Vrijwilligershoofdstad - Mechelen

Volunteering in Mechelen

In Mechelen you can find volunteers everywhere, spread over more than 500 different organizations. And they come in all guises. Young and old. M, v or x. Thinkers and doers. One person does it once a week, the other almost every day. Even with a few hours a month, some people make all the difference. They all have one thing in common: they are committed to doing their very best for others. And in fact for themselves too. Because volunteering enriches your life.

On this page you will learn more about the organizations that contributed to the CEV Spring Volunteering Congress in Mechelen that took place in April.

 

Circolito

Thanks to our volunteers, Circolito exists! They teach in our weekly classes, they organise camps and they are the backbone of all our projects, front- and backstage.

Circus studio Circolito stands for “doing circus” to help children, adolescents and adults grow into creative, open people through play and full ofenthusiasm. We help push boundaries beyond age, background, level and disability. Because everyone can do something, no one can do everything. With a variety of quality circus activities at different locations, Circolito carries the circus vibe.

Most volunteers accompany classes, workshops and birthday parties and participate in vacation camps. The cooking crew and General Assembly are also made up of volunteers. Everyone picks their spots by talents and skills and this is appreciated!

The teaching staff followed a training course, the younger volunteers followed an animator course. We provide strong facilitators who we further support. Every volunteer experiences a warm welcome, receives route guidance and participates in various consultation and meeting moments with other volunteers. They are encouraged to take initiative and responsibility themselves. They receive a small volunteer allowance for this.

Success: many new youngsters take up roles in Circolito and members grow into motivated facilitators. We are very proud of the volunteers of our big summer camp! It is also great that many sporadic volunteers support us in major initiatives.

Challenge: The combination between the volunteer assignment in Circolito and other hobbies, school and/or job outside Circolito does not always make commitment easy!

Eyes For The World

We believe that everyone, all over the world, has the right to good sight. A goal we can only achieve with the help of our volunteers.

Worldwide, and also in Belgium, we mainly help children and people who are struggling financially with custom, recovered, affordable glasses. In collaboration with ophthalmologists around the world, Eyes For The World initiates projects to provide these people with poor eyesight with customcorrected glasses.

Our volunteers raise funds and members, provide training, share information and collect eyeglasses for reuse. New volunteers apply  through word-of-mouth and are mentored by experienced volunteers under the motto: we can’t help everyone but each of us can help someone.

Motivator: the smiles, hugs and gratitude when you show someone better is priceless!

Challenge: Continue to inspire people to ensure that the project continues to grow.

Fietsersbond

Cycle along to the future of Mechelen. Help build a safer, greener and bicycle friendly city, together we pedal towards change!

The Mechelen Cyclists’ Union is committed to safe, comfortable andsmooth cycling connections in Mechelen. We represent cyclists’ intereststo policymakers, promote sustainable mobility and work towards a bicyclefriendly city. Our goal is a liveable, healthy and accessible city of and for cyclists.

The department runs entirely on unpaid volunteers! We recruit volunteers, organise policy advocacy, actions, awareness campaigns, events, write newsletters, manage social media, test cycling routes, map bottlenecks, network and look for collaborations.

This in collaboration with the national Cyclists’ Union, where paid staff work on higher-level policy advocacy, organising training and supporting local branches. But at the local level, all volunteers contribute based on their own talents and interests. In return, we get benefits at bike shops, free legal assistance from the bike lawyer and receive the Velo magazine.

Success: we are a real interlocutor with the city, the Flemish road authority, the province and other policymakers, allowing us to contribute directly to better cycling infrastructure and policies. We also set up successful actions that make problems visible and lead to change. A good example is the national applause action, which originated in Mechelen and now puts cyclists in positive limelight all over Belgium.

Challenge: continue to find and motivate enough volunteers for more social activities such as cycling events, awareness-raising and community-building.

Mechelse Ouderenraad

Whilst in the past the Mechelse Ouderenraad (MO) used to be a council of the community for the elderly, today the MO is a council of elderly FOR the community. The MO aims to encourage elderly individuals to contribute to the wider community on a voluntary basis.

The Mechelse Ouderenraad (MO) advocates for the well-being of seniors, promoting an age-friendly, inclusive, and accessible city in Mechelen. It focuses on individuals aged 60+, addressing mobility, health, and social isolation. Elderly volunteers play a vital role, enhancing transport, creating pedestrian-friendly spaces, and combating loneliness through events and services. They inform policies, provide recommendations, and connect seniors via newsletters, social media, and cultural activities. The Coordination Group handles planning, while the Plenary Council aligns efforts with their vision.

MO reaches volunteers through word-of-mouth, databases, newsletters, and social platforms. Plenary meetings, hosting 150 participants, highlight senior-relevant themes, encouraging input. Volunteers’ expertise brings measurable change, motivating the team.

Until 2020, MO struggled with conflicting interests among elderly associations. Today, it thrives as a unified, progressive body with autonomous teams, focusing on collective well-being. Challenges include recruiting new volunteers to sustain and expand operations. Despite hurdles, MO’s transformation underscores its success in fostering an agefriendly community in Mechelen.

Het Predikheren

Our volunteers help to build the most beautiful library in the world.

It is a lively place where everyone is welcome. Be inspired and amazed by literature, art and culture. Read, listen or learn. Come and meet each other.

More than 60 volunteers support library operations. They are loyal ambassadors with a passion for books and for people. They clean books, repair them, put them away, read to, welcome students and citizens, answer all kinds of (digital) questions ...

There are different job profiles for volunteers. Mutual expectations are met during individual interviews. A small expense allowance of 5 Euros is provided, but we consider appreciation of our volunteers more important: adapted loan conditions, the possibility to participate in activities, training, an annual volunteer party, etc. We see them as an absolute and essential part of our team! That’s the most important thing.

Thanks to volunteers, services to citizens are broader! We can offer warmer welcomes and more activities! Our biggest goal is that every inhabitant of Mechelen starts reading.

Natuurpunt Mechels Rivierengebied

Our volunteers are indispensable. Together they work hard to reach the same goal: to protect and expand nature in our region.

Natuurpunt is committed to nature and biodiversity and manages 29,000 hectares of nature in 500 areas. Volunteers and professional teams protect, experience, study and advocate Nature. They take care of acquisition, management and accessibility. With footpaths, play forests and activities, Natuurpunt brings people together. Through research and observations it underpins policy. Politically independent, they advocate for better nature, aiming for a nature-inclusive Flanders by 2050.

More than 30,000 volunteers contribute, from industrious work in nature, nature management to guides, administrative tasks, ... each in their own way and at their own pace. Ownership lies with them, with independence for local departments and demand-driven work. Volunteers learn, meet like-minded people and contribute to a better nature, even without experience.

Natuurpunt offers a variety of volunteer activities: from cutting grass to inventorying animal species, making soup, and recruiting members. Everyone is welcome, regardless of prior knowledge. Low-threshold entry gives opportunities for advancement and influence on policy. Success lies in the diversity and commitment of volunteers.

The biggest challenge remains continuing to attract new people to support the operation and achieve growth.

Ecoso VZW – Foodsavers en Sociale Kruidenier La Luna

ECOSO stands for ECOlogical and SOcial Enterprise. Our goal is to create employment and strengthen competencies for people distanced from the regular labor market in an ecological context. Diversity and inclusion is what we believe in.

Ecoso vzw is recognised as a tailor-made company and stands for ECOlogical and SOcial Enterprise. Ecoso provides social services and strives for the sustainable development and employment of people who, for personal or social reasons, cannot yet enter the regular employment circuit.

Ecoso has several projects:

  • ‘Cirkels’: second-hand shops
  • ‘Fietsatelier’: bicycle workshop
  • ‘Recupperij’: circulatory activity and research workshop
  • Food Hub: Foodsavers and social grocery La Luna
  • The Value Factory

The Food Hub helps save food surpluses and fight poverty in the region, while also creating meaningful employment for people distant from the regular labour market. Volunteers sort food, price products, replenish shop shelves, serve customers, collect surplus food, ...

Ecoso focuses on matching mutual expectations and interests, good exchange of information, coaching on the job, check-in interviews, talents and growth opportunities, versatility, ownership and appreciation, ... A flatrate expense allowance is provided.

Success: Through volunteering, we give opportunities to people, take them out of social isolation and offer a valuable leisure activity. By working in this inclusive way, we empower everyone.

Challenge: Developing a sound volunteering policy across all of Ecoso’s sub-operations.

Hof van Egmont

Volunteers are the icing on the cake. They provide that extra touch. Without the volunteers, we would never be able to off er such a wide range of meaningful day care.

The Hof van Egmont residential care home is an organisation where 189 elderly people with physical or mental health care come to live in three different residential areas.

Volunteers take on small and large tasks from baking eggs to supervising activities. They organise performances, go on excursions, do activities in the neighbourhood, organise fun quizzes, stand behind the bar, take residents to the doctor’s or hairdresser’s and have pleasant conversations with the residents. They help ensure a quality life and a ‘home’ feeling for the residents.

At the introductory meeting, the volunteer coach sounds out the volunteer’s interests, so that this is an added value for the volunteer but also for the organisation. It is very important that the volunteer does something he or she enjoys doing.

Volunteers are given coupons to use in the cafeteria. Twice a year they organise a volunteer meeting, once training with a dinner, the other time an outing. Volunteers are also invited to the New Year’s reception and receive a gift on volunteer day and care day.

Success: the commitment volunteers show. Many volunteers have been volunteering for several years and they come up with their own ideas!

Challenge: Attracting even more volunteers, letting volunteers take more responsibility, coaching and guiding them in this.

Telenet Group

Corporate volunteering is a triple win: it positively impacts our society, our employees and our organization.

At Telenet group, we believe in the tremendous potential of digital inclusion and are committed to helping everyone to stay one step ahead in the digital age. We want to build a society in which people enjoy living and working together, embracing the endless possibilities of the digital world at the fullest. For a better quality of life.

To make sure everyone gets aboard the digital train, we focus on removing digital inclusion barriers by investing in access, digital skills & media literacy, inclusive design and creating a supporting network through corporate volunteering.

All Telenet group employees can benefi t from 16 hours of paid corporate volunteering time per year. Their engagement varies from one-off “helping hands” volunteering to more long-term, skills based volunteering assignments. The proactive Telenet group off er of volunteering assignments consists of vacancies linked to digital inclusion, but employees are allowed to commit to any social initiative of their liking.

Success: when all parties are happy about the created impact. We strive to meet the specifi c needs of the (social) organizations that we partner with as much as we can and put extra eff ort in matching the suitable volunteer to an assignment. When employees have experienced volunteering, we see them and their enthusiasm grow and positively infect others to volunteer as well.

Erfgoed Mechelen

Our volunteers are the heads, the hearts and the hands for the cultural heritage in Mechelen.

Cultural Heritage Mechelen focuses on movable and intangible cultural heritage with a current and future-oriented dynamic, by supporting or connecting very diverse types of heritage players. Cultural Heritage Mechelen itself carries out experiments around heritage with an extra focus on creativity, inclusion and sustainability. And it does so together with numerous people, associations and organisations with a heart for cultural heritage, professionals and volunteers.

Over 80 volunteers work with heart and soul on inventorying, digitising, collection care, public support and reception with cultural heritage partners. They roll up their sleeves and contribute ideas. From performing simple tasks to deploying their own or growing expertise on cultural heritage. Thanks to training and support from experts at Cultural Heritage

Mechelen and partner organisations, their knowledge remains up-to-date and they can always provide the right care. The volunteer work is based on talent interviews, variation in tasks, fixed contact points, regular guidance and support on both a practical and substantive level.

Success: 20-year operation in which volunteers remain motivated in sometimes changing circumstances thanks to moments of appreciation and mutual input!

Challenge: social changes, changing commitments both from cultural heritage partners and volunteers themselves, rejuvenation and knowledge sharing, permanent commitment to appreciation actions and talents, etc.

Deelbaar Mechelen

We run only on volunteers. We provide a fun meeting place and encourage people to share and reuse of materials.

At this circular and social library, all inhabitants of Mechelen can borrow laptops, tools, seeds and more! As an association, Shareable Mechelen wants to enthuse residents of Mechelen about the sharing and circular economy.

The volunteers do everything! They repair tools and equipment, take care of the library’s reception, use their IT skills for software updates, do the bookkeeping, orders, promotion, organise events, set up the location, maintain contacts with external parties and partners, give explanations, ...

There is virtually no supervision or follow-up of volunteers, the organisation and tasks that volunteers take on grow organically through the ideas that arise during meetings. No remuneration is provided. Everyone is welcome within the association, there is often cooperation with organisations where newcomers are looking for a place to practise Dutch, with the justice house and other partners.

By seeing the eff ort not as volunteer WORK but by creating a place where Malinois meet and have fun, the association nevertheless achieves results.

A semi-permanent location to build the organisation from is our challenge for the future.

Deeldepot2650

Our goal is to reduce waste. We share quality tools, 20 children’s bikes and other stuff . Our volunteers keep all our material in good condition.

Members of the Deeldepot2650 pay an annual membership fee and in return can reserve stuff online for free at www.deeldepot2650.be/ inventaris. This way, they share quality tools together.

The Deeldepot is run by volunteers. They ensure that the loan of materials runs smoothly and the materials are kept in good condition. Tasks vary from standing at the lending desk, managing the association, bookkeeping, member administration, inventory or communication such as writing for the newsletter, social media, press, etc.

A newcomer often stands with someone with experience, so they learn by doing. In addition, there are WhatsApp groups, permanent lists and volunteer meetings to make decisions together and evaluate operations.

The volunteers are most appreciated by the members. Each time they visit, they praise the initiative, they are happy with the materials on loan and are satisfied with how Deeldepot works. Furthermore, every year there is a New Year drink and a dinner for the volunteers. Volunteers enjoy free membership. Deeldepot tries to deploy its volunteers where their specifi c talents pay off best. The emphasis is on individual talent, not shortcomings.

Deeldepot volunteers can thus contribute to a sustainable society, receive affirmation and this provides a success experience.

Sjarabang & Sjarazang

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. They each bring their own talents that strengthen our activities. By contributing their own life experiences, they are an inexhaustible source of knowledge, empathy and warm human contact.

Sjarabang is a creative home where everyone (with or without disabilities) is welcome to engage in art on their own terms. There is a sculpture studio for painting, drawing, ceramics, .... The drama group produces an annual performance. And the inclusive choir Sjarazang developed its own methodology to get everyone singing along.

Volunteers support in the free workshops at home, at formations, at the Art Trials Festival, at team-buildings for companies, at crowdfunding activities, at camps and outings, ... There are cooking volunteers, volunteers who provide logistical support for the rental of the location, others do reception, ...

As a volunteer, you will be invited for an interview to discuss opportunities. In case of a match, a training offer is provided, exchange moments with other volunteers and staff members. Every year there is a volunteer party!

Success: At Sjarabang vzw, volunteers are the hub of the organisation. They play an indispensable role in promoting inclusion and participation through arts and culture. Volunteering at Sjarabang is not optional, but demonstrates a conscious commitment to both the organisation and the participants. This connection makes them the engine of change and progress.

Challenge: Finding structural grants from the government to optimise our operation.

Buurtparlement

We work together and support each other in the same goal: getting to know neighbors and organizations in our neighborhood, gaining insight into who lives nearby and what is happening and evolving in the community.

Heihoek is a historic district in Mechelen that has had a new neighborhoodinitiative since 2022: the Neighborhood Parliament Heihoek. This dynamic group consists of dedicated neighbors and organizations such as Avansa (committed to a sustainable, inclusive, and democratic society), De Keeting (an association advocating for the voices of the underprivileged), Den Deigem (a local service center), mARTa (a cultural hub), and El Kantra (a youth organization). The goal is to foster connections, understand the neighborhood better, communicate signals, and organize activities together, such as the informal “Soup and Chats” held on the 10th of each month at mARTa, where neighbors meet.

Everyone is welcome at the Neighborhood Parliament Heihoek. Monthly meetings alternate between formal core meetings and informal gatherings, such as neighborhood chats and winter community days. Enthusiasticparticipants who would like to lend a hand are warmly invited. The Neighborhood Parliament actively contributes to projects like h.Art van de Heihoek and the repurposing of the Heilig Hartkerk, focusing on community involvement. The “Heartfelt Places” project is an example of collaboration: four green areas in the district (Karmelietenstraat, Korte

Heistraat, Spiegelstraat, Veluwestraat) are being transformed into play and relaxation spots.

With an extensive participation program and a focus on connection, culture, and relaxation, the Neighborhood Parliament Heihoek contributes to a lively and engaged community.

mARTa

At the cultural hotspot mARTa we create together. We unite artists, organisations and neighbours. By working together we combine our abilities, knowledge and talents to achieve our common goals.

The former Sacred Heart Church will become a new socio-cultural hotspot in the heart of Mechelen. Neighbours chose the name mARTa: Mechelen ART in Adegemstraat. Here local residents, organizations and artists come together in a participatory and co-creative context, they make the place sustainable and give creative talent shelter and growth opportunities.

Volunteers help determine policy, vision and management structure. They are ambassadors, they enthuse, work out ideas, organize, man the café, clean up and redecorate, etc.

The volunteer work wants to create a nice, warm environment where everyone feels like a full part of mARTa. Every commitment is voluntary, without compensation and from a personal perspective to make the project successful. The coordinator looks for the qualities and talents of the volunteers and provides guidance and appreciation. Very often new volunteers offer themselves because they feel at home.

Success: The organization of the festival weekend Culture Splash in which the programming and organization was done entirely by the volunteers. The coordinator often opens the doors for a big event, volunteers spontaneously offer help. A tight planning and structure around coaching volunteers is not necessary. Looseness and less bureaucracy create a nicer feeling and working atmosphere and less pressure on the volunteers.

Challenge: keep mARTa alive during the renovation so that what was built doesn’t collapse over the next year.

Stadsarchief Mechelen

Where we are today with the Mechelen City Archives is due in large part to the years of dedication of archival volunteers

The City Archives of Mechelen preserves unique Mechelen archives, supports regional archivists, plays a leading role in digitization and offers accessible public offerings. It shares expertise within the Flemish archival sector and promotes social cohesion.

Volunteers are essential in projects such as digitization, AI, transcriptions, inventory and care. Their contribution provides new research and strengthens the operations of the City Archives. Recruitment is through the Mechelen Heritage Unit. Volunteers receive guidance, evaluations and opportunities for development. Appreciation comes through receptions, outings and visible results.

Success stories: historical manuscripts converted to digital text with AI,18,400 posters inventoried, top level indexing of genealogical sources, and approx. 100,000 scans. Satisfied volunteers, some active for 20 years, and low turnover highlight their impact.

Our biggest challenge is to attract younger volunteers.

Jeugdraad Mechelen

Jeugdraad Mechelen is our local youth council. The council for young people, by young people. They represent the youth and give them a voice. Their volunteers give advice, organise participation and they help to build a youth-friendly Mechelen.

The Youth Council Mechelen represents the voice of young people in the city and is committed to making Mechelen more youth-friendly. By raising awareness off bottlenecks and needs of young people with the city government and other agencies, the council strives for concrete improvements and participation. The tasks include monitoring youth policy, giving advice, organizing participation, informing young people, networking with organizations and setting up activities that empower young people.

The target group consists of all young people of Mechelen, regardless of their background or environment. Young people can actively discuss policies, share bottlenecks or participate in activities, with the goal that every young person feels heard and involved in decisions.

The Youth Council has four working groups: Media, Team Building, Participation and Policy. Each member contributes to common goals. In addition, presidents are elected annually; this year they are Anass Bouzakoura and Sandipa Bhandari. This structure provides opportunities for members to gain experience, develop their talents and actively engage on issues that affect young people.

Young people apply mainly through the website. They receive guidance from youth services. Working groups focus on talent development. Appreciation is through an annual budget for initiatives and meetings.

The youth council was redesigned, quickly attracted members, created additional study areas and a mental health project. The future challenge is continue to engage policy and recruit motivated members.

Zomerschool Mechelen

Every summer the city of Mechelen organises a temporary school during the summer break. Our team has a huge heart for children. For 10 days they give the best of themselves to help school kids to open up and grow.

The summer school helps children and young people develop their talents, which boosts their self-confidence and prepares them for the new school year. The program offers three tracks: for preschoolers, elementary school children and OKAN students (students from welcoming class for foreignspeaking newcomers). Volunteers play a crucial role and are divided into four profiles: talent coach, teacher, group supervisor and site manager. Each profile contributes to successful operations, from talent development and teaching to logistics and supervision.

Recruitment begins in January through posters, online advertising and partners. New volunteers attend a mandatory information session and can participate in free training sessions on topics such as diversity. Before the start, there are three preparation days with team building and consultation within teams and sites. During the summer school, the city provides support, and upon completion there is an evaluation and they receive compensation.

The success of the summer school is evidenced by the involvement of returning former volunteers and the diversity in the team, which facilitates connection with the target group.

Volunteers have less time and changing expectations, so it is important to remain attractive as an organization and make volunteers feel they are making a difference.

Klimavelo

Temporarily or permanently less mobile? Let the volunteer pilots of Klimavelo’s bicycle taxis take you for a ride .

Klimaan is a citizen movement striving for a sustainable, climate-neutral society with a focus on the social aspect. Together with the residents of Mechelen and its surroundings, Klimaan focuses on themes such as energy, land, water, and air. The movement aims to save energy and water, generate green energy, avoid waste through sharing and reuse, promote local agriculture, create more green spaces, and encourage clean air. To achieve this, Klimaan collaborates with local partners.

Klimavelo, a subproject of Klimaan, off ers a bicycle taxi service for less mobile individuals in Mechelen and Bonheiden. Volunteer pilots, including newcomers, transport people for short trips, such as to the hairdresser or family visits. The rickshaw accommodates two passengers and can also carry a foldable walker. Pilots receive training and provide a safe and comfortable service.

Less mobile individuals, regardless of age or temporary limitations, can use this service. Unsure if the bicycle taxi is suitable? Klimaan is happy to off er a test ride to explore the possibilities together. Through this initiative, Klimaan contributes to inclusive and sustainable mobility.

Mondiale Raad

The Mondiale Raad or ‘Global Council’ in English is the advisory and participation council of the city concerning development cooperation and North-South policy, comprised of highly committed volunteers.

The Global Council of Mechelen consists of residents who engage in their own projects around the world to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their efforts are not only focused on projects in the Global South but also on the local Mechelen community. The council continues to grow and inspire through activities such as the Global Christmas Market and M-Fair, promoting a diverse city with worldwide connections. Members build bridges and foster engagement on both local and global levels.

The council is comprised of numerous organizations, both large and small, including Broederlijk Delen, Oxfam Wereldwinkel Mechelen, Damiaanactie, Eyes for the World, Oye Lena, and Cubanismo, among others. Together, they work on international solidarity and sustainable projects.

One significant initiative is the Global School, in which the council collaborates with schools in Mechelen to educate students to become global citizens. This encourages them to look beyond their immediate surroundings and actively contribute to a sustainable society.

The Global Council demonstrates how local efforts can lead to global impact and remains a driving force for solidarity, education, and connection in Mechelen.

Digibank Mechelen

All Digital - discover the digital opportunities in Mechelen. Learn more from the Internet, your smartphone or computer thanks to the help of volunteers.

Mechelen has more than 20 Digibank points, which are places in the city where citizens can walk in for free without an appointment for and ask any digital question. Volunteers and ask any digital question. You can go there for customized training or digital support.

You can use the computers on site or bring your own device. In the Digibank studio you can borrow a laptop, tablet or smartphone. You can pick it up at the workshop itself or at a Digibank point. Each device contains basic software.

Having problems with your device? Then you can bring it into the digibank atelier or a digibank point to have it checked. The city works with several partners, including training center LIGO, adult education center Avansa, the unions, adult education institutions, etc. to provide group and individual tutoring so that everyone can get on the digital train!

In addition, there are several points where there is free wifi and computers to access the Internet for free. All this to reduce the digital divide!

 

Informatie

Grote Markt 21
2800 Mechelen
vrijwilligerspunt@mechelen.be

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