playing basketball at a higher level, I felt an urge to give something back and to hopefully motivate and inspire other young basketball players. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? I have had the pleasure of coaching young boys from vulnerable neighbourhoods, and it has been a pleasure to see how these boys grow and can use basketball as a place to come together and gather around an activity says Martin. About DGI DGI is committed to strengthening exercise and recreational sports in Denmark. Along with the local sports clubs, they develop concepts and activities that are based on local needs and possibilities. 8 - Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad 2018

9 Katie - Learn Danish in Aarhus 33 YEARS OLD, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR My voluntary work at Learn Danish began as an assistant on the Facebook page, Talk Danish Online, which is a useful tool for those who want to improve their Danish language by talking to a Danish volunteer every week. Now I write different posts to our blog about my experiences as a new citizen in Denmark on the Danish labour market. What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I loved my free lessons with Learn Danish and I wanted to give something back, as a way of saying thank you. process much easier, and both volunteers and participants have fun while working together, says Katie who came to Denmark from England. About Learn Danish Learn Danish helps foreigners learn the language, and become better integrated in society. This is done in close collaboration with Aarhus Municipality. Volunteers in the organization work as homework helpers and Danish-speaking conversation partners amongst other things. What do you gain from volunteering? It gives me a sense of helpfulness to be a volunteer. While I was unemployed, it was also especially important for me to feel useful, and on top of that I had the opportunity to get to know some of the other great volunteers. We have many different backgrounds and experiences. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? When you have a volunteer to speak with, you get the opportunity to be better acquainted with the Danes. This makes the integration Aarhus som Frivillighovedstad

10 Michéle - ReThinker for Aarhus YEARS OLD, STUDENT going to be European Capital of Culture in 2017 is not an everyday occurrence, which made me want to contribute somehow. What do you gain from volunteering? It s very rewarding being a volunteer for Aarhus I participate in many of the cultural activities in Aarhus, so giving something back to the city and the cultural environment of Aarhus, feels fantastic. I m the group leader for a small creative group called Event Innovation for Aarhus We are six students, all studying creative disciplines and amongst other things, we re responsible for the art piece called ReBoat, which consists of two boats, Freja and Lille Samson. ReBoat has been placed at the Harbour of Aarhus, in honour of the many cruise guests visiting the city. What made you want to volunteer for that organisation? As a student of Art History, I see myself being linked to the cultural life of the city, academically as well as privately. The fact that Aarhus is How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? If there wasn t any volunteering in Aarhus, many experimental and innovative things in the city would never have existed. Volunteering is also a context for unity between a diverse section of citizens. As a volunteer, I come across many different people, and create new friendships across different ages, professions and zip codes. It creates awareness about each other and a unity in working for our city, says Michéle. About Aarhus European Capital of Culture In 2017, Aarhus has been elected as the European Capital of Culture, together with the entire Central Region of Denmark. The theme for the capital year of 2017 is Let s Rethink, and the year is full of projects; concerts, plays, events, literature, conferences, happenings, giving us new perspectives on culture and arts Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital 2018

11 Laura - Save the Children Youth, Aarhus 25 YEARS OLD Every other Sunday I ll go with a bunch of other volunteers out at an asylum centre in Djursland, where we activate children through play and sports. It is a meeting of different cultures both for us and them, and it is quite amazing how little we do in, in comparison to how much joy it brings. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? When I started as a volunteer the city started to seem much bigger. I believe that volunteerism can make a social difference in the way that it creates valuable connections between people. Additionally, volunteering gives me energy because I always go home happy from volunteering, says Laura. About Save the Children Aarhus Save the Children fights for children s rights and deliver immediate and lasting help for vulnerable children in Denmark and the rest of the world. In Aarhus, volunteers engage in local initiatives, activities and projects for the benefit of children and young people in Aarhus. Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital

12 Jørgen - Volunteer for Danish Refugee Council 66 YEARS OLD, RETIRED, FORMER HEAD OF EDUCATION AT THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE I m a voluntary education counsellor in other words, I counsel refugees on the process of having the education from their country of origin assessed and approved, and how to navigate the Danish educational system, including options, admission requirements and application procedures. What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I have travelled most of the world for work and leisure, and have always felt welcomed wherever I have been. I also have good knowledge of many of the areas, which our new citizens come from. Volunteering for the Danish Refugee Council was a good way to be able to use my professional skills when I retired. What do you gain from volunteering? I have the possibility to meet a lot of interesting and nice people, and get an insight into their daily lives. Several of those I have helped, have become friends who I spend time with away from the volunteer scene - a bit like a host family with a focus on language training. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? The volunteers provide resources that would not otherwise be available. And volunteers can assist with introduction to daily life on a more personal level, says Jørgen. About Danish Refugee Council The Danish Refugee Council performs integration work for refugees, immigrants and their descendants in Denmark. Volunteers in the Danish Refugee Council run homework cafés, girls clubs, sports activities, excursions and participate in gatherings across nationality and ethnicity to benefit both refugees and volunteers Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital 2018

13 Pernille - Volunteer for Dane Age 21 YEARS OLD, JOURNALISM STUDENT I am accompanying a really sweet and wonderful man named Carl. When I visit Carl we talk about everything. The conversation goes far and wide but only the conversation - as Carl s legs are not working so well anymore. What do you gain from volunteering? For me the weekly visit is not something I just want to get over and done with. For me it is a free space in an otherwise busy life, where I am not interrupted by my cell phone, text messages or Facebook. What I give, by visiting Carl, I certainly get back tenfold, says Pernille. About Dane Age The goal for Dane Age is that as many as possible are able to live a good and long life. Accomplishing this task involves many volunteers, as Visiting Friends, organizers of local events, political work, teachers etc. Rune - Volunteer for FDF 24 YEARS OLD I m active in FDF Hjortshøj. I m the leader for a bunch of year olds. I teach them and make sure the section is headed in the right direction. What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I grew up in FDF, so starting as a leader and activist in the organization arose from the idea of giving children and young people the same resources, that I received from FDF. As a student teacher, I can see the benefits children receive from having hobbies and meeting volunteers in their daily life. They learn something in meeting with the volunteers, that the other kids don t, says Rune. About FDF FDF is a child and youth organization that works to create platforms of unity for children and adults. Volunteers is a vital part of achieving that. Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital

14 Flemming - Volunteer at a Community Centre 82 YEARS OLD, RETIRED BAKER I am Chairman of Fristedet Skæring. It s a place where citizens of Aarhus can lend facilities for activities, conferences or overnight stays by the municipality. The place has large ballrooms and 27 beds. It is fully booked most of the year. What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I love being active. I have participated in Copenhagen Bakery Guild, as alderman where I had contact with many people. In Aarhus, I was chairman of HEI gymnastics club and I m now chairman of Aarhus Bakery Guilds choir. people have time and energy for the benefit of themselves and Aarhus. Volunteering is a great example for others, says Flemming. About the Community Centre The Community Centres of Aarhus are functioning as platforms for associations, clubs and interest groups in Aarhus, where they can have meetings and carry out their activities. To operate these centres, a number of enthusiastic volunteers manage the different sites. What do you gain from volunteering? I meet many different people and enjoy the way they appreciate my voluntary work and the place I manage. It educates me in terms of knowledge, gives me social contact and keeps me going. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? Volunteering creates unity amongst different ages and social groups. It shows that older 14 - Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital 2018

15 Eigil - Volunteer for Biking Without Age 72 YEARS OLD, RETIRED MECHANIC What made you want to volunteer for that organization? I have always been active and enjoy being active with other people. It feels good that I can participate and make a difference for someone else, and it also gives me loads of good exercise while cycling around every day, all year round. It keeps me healthy, sane and happy. I m the Bicycle Captain of Folkestedets rickshaw, where I coordinate the rickshaw bike trips for our bicycle pilots. We run urban-, cultural- and nature tours for the area s mobility-impaired and learning disabled citizens, regardless of their age. In addition, we run bike rides for eldery citizens in Aarhus, who do not have the opportunity to get out and get some wind in their hair. How do you think voluntary work makes a difference in Aarhus? There are more elderly people now and fewer activities for the citizens who are dependent on others for care. There is a big need for volunteers who will make a difference for citizens who can t get out and experience the world outside their windows, says Eigil. About Biking without Age Bike Pilots is an initiative where volunteers take the elderly for a bike ride through the city. Annemarie Muhabet 42 YEARS OLD I talk to our guests about anything and everything, playing games with them and also participate in cooking. What do you gain from volunteering? It is very simple. The pleasure of making a difference... As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to meet people you wouldn t have met otherwise thereby getting different perspectives on life - and I think it is healthy for the individual and as well as the community, says Annemarie. About Muhabet Muhabet Aarhus is a multicultural community centre with a special focus on the group of mentally ill and vulnerable women and men with minority backgrounds. Aarhus for European Volunteering Capital

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