European Year of Volunteering inspires people in Turku

Talking about volunteering

The Volunteering Gives Strength seminar (Vapaaehtoistyössä on voimaa!), to be held in Logomo on 20 October, will discuss how people find the time and energy for volunteering, and how volunteering creates community spirit.

2011 is the European Year of Volunteering. The purpose of the thematic year is to raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering, to recognise volunteering activities and to encourage more people to start volunteering.

Volunteers have been an important resource for the Turku Cultural Capital year venture, and without them many of the year’s successes would have been impossible. For that we want to thank our more than 400 cultural capital volunteers. Volunteers are equally irreplaceable in the operation of religious congregations.

In honour of the Year of Volunteering, the Turku 2011 Foundation, which is responsible for the implementation of the capital of culture venture, has teamed up with Michael’s Parish to hold a seminar on volunteering. The theme of the seminar is coping ability – both that of volunteers and that contributed by volunteer work.

The Volunteering Gives Strength seminar will present speakers from many fields. They include the ‘Happiness Professor’ and writer Markku Ojanen, time use instructor Timo Lampikoski, and the coordinator of the Year of Volunteering, Karoliina Tikka. Entertainment during the coffee break will be provided by the young singer Robin Packalen, who is just recording his first album.