Interreg

People in voluntary work not only create quality of life for third parties, but also for themselves and their environment. When they join forces with local administrations and get to know and network with each other, they act as catalysts for sustainability right down to their own regions.

The aim of the Volunteer 2.0 project is to strengthen volunteer work in the long term against the background of demographic change and urbanisation (see the demography report of the Kleve district).

In previous projects (e.g. KRAKE “Krachtige Kernen/Stark Dörfer”) with citizens’ projects on both sides of the border, the (exchange of experience) about culturally determined differences in approaches led to new ideas for solutions. On the other hand, it became clear that a systematic and low-threshold participation of citizens can increase the social and economic added value of the engagement – these insights are taken into account and will

be further developed accordingly.

Ten cities (administrations) are working in the Volunteers 2.0 project, each with one neighbourhood, on tailor-made solutions to improve the quality of life on site and to adapt the existing initiatives and structures of the communities and citizens to the common goals of strengthening (social) cooperation.

In addition, all partners and neighbourhoods involved meet for a total of eight German-Dutch conferences and regulars’ tables in order to expand the cross-border networks and to exchange detailed information on specific topics as well as to learn from each other.

The exchange of experience between neighbourhoods and administrations in the German-Dutch context, as well as flanking press and public relations work, lead to a sustainable reduction of the barrier effect of the border. Bilingual handbooks enable a transfer of the project results to other interested cities, villages and municipalities in the Euregio and beyond.