Our new European Solidarity Corps project is starting, and we are happy to greet our new group of international volunteers!
Our new project aims to offer a way for people to start being physically active and practicing a healthy lifestyle, as part of the NowWeMOVE international campaign, with the help and inspiration of young people from other European countries. During the two years of the project with the support of international volunteers, BG Be Active will organise the NowWeMOVE campaign initiatives around the country, as well as the Spot Bulgaria programme events. Although in recent years the physical activity level in Bulgaria has improved (in 2014 Eurobarometer indicated 78% physically inactive Bulgarians, in 2018 this figure decreased to 68%), Bulgaria continues to be among the countries with the lowest level of physical activity. Within the NowWeMove Bulgaria campaign (as part of the global NowWeMove campaign), we continue to work for the promotion of physical activity among different target groups and in different spaces (schools, streets, public spaces, etc.).
Spot Bulgaria, as a long-term program, aims to change the behavior of citizens in relation to urban spaces through clean-up actions, placemaking interventions and educational campaigns. We work with various partners from the NGO sector, with municipalities and businesses, in order to draw attention to problems with pollution, recycling. The program aims to change public spaces to make them spaces for people through placemaking interventions, community meetings and tactical initiatives. Since its inception in 2017, the program has managed to involve more than 1,000 volunteers in 40 locations throughout Bulgaria, reach a million Bulgarians and build long-term partnerships between the NGO sector, business and municipalities.
We are happy to welcome Selim from Turkey and Francesco from Italy for a one-year adventure with us who will help us promote active lifestyles and active citizenship in Bulgarian society.
Selim is an opera singer from Turkey and graduated from the university in 2019 in Eskişehir. He decided to apply for the project with us with the motivation to include a cultural component in our activities in 2020. Selim will be actively helping the team with organizing events, meetings and working with children.
Francesco graduated in sports management in Italy and joined our project with the desire to gain practical experience. He has worked in marketing and communications, and during his volunteering in 2020, Francesco will be working mainly with social networks, as well as event coordination.
The Youth Spot Bulgaria is funded by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
