PRESS RELEASE | Brussels, 5 December 2021 | European Volunteering Capital 2023 WINNER
CEV is pleased to announce that Trondheim (NO) has been awarded the title of European Volunteering Capital 2023
In choosing Trondheim as the European Volunteering Capital 2023 the jury highlights that the city is making outstanding efforts
in prioritising quality volunteering and to publicly recognise volunteers and the contribution they make to the community.. The
high volunteer-engagement rate is an extraordinary testimony to a long-term commitment and the creation of a strategic and
regulatory framework that has been highly effective. It is based on an integrated voluntary policy across all strategies and plans
which develops and strengthens the interaction between the municipality and volunteering. The approach is based on
recognising the sector, emphasising its independence, and providing good conditions for volunteering.
The jury was very inspired by Trondheim which stands out for the way it has developed cross-sector collaboration, four-year
strategic plans, grants and funding support for volunteering in a very comprehensive way. There is a very clear record of the
achievements in stakeholder and citizen engagement embedded in values and principles. The investment in volunteer centres
and professional support has supported this excellence.
The jury felt that the accomplishments of Asti, Birgu, & Oeiras municipalities to support and develop volunteering in the cities
also deserves high recognition. The efforts undertaken to ensure a comprehensive vision for volunteering by the municipalities,
quality volunteering and recognition of its role has been seen by the jury as outstanding elements of the overall support shown
to volunteers and volunteering by the candidates. The supporting structures and relationships established with and within
different contexts, shows the presence of an enabling environment for volunteering in all cases that was particularly appreciated
by the jury. The jury feedback on the EVCapital Candidates 2023 is available at this link:
https://www.europeanvolunteercentre.org/evcapital2023 .
CEV launched the European Volunteering Capital Competition to strengthen, inspire and celebrate volunteering and the
impact made by volunteers at the local level by giving recognition to municipalities that support and strengthen volunteering,
especially through partnerships with stakeholders from different sectors such as volunteer centres, volunteer-involving
organisations and the for-profit sector. The judging criteria are the recommendations in the Policy Agenda for Volunteering in
Europe (PAVE), CEV’s 5R policy recommendations and the planned engagement with the European Solidarity Corps.
The awarded municipality is chosen from the candidates by an international jury of key personalities connected with
volunteering, representing civil society, the private, for-profit sector, as well as the EU institutions: Michel Lefranc (CEV Board),
Jan Verdée (CEV Board), Lena Karnalova (CEV Board), George Thomson (CEV Board), Kieran McCarthy (Cork City Councillor
& EU Committee of the Regions member), Krzysztof Pater (EESC Rapporteur on “Volunteers . Building the Future of Europe”),
Predrag Fred Matic (MEP), Barbara Eglitis (Program officer SALTO European Solidarity Corps), Rares Craiut (Member of the
Bureau of the Conference of INGOs, Council of Europe), Begona Barbera Garcia (Iberdrola Social Projects Manager, Employee
Volunteering European Network (EVEN)), Monica Lallai (Business Development for Religious and Third Sector/Non Profit
Organizations Business Unit. Cattolica Assicurazioni Spa), Sawsan Chebli (Berlin State Secretary for Civic and International
Affairs).
The previous winners are: Gdansk 2022 – Berlin 2021 – Padova 2020 – Košice 2019 – Aarhus 2018 – Sligo 2017 – London 2016 . Lisbon 2015 – Barcelona 2014.
The Centre for European Volunteering (CEV) is the European network of over 60 organisations dedicated to the promotion of,
and support to, volunteers and volunteering in Europe at European, national or regional level. Through our network we work
together to ensure that: the value of quality volunteering as an expression of Solidarity and European values is understood,
supported and celebrated; policies & programmes, together with the European social environment, inspires, encourages and
supports quality European Volunteering; Individuals and organisations that are active in the volunteering and civil society
sphere share, learn and are inspired from one another in the framework of CEV . In this way we reach out to the many
thousands of volunteers and volunteer organisations in Europe as a source of support bringing the European dimension to their
work.
In agenda dal 31/12/2021 al 31/12/2021
