The “Volunteer School” Programme

Phase one

From the 20th to the 30th January 2014, college students took part in training at the Tolerance Centre as part of the first phase of the “Volunteer School” Programme. 

The training took place in an interactive format.  At the sessions, the participants considered the concepts and practices of volunteering, its social significance, and the way in which the work of a volunteer relates to their personal life values and aims.

The student-volunteers discussed the fundamental difficulties they had encountered in their work, suggesting ways of resolving them.  Among other issues, that of a lack of knowledge and skills was raised, along with the struggle to find earmarked funding for social work projects, the growing significance and status of volunteer work in the eyes of society, the psychological burnout of the volunteer, and emotional difficulties in dealing with pain, human suffering and the inability to help.  The participants also created a joint “solutions bank” for volunteers.

Each activity was concluded with a module on the building of a volunteer team, as an acknowledgment of the importance of good team spirit and team playing skills as a vital resource in the work of the volunteer.

In all, around 450 individuals from 54 colleges went through the training programme. 

All taking part receive a certificate confirming that they have been undergone training at the Volunteer School.