VOLUNTEERING INFRASTRUCTURE

9. Awareness of volunteeringopportunitiesDatabases of volunteers and volunteer opportunities are not available atnational level in Malta. Organisations hosting volunteers run their owndatabases, and these generally serve for purposes of internal use.Volunteering is promoted among the general public through the media,often promoted through community programmes on national TV stations,including Malta’s national education TV station, E22. Fund-raising eventsinvolving significant numbers of volunteers are also regularly aired on thenational TV station, PBS, as well as political and private TV stations. Apartfrom also making interventionsduring radio magazine programmesThe Maltese media is generally receptive as well as issuing articles andto volunteering activities; it is not uncommonto come across news coverage of volunteer-engaging organisationsfeatures in the printed media, somevolunteering events both on the national have started using electronic socialand private TV and radio stations, as well networks, such as Facebook, toas in the printed and electronic media promote volunteer recruitmentand experiences. Furthermore, inrecent months, the Ministry ofEducation, Employment and the Family has been running a radio campaignpromoting volunteering within the context of the European Year 2010for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Furthermore, the EuropeanYear of Volunteering 2011 was an outstanding opportunity for promotingvolunteering through different means of communication.The Maltese media is generally receptive to volunteering activities; it is notuncommon to come across news coverage of volunteering events both onthe national and private TV and radio stations, as well as in the printedand electronic media. Voluntary organisations are also often given spaceto promote their volunteering appeals during magazine TV and radioprogrammes. The endorsement of volunteering initiatives and activities bypublic figures, including Ministers and personalities, often helps the degreeto which they are given coverage by the media, and this is something whichvoluntary organisations exploit to ensure increased exposure.10. Additional countryspecificitiesNone, other than that already stated above.267 Volunteering infrastructure in Europe 18 Malta