EUKN - Finland - Revos - European Network for Social Voluntary Service

Revos - European Network for Social Voluntary Service

Introduction

The aim of the Revos project is the development of a co-operative network at European level for building relationships between the public and voluntary sectors. It will involve the promotion of co-operation and dialogue between NGOs and public sector organisations with a view to sharing good practice and information about successful projects and to maintain and develop links between European regional administrations.

Description

Civil society originates in the activities and efforts of non-profit organisations. In collaboration with national, regional and local authorities, these organisations carry out initiatives and activities that help improve contemporary society. Due to their limited economic resources, they encourage the voluntary participation of people who identify with their aims and social commitments.

Public administrations are deeply involved in the development of policies and services designed to support these non-profit organisations, promote voluntary participation and support them in the carrying out of their activities, especially in the social sector.

The Council for Equality and Social Welfare of the Andalusian Government contributes this network. In cooperation with 15 European Organisations, it has set the REVOS project in motion in order to build a European Network of social volunteering. This project will provide administrations with the appropriate methodologies and tools to collaborate with voluntary organisations and supply their needs.

The REVOS Project intends to reach other countries of the European Union, with the collaboration of European administrations and organisations from these areas. This implies carrying out dissemination activities at a European level.

Participants

The Council for Equality and Social Welfare of the Andalusian Government (Spain) contributes this network in cooperation with 15 European Organisations from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, Greece and Finland.

Objectives

The activities to develop are distributed within 5 components:

Component 1. Management and Coordination.- It will be created a structure for the management and coordination of the project and the management of the activities relative to network REVOS. This structure will be composed by a Steering Committee and Work groups for each component.
Component 2. Technology.- Conception, design and development of the Website.
Component 3. Territory.- It includes the studying activities of the associative networks, application of the network within the territories, accomplishment of volunteers and staff exchanges between different countries.
Component 4. Editorial.- Basically it includes the activities of production of contents for website and the development of thematic studies.
Component 5. Communication.- Activities of territorial communication (public presentations, organization of seminaries, advertising and diffusion actions towrds the organisms locally interested in the social voluntary service, etc.).

Products

The REVOS Project intends to build a reliable network that will become a reference and a model of good practices in social volunteering. It will allow public administrations to work hand in hand with non-profit organisations, and will provide these organisations with tools that facilitate their work.

REVOS will develop the following services to that aim:

A friendly Website that facilitates cooperation and coordination among partners. At a later stage, this portal will also be a work space for regional authorities to cooperate with non-profit organisations involved in social services. The site will become a meeting point and a participative forum for public administrations and NGOs.
The portal and the network will be open to external collaborations, which will be supervised by members of the REVOS project.
Sectoral studies on volunteering at a local, regional and European level will be promoted.
Exchanges of technicians and volunteers from different countries will be organised.
Organisation of work camps for social volunteers.

EU involvement

The project is part-financed by the European Union. Interreg III C.

Contact info

The Council for Equality and Social Welfare of the Andalusian Government
Avda Hytasa, 14
41071 Sevilla
Spain
Phone: +34 95 504 80 00
correo.cibs@juntadeandalucia.es
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es

Contact info

Palmenia Centre for Research and Continuing Education (University of Helsinki)
Keskuskatu 19
48100 Kotka
Finland
http://www.helsinki.fi/palmenia/english
Lauri Ahonen (Project manager), tel. + 358 5 2344134

Links

Revos Website

Document type

network

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Support for local groups