Great success in Turku for the European Year of Volunteering 2011

The Capital of Culture year a great feat of volunteer work

Volunteers have been an important ingredient in the success of Turku’s year as Capital of Culture. The Capital of Culture volunteer programme has involved more than 400 people. Including all volunteers who have participated in the projects during the year, the total number rises to thousands.

The Turku 2011 Foundation’s register of volunteers includes more than 400 people with the necessary training. Throughout the year, these people have assisted in various activities, events and marketing efforts organised by the foundation. In addition, the input of volunteers has been utilised in about 60 projects in the Capital of Culture programme.

The Capital of Culture volunteers have acted in nine teams divided by area of responsibility: first aid, hosting, info, marketing, practical event arrangements, accessibility, production, communications and the environment. In total, there have been more than a thousand volunteer assignments, which had involved about 5,000 hours of work by the end of September 2011.

Many Turku 2011 programme projects have been backed by extensive volunteer networks of their own. During the Capital Culture opening event, the This Side, The Other Side performance alone featured about 350 choir members and 1,000 schoolchildren. Other projects involving a large number of people have included the Neighbourhood Weeks, Battle and Speak No Evil, which will be held around Turku Castle in late October.

The goal of the Capital of Culture volunteer programme has been to give all those willing to participate in building the Capital of Culture the opportunity to do so. This goal has been achieved; volunteers feel they have had meaningful things to do, in addition to having the chance to take a look behind the scenes of the Capital of Culture and thus claim the year as their own.

The foundation also hopes that the experience has provided those involved with the enthusiasm and skills to continue volunteer work after 2011, either within the field of culture or in other Turku 2011 partner organisations. In the course of the year, partners in co-operation have included the Finnish Red Cross, the Southwest Finland Centre for Assistance and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, all associations that constantly need volunteers.

Volunteering seminar at Logomo on 20 October

On Thursday 20 October, Logomo will host the Volunteering Gives Strength seminar for volunteers and those interested in volunteering. The seminar will discuss how people find the time and energy for volunteering and how volunteering creates community spirit and well-being.

Organised by the Turku 2011 Foundation and St Michael’s Parish, the seminar will feature speakers like Professor Markku Ojanen, who specialises in happiness and is also an author, time management instructor Timo Lampikoski and Year of Volunteering coordinator Karoliina Tikka. Robin Packalen, a young singer currently recording his first album, will perform during the coffee break.

Public registration for the seminar ended on 12 October, but members of the media are still warmly welcome to attend.

Additional information
 
Anna Pikala
Project Manager
Turku 2011 Foundation
tel. +358 44 907 5875
anna.pikala(a)turku2011.fi

Essi Hätönen
Project Coordinator
Turku 2011 Foundation
tel. +358 44 907 5712
essi.hatonen(a)turku2011.fi

The Turku 2011 Foundation’s volunteer programme was founded for Turku’s year as Capital of Culture in February 2010. The purpose of the volunteer programme is to enable everyone to participate in creating the Capital of Culture while ensuring the availability of the necessary pairs of hands in the projects during the year.

2011 is the European Year of Volunteering, organised by EU. The purpose of the theme year is to increase the appreciation of volunteering and to involve new volunteers.