Volunteering is a practice that simultaneously promotes the personal development of participants and the well-being of communities. It is in this context that VolunTrek was created, a project officially launched in early October in Santa Maria da Feira.

Funded by the Erasmus+ programme, this initiative aims to strengthen skills in the management, preparation and welcoming of adult volunteers, recognising the positive and multifaceted impact that volunteering can generate.

The project has established a set of clear objectives:

• Strengthen volunteer management and preparation skills among educators, professionals and representatives of organisations that host or send adult volunteers, ensuring better-prepared and more successful volunteering experiences.
• Develop social, emotional and intercultural skills among adults who are interested in starting or are already involved in volunteering, increasing the quality and impact of their experiences, both locally and internationally.
• Introduce innovative practices in the education, training and social sectors, enabling organisations to strengthen their teams’ capacity to welcome adult volunteers and provide candidates with comprehensive and effective preparation.
• Create an “Adult Educators’ Volunteering Toolkit”, based on gamification methodologies, providing a robust methodological framework for developing management and preparation skills, as well as addressing social, emotional and intercultural dimensions with volunteers.

The project partnership between Portugal, Spain, Poland and Serbia will strengthen its reach and consistency, promoting the exchange of good practices and creating opportunities for high-quality volunteering experiences.