Volunteering

Spend a summer volunteering for the gathering!

You can attend the Gathering without a membership and ticket by volunteering your time, energy and skills through one of the following programmes: 

DREAM TEAM

In August 2024, 20 volunteers from all over Europe will arrive to Ängsbacka 3 weeks prior to the Ecovillage Gathering!

Through the European Solidarity Corps programme, volunteers will help with preparation of the Gathering, as well as learn by doing things hands-on and gaining a rich experience in international event management and sustainable development.

This is an exciting chance to immerse yourself in the world of ecovillages, by living and working in community and co-creating Europe’s biggest ecovillage event with a diverse international team. A mix of practical work and team-building create a great sense of achievement and bonds for life between the volunteers, many of whom go on to form lasting connections with the ecovillage movement!

Requirements:

  • 18-30 years old
  • Legal residency in an EU country

The ESC project will take place from 1st of August 2024 to 12th of September 2024 (6 weeks in total).  Travel days will be 1 of August (arrival) and 12th of September (departure).

HOW TO APPLY?

If you are interested, please complete the registration process by sending your CV and motivational letter including an indication of which team you would prefer to be connected to our project coordinator listed below no later than May 8th 2024.

Gathering Coordinator | Dicte Frost | gathering@gen-europe.org

More about ESC volunteering in the Gathering
More about ESC volunteering in the Gathering

Participant Profile

You are enthusiastic, hands-on, have lots of initiative and are happy working on a diverse range of tasks - which might range from answering emails to building a compost toilet! You’re good at working in a team and enjoy challenges and bringing your creative ideas to life. 

What?

The ESC volunteers will be involved at the GEN Europe Gathering preparation, implementation and wrap-up. You will work in different work areas from marketing, sub-event creation, participant management to catering and site organisation tasks. The volunteers may have different tasks during the different phases of the Gathering. For instance, before the Gathering, one may be in the communications team but during the Gathering in the welcoming team supporting participant management.  In general, you will be working together with different teams and be led by team leads in those areas - i.e communications tasks will be coordinated and supervised by communications team leader, sub-event creation will be coordinated by Gathering programme coordinator etc. The whole group is also coordinated by two Volunteers’ Coordinators who will offer task-related support and will guide the learning and self-development processes. 

Where?

From August 12 till September 5th the group of volunteers together with the Coordinators will be hosted in Angsbacka, the Gathering host. From August 1-12 and September 5-12 they will be hosted in another community location in Sweden. The living conditions will be simple with the focus on low ecological footprint. You may expect sleeping in a tent and common facilities, natural rural environment and diverse social activities together with the group. 

What is ESC?

The European Solidarity Corps is a European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe.  It provides an opportunity to join meaningful work and experiential learning while your food, accommodation, traveling, pocket money, insurance and mentorship are fully covered. A person can only do one short term (less than 59 days) and one long-term ESC. You can register for the European Solidarity Corps when you are 17 years old, but you cannot start a project until you are over 18. European Solidarity Corps projects will be available to people up to the age of 30 years old.

Project Contacts and Responsibilities 

Gathering Coordinator | Dicte Frost | gathering@gen-europe.org

Lead Partner & Project Administration:

GEN Europe  | www.gen-europe.org | 

Ängsbacka  | www.angsbacka.com  |

GEN Germany   | https://gen-deutschland.de  |

POLLINATORS TEAM

This year, youth from all around Eastern Europe are invited to participate in the preparation of the European Ecovillage Gathering! The European Solidarity Corps volunteering opportunity will open space for 20 volunteers to increase their capacities and spread the Ecovillage movement across Eastern Europe.

The volunteers will arrive 3 weeks earlier through the ESC programme to help with preparation of the Gathering, become immersed into an regenerative way of living and being, learn in an experiential way about event management and sustainable development and support in raising awareness in your own region about the ecovillage movement.

Explore the thrilling opportunity to discover the world of ecovillages, co-creating Europe’s biggest ecovillage event with a diverse international team.  Through this programme you can create long lasting bonds with the other volunteers, explore all the aspects of life in an ecovillage and support us in developing alternative ways of being in Eastern Europe.

Requirements:

  • 18-30 years old
  • Legal residency in any EU country or one of the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro,  Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine

The ESC project will take place from 1st of August 2024 to 12th of September 2024 (6 weeks in total).  Travel days will be 1 of August (arrival) and 12th of September (departure).

HOW TO APPLY?

If you are interested, please complete the registration process by filling in the registration form no later than the 7th of May, 23:59 CET.

More about ESC volunteering in the Gathering
More about ESC volunteering in the Gathering

Participant Profile

You are an enthusiastic, open minded,  hands-on person, and curious to learn new things.  You like taking initiative, are responsible and like taking accountability and are happy working on a diverse range of tasks - which might range from building workshop areas, supporting in organising a kids area, organising your own project and much more.  You enjoy gathering many connections, knowledge, experiences and resources. You like working in teams and are curious about sustainability, community life and regenerative lifestyles. 

What?

The ESC volunteers in your team will be involved in preparing, implementing and wrapping up the GEN Europe Gathering and in the meantime you will start organising your personal projects, in order to support in spreading the ecovillage movement in Eastern Europe. You can expect to be involved in a wide range of tasks, for example: building and coordinating an exhibition space, organising a children program, support in building and logistics, marketing and social media etc. 

You will have the chance to try multiple roles and tasks in different stages of the Gathering. For example, before the Gathering, you may work more with social media and communication related tasks but during the Gathering you might transition to more hands-on related tasks (supporting workshops, participant management and schedule management etc.)  

You will have the chance to be part of different teams, each with their own team-leader that will guide you and support you in understanding which are the main parts of the Gathering, how it is organised and what needs to be done for everything to work as smoothly as possible . The whole group is also coordinated by two Volunteer Coordinators who will offer task-related support and will guide the learning, self-development process and the integration of all the information and experiences you gather during the event.

Besides these tasks you will participate in team building and team bonding activities in your team and with the other volunteer teams, will have the chance to propose your own activities during the evenings and to take part in the rituals and workings of the communities that will host us, and will learn how different communities around Europe are organising themselves, how they communicate and how they are supporting each other to live in harmony with the Land and between themselves.

When?

The ESC project will take place from 1st of August 2024 to 12th of September 2024 (6 weeks in total).  Travel days will be 1 of August (arrival) and 12th of September (departure). Please note that you need full availability in order to take part in this project.

Where?

From August 12 till September 5 the group of volunteers together with the Coordinators will be hosted in Ängsbacka, the Gathering host. From August 1-12 and September 5-12 they will be hosted in another community location in Sweden. The living conditions will be simple with the focus on a low ecological footprint. You may expect sleeping in a tent and common facilities, natural rural environment and diverse social activities together with a large group of people. 

What is ESC?

The European Solidarity Corps is a European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe.  It provides an opportunity to join meaningful work and experiential learning while your food, accommodation, travelling, pocket money, insurance and mentorship are fully covered. A person can only do one short term (less than 59 days) and one long-term ESC. You can register for the European Solidarity Corps when you are 17 years old, but you cannot start a project until you are over 18. European Solidarity Corps projects will be available to people up to the age of 30 years old.

Project Contacts and Responsibilities 

Gathering Coordinator | Dicte Frost | gathering@gen-europe.org

Lead Partner & Project Administration:

GEN Germany   | https://gen-deutschland.de | 

GEN Europe  | www.gen-europe.org | 

Ängsbacka  | www.angsbacka.com  |

 

ÄNGSBACKA VOLUNTEER

Ängsbacka offers different ways to volunteer with them over their summer event season. They are open to all ages. Find the options here. 

I learned so much and discovered a lifestyle I didn’t know was really possible – it was an unforgettable experience.

GATHERING VOLUNTEER 2023