VOLUNTEERING INFRASTRUCTURE

1. VOLUNTEERING INFRASTRUCTURECONCEPT DEFINITIONIn Germany, volunteering mostly takes place in voluntary organisations, for which thestatutory legal form is the registered association (eingetragene Verein, e.V.). Furthermore thechurches, welfare associations and public institutions such as schools and museums, also havevolunteering programmes. In a broader sense this can be called the basic infrastructure wherevolunteering is organised.In the narrow sense, the concept of “volunteering infrastructure” within the German debatecontains organisations and institutions, such as volunteer agencies, volunteer centres orself-help contact points, that have been established over the past three decades. These facilitiesrespond to the growing need of many volunteers for independent advice, matching and placing.Over the past three decades many different forms of infrastructure facilities, each have differentpriorities, have developed. Some for example address specific target groups such as seniorvolunteers (aged 50 and above) or disabled people (self-help contact points). All infrastructurefacilities have however the common aim to act as information hubs and development centres forvolunteering and civic engagement.Overview and figures of existing infrastructure facilities in Germany include: approximately300 volunteer agencies and centres (Freiwilligenagenturen, zentren); around 250 senior centres(Seniorenbüros); 212 self-help contact points (Selbsthilfekontaktstellen); 500 Multi-GenerationCentres or Houses, established since 2006 through Mehrgenerationenhäuser, a programmefunded through the European Social Fund (ESF); 237 community foundations (Bürgerstiftungen).Further types of facilities with similar functions are the Local Contact Points within communityadministrations or set-up as independent hubs; Community Offices for Citizens, set-up inthe frame of the ESF Programme Soziale Stadt; Focus Points for local development in ruralareas; Neighbourhood-Centres (Nachbarschaftshäuser); Socio-Cultural Centres; Local initiativesin the context of the Agenda 21 1 ; Parental and Family Centres; Care Centres. Most of theseinfrastructure facilities are rather small in size and capacity, having 1 to 2 professional staff, andfew of them have up to 20 employees.The main function of the infrastructure in Germany is to act as information hubs anddevelopment centres for volunteering, counsel and place volunteers into local projects andgroups, explore, develop and transfer innovative projects and new forms of volunteering.Mentoring projects, where senior volunteers support young people at the gateway from schoolto professional life, have developed in Germany in large numbers.1. Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organisations of the United Nations System,Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Agenda 21 was adopted at the United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 1992. Available at: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/152 Volunteering infrastructure in Europe 11 Germany