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Community Development Project in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain

Community Development Project in Barcelona

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Trip Highlights

Experience humanitarian actions related to community building
Connect with the local population of the most humble neighbourhoods of Barcelona
Gain first-hand international work experience while volunteering with a bunch of enthusiasts
Meet some committed people from different parts of the world
Get involved with a wide variety of tasks while volunteering in the humanitarian project
Improve your Spanish language skills by participating in the Spanish classes
Work on weekdays for the project, weekends are free to explore the beautiful city of Barcelona

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Overview Program Requirements Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities Volunteer Work Schedule Living Costs Dates Reviews

Overview

Voluntrainees in the Community Development Program in Barcelona work with an NGO which is dedicated to community building, so we are looking for people who share the same values, who want to create solidarity networks of people and we want the participants to commit to carry out the program, who are interested in learning new tasks that in the future promote their social and labor insertion and/or or that of their peers. Proactivity and interest in the project is an extremely important characteristic to participate in the project. The beneficiaries must be responsible for the tasks they carry out and must comply with the times stipulated.

There are different circles of interest in which the project works: administration, marketing, human resources, maintenance, workshops, work with children, art and customer service, all of which are made up of volunteers. Participating in each of them allows volunteers to develop new competencies and acquire skills that prepare them to enter the labor field with a base of experience in each of the trainings related to their volunteering.

Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 16 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment.You should also be proactive and have the ability to take initiative All volunteers must provide a clean criminal background check report prior to joining the program. Participants are also required to pass an interview with the board member of the project. For participants under the age of 18 years, parental authorization also needs to be provided.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

The main responsibility is to complete the daily tasks of the work schedule, be punctual and follow the rules of co-living.

Attend to and guide the local volunteers by assigning tasks to them and involving them in the activities
Participate in the food bank, different workshops and partnerships
Participate in all of the necessary trainings and workshops
To attend classes and workshops to fellow volunteers and people from the local neighbourhood

Volunteer Work Schedule

Between June 26th and September 1st the activities revolve around the summer school (called Casal de Verano) which we run in the center. The majority of the work during this time involves working with the kids so some of the workshops and training may be affected.

The volunteers will work 35 hours/week, this includes cleaning and maintenance of the living space. The working hours are Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. The day starts with Morning Glory: a 30’ routine including 15’ of physical activity, this can be yoga, stretchings, exercise, etc; 8’ of meditation and 7’ of positive writing.

Every day is planned around the necessary activities of the center:

Monday is check in day!
We welcome in the NGO the new voluntrainees to share community lunch at 1pm, Then we give to the newbies an orientation tour of the NGO. Then, they will have a training on the topic of the day until 17hs.
Then, they will go for a climbing workshop between 17:30 and 19:30.
Then they will go to recollect donation of bread between 20hs and 21hs to bring to the foodbank of the following day.

Tuesday:
Every Tuesday we start at 10am with the Morning Routine of wellbeing.
The first thing in the morning is prepare the area and disinfect the floor, tables and fridges which will come in contact with the food; inventory control and separate the food that expires soon. The logistics are very important and everybody needs to work together in this! We distribute the food to the local families and once finished we disinfect everything a second time.
Once we end cleaning everything, we gather to attend the meditation workshop.

Wednesday are days in which the volunteers work on the morning with elderly people then on the afternoon they get a training on different projects in wich they will have task to realise, for example: communication, administration, arts, maintenance and improvements, higiene, marketing, etc. There is also six hours of training per week: crosscultural of volunteership, human resources, food regulation, NGO’s finance, etc.

Thursday and Friday: every week either Thursday or Friday we have a partnership with other NGOs in Barcelona. Every Thursday we go to our organic farm in the mountains close to the NGO to share community life and work together on the farm before sharing lunch together. Every second Friday we go to the city center of Barcelona with another NGO and to hand out food to the homeless in the area.

From Monday to wednesday the days end with a workshop of either climbing, or yoga and meditation.

Friday afternoon we have a weekly meeting in order to plan the next week and also do some team building activities.

Weekends are off to enjoy Barcelona!

Living

Your volunteering adventure in Spain will only get better with Volunteering Solutions. Like we keep saying, just pack your bags and arrive.

Airport Transfer

The project site is in Barcelona, Spain. When you land in Barcelona, a local representative will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign that says your name and will take you directly to your accommodation. Airport pickup is provided between 9am – 8pm on the program arrival date, which has to be Sunday.

Orientation

Participants are given an induction on arrival and welcome interview in the next few days to be able to plan the volunteering and the program.

Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers are provided comfortable housing in the program. There are 3 apartments with shared bedrooms. One apartment for 10 girls in the center of the city about 20min of metro from the NGO. One apartment for 6 volunteers right 2 min by walking from the NGO with 3 little rooms with bunkbeds, this one is generally gender mixed. One apartment for 5-6 ppl about 20 min by bus from the NGO with 2 rooms : 1 room of 2 people in bunkbeds and another one with 2 bunkbeds for 4 people. This one is generally gender mixed.

There is a possibility to have a private bedroom for an extra price as well.

There are shared kitchens and bathrooms in all the accommodations. All food is included but has to be ordered by volunteers for 2 laboral days by volunteers. The food is mostly vegetarian. Lunch is communitary and cooked by the volunteers. Breakfast, Dinner and Snack times are the responsibilities of each volunteer with the food provided by the project. The project pays for basic non-transformed healthy and nutritive aliments. The project is managing a foodbank which is also contributing food for volunteers.

During your Free Time

Barcelona is one of the most visited places from tourists and travellers around the world. There is plenty to see and do. The local team offers the services of a tourist guide with recommendations of local places to eat and to visit. Some outdoors trips and activities can be self-organised so the volunteers can enjoy Barcelona and other nearby areas.

Dates

2024

2025

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Past Date

Available

Unavailable

Filling Fast

Costs

2 Weeks $889

3 Weeks $1107

4 Weeks $1325

5 Weeks $1543

6 Weeks $1771

7 Weeks $1989

8 Weeks $2197

Extra Week $330

Please Note: -An application fee of $229 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 5% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)

What are you Paying for?

Pre departure Information and Support
Airport pickup in Barcelona during scheduled hours
Orientation/Induction on arrival
Training in Community Building
Complete pedagogical material
Spanish classes
Workshop
NGO internal exam and certification process
Accommodation in the community
Food (3 meals per day)
Full induction and orientation on arrival
In-country support
Project equipment and resources
Personal Coaching & Mentoring

Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)

What's NOT included?

Airfare
Local Transportation in the city
Touristic visits
Personal Expenses and items
Return Airport Drop

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

: It is advised to apply for the projects once the volunteering/ traveling dates are decided as there are limited spots available. The application fee is valid for one full year and can be sent earlier than the desired year of volunteering for timely confirmation of the seat. As soon as you decide the travel dates, we suggest you apply for the program and hold your spot. We work on the basis of the first come first serve policy.
: Usually, it takes around 10-12 working days for the application to be processed and placement to be confirmed. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and the booking confirmation is updated in your ‘My Account’ and you can view the information in your account. The application acceptance depends on the availability of seats in the project as well as the eligibility criteria of the program (Age, skills and experience etc.).
: Below are the necessary requirements to participate in the Spain Volunteer Projects:
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program.
Intermediate level of Spanish for projects with children.
Mandatory swimming knowledge for Marine Conservation Project.
Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment.
The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference.
The participant must be in good health.
: Yes, you are welcome to take part in Spain Volunteer Programs as part of a group. We welcome families, friends, high school students, college/university and corporate groups to volunteer together in the Spain Programs.
: Yes, most definitely you can as we believe every participant brings something new to the project. If you do not have previous experience, we offer you the opportunity to have a great start with us. We make international volunteering easy – not only are our Volunteer Abroad opportunities rooted in offering you extensive support, but they are also very affordable.
: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.
: We offer programs in Spain in two locations, Barcelona and Bilbao. The Community Development Program is located in Barcelona and the Beach Cleaning Program is located in Bilbao.
: There are two project locations in Spain - Barcelona, and Bilbao. Volunteers joining the project in Barcelona are picked from Barcelona Airport (BCN). Volunteers joining the Beach Cleaning Program in Bilbao are picked up from Bilbao Airport. Volunteers are picked up from the airport by the local coordinator or representative and taken to the respective accommodations. Volunteers should arrive on the given program start/arrival date of the program.
: Volunteers usually work for 4 to 6 hours a day depending on their program. You will have weekends off, so you can travel on weekends. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and understand that work requirements can change as well on certain occasions.
: Participants (most nationalities) require a Tourist Visa to travel to Spain. Volunteering Solutions strongly recommends all volunteers to apply and get a Tourist Visa before departing for Spain. Consult the Spanish Embassy in your country for more details. If needed, Volunteering Solutions can provide with written documents that would help volunteers in getting the Visa.
: Spain’s Airport is very well connected with the rest of the world and majority of the airlines fly to Spain. Some of the recommended airlines that fly to Barcelona and Bilbao are - British Airways, Ryanair, KLM, Lufthansa, Aeroflot, Easyjet etc.
: All participants are recommended to consult their physician or travel doctor before traveling to Spain.To view the general list of vaccinations recommended for your travel to Spain, click here.
: Yes, for all participants, it is mandatory to have a valid travel medical insurance for their trip. Volunteers have the option to purchase Travel and Medical Insurance at a nominal extra cost from Volunteering Solutions. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider.

If you already have a valid Travel and Medical insurance, you can email us a copy of the same. It is also advised to bring along the Insurance documents during your trip.
: Spain is one of the safest European countries to visit. Spain welcomes tourists and discerning travelers with open arms. To our volunteers, we recommend to go out and eat out after consulting their in-country coordinators. We also recommend that volunteers try to move out in a group and go for sightseeing together. You will be given safety precautions and instructions by the local coordinator team during the orientation as well as in your Pre-departure handbook after you become an enrolled participant.
: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions Spain program participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group to communicate with other participants.

To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer page on our website.
: Your program coordinator or a member of the local coordinating team will take you to your placement and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program, its surroundings and other facilities around the location. Both the program destinations are modern cities and have multiple options to commute from the project to the placement.Most preferred modes of transport are buses, taxis, and metro. The projects are located in Valencia and Denia.
: Accommodation is provided from your start date to the end of the program. Accommodation will be according to the volunteer project you have selected. Participants in both Bilbao and Barcelona are offered accommodation in apartments. All the accommodation options are a great opportunity to interact with local and foreign people, learning about different cultures and making new friends from all around the world. In Barcelona all vegetarian meals are also provided to the volunteers.
: Unfortunately, the entire volunteering experience is as much about volunteering on your project, as it is about the cross-cultural exchange and community building. A lot of that happens through the accommodation that we have set up, where one can enjoy by being with like-minded people. Additionally, for safety reasons, all volunteers must live in the allotted accommodation.
: Yes, however, you must inform us in advance and also mention about any dietary requirement in your application form.
: Depending on your project placement, you will get evenings and the weekends free, to travel and explore the places.In the evenings, volunteers usually get together and go out for social gatherings. Weekends are free for the volunteers and you can go for short weekend trips. In Spain, you’ll see a magnitude of interesting sights. Visit the artistic Barcelona, the grandiose Royal Palace in Madrid, the imposing Catedral de la Almudena, the golden triangle of museums, Mezquita of Cordoba Ancient streets and many Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic or Romanesque monuments. Trust us, you will not get enough of the Spanish cities!
Also, go for a football match which is a must when in Spain.
: Your program fee does not cover your personal expenses. You will need to provide for yourself your personal expenses, such as bottled water, local transport, telephone, shopping, sightseeing etc. You also need to cover for meals, that aren’t included in the program. However, you should carry around Euros 75–80 per week for your basic personal expenses. This amount can vary and you would need a higher amount if you choose to go on weekend trips out of town.