Shinies

Perhaps one of our first goals was to leave a permanent mark on volunteering in our region. From the very beginning, we wanted to help organisations in Veszprém and the region to learn about the culture of volunteering and engage them in social and community involvement. Since 2020, thanks to the Shiners ("Ragyogók") volunteer team, Veszprém residents feel comfortable with the cultural highlights of the VEB2023 ECOC programme, which affects the future of the city and the region. It is essential to ensure that the organisations hosting volunteers are more aware and organised in their efforts. Also, that a helpful approach and practice are maintained beyond 2023 for the organisations operating in the region and the population wishing to volunteer.

The VEB2023 ECOC Volunteer Programme provides an extraordinary opportunity in opening towards Europe in volunteering. Thanks to our International Volunteer Programme, the residents and volunteers of our region will have the chance to make contacts on the international stage relevant for them in the long term. We are convinced that our volunteer programme is one of the strongest links to the European Capitals of Culture network, which will help us lay the foundations for the ongoing international cultural development of Veszprém and the region.

To this end, we are participating in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme, which allows young people from abroad to be actively involved in the work of ECOC for a longer or shorter period and be part of the Shiners team. The programme provides them with almost full room and board; they bring their own country’s culture to Veszprém and they will take their experiences and impressions when they go home. We aim to prepare several institutions in Veszprém to participate in the ECOC programme and provide them with a long-term opportunity to host international volunteers.

A priority goal is to create a sustainable volunteering scheme where organisations, festivals and programmes in the region can turn to recruit volunteers in the long term. Thanks to this system, the concept of European quality volunteering will be maintained as one of the legacies of the ECOC Year even after it ends. We believe that through the unique cultural events of the VEB2023 ECOC, our volunteers (both national and international) will gain life-long experiences and impressions that will serve as the foundation for the region’s long-term cultural and artistic development.