LIVE (Learning In Voluntary Experiences)
Aims and objectives
The LIVE partnership shares a commitment to two key concepts – learning and volunteering. The partnership asserts that volunteering, in itself, is a learning experience, whether that learning is undertaken formally and leads to the acquisition of qualifications or whether it results in the gaining of skills, knowledge and confidence through informal learning. The project sought to share experiences of learning through volunteering and to produce a manual to illustrate its findings.
Activities and lessons learned
The partners met at a Contact Seminar in Brasov, Romania, with the exception of the Dutch partner who joined in the second year. A work plan was carefully agreed and a work package was allocated to each of the partners, according to their strengths, skills and capacity. This worked very well and has spread the workload and promoted ownership of the project for all participants.
There are seven partners, and the UK partner has visited some but not all of the countries, during the lifetime of the project. During the visits meetings have been held to share and discuss experiences. This has been strengthened by visits to voluntary and learning organisations. Together the partners have produced the following:
 | A website (UK) please visit: http://www.sedc.ac.uk/live_project/home.htm ; |
| A project logo (Germany); |
| A leaflet describing the objectives of the partnership (Romania); |
| Two magazines with articles contributed by each partner organisation (Romania); |
| A group email has been established which has expanded in time to include 54 participants (managed by the German partner); |
| A calendar (Italy); |
| A questionnaire constructed by the partners that was completed separately by all of the partners. This provided the material to form the basis of a manual and also includes volunteer case studies from each organisation. The manual is entitled, Voluntary Action and Learning in Seven Lands; |
| Each partner has produced a concertina leaflet to promote volunteering as a learning experience in each country; |
| A DVD was produced of each project visit and a shortened version including all project visits (Spain); |
| Each country has continually updated a proforma that is collated at each meeting and demonstrates the high level of dissemination which has occurred as a result of the project; |
| The working language of the project is English. All the documents have been written in English with each partner translating them into their mother tongue. |
Achievements
The project has produced a wide range of materials during its lifetime and this is of interest to voluntary and educational establishments across Europe. However, the main achievement is the shared experiences of working in a trans-European setting. The partnership is a strong one, partners like each other, acknowledge their cultural differences and through this have developed a deep understanding which is difficult to quantify.
Materials produced
These include the following (see section on activities for more information):
| Introductory leaflet; |
| Magazines; |
| Calendar; |
| Bags and pens; |
| Manual; |
| DVDs; |
| Photographs; |
| Email group; |
| Website; |
| Newspaper articles; |
| Radio interviews; |
| Television reports. |
The UK website includes downloads such as minutes from meetings: http://www.sedc.ac.uk/live_project/home.htm
Dissemination has occurred and partners have identified future dissemination opportunities for all of the partners including the UK. A UK dissemination event was held where all 24 individuals (staff and learners) who had participated in visits gave a short presentation of their experiences. This event presented the bigger picture to the participants and others in the audience.
Partnership organisations/countries
UK: South East Derbyshire College;
Romania: Centrul Pilot De Educatie Speicala Si Recuperare Pentru Copii Primavara;
Catalonia: Amics de la UNESCO de Barcelona;
Italy: Archesofia Cultural Society;
Germany: UMBRUCH - Bildungswerk für Friedenspolitik und gewaltfreie Veränderung;
Finland:
Kiuruvesi Adult Education;Netherlands: Stichting Educatieve Projekten.
Learner involvement
Learners were involved in hosting the visit to the UK, in attending partner meetings and bi-lateral exchanges and through the sharing of dissemination messages.
Impact
On the organisation
The project has revitalised the European dimension for the College.
On staff
It has been very motivational not only for the staff who were able to
participate in the visits but also for all of those working with learners in the
community and also the staff of voluntary organisations with whom the UK partner
works in partnership.
On adult learners
The project has impacted on learner aspirations, this is particularly so for
the learners who participated in the visits, but also their peers.
On outside bodies
Dissemination has been taken very seriously and partners have adopted a
local, regional and national approach. Details are included in the dissemination
report. Partners believe that the impact of the project has been far reaching.
Contact details
Name, organisation and address:
Sue Pilbeam
Community Outreach Manager
South East Derbyshire College
c/o Field Road
ILKESTON
Derbyshire
DE7 5RS
Telephone no.:01773 744426; 07799837926
Email:
sue.pilbeam@sedc.ac.uk
Classification data
Project focus
| Active citizenship |
X |
| Essential skills | |
| Inter-generational learning | |
| Cultural/multi-cultural | |
| ICT and learning | |
| Foreign languages | |
| Other* |
Project Type: Grundtvig 2 (Learning Partnerships)
UK Project Base
| East Midlands |
X |
| East of England | |
| London | |
| North East | |
| North West | |
| South East | |
| South West | |
| West Midlands | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
