- More than 1,500 people have participated in activities, training, or consultations carried out at the Casa del Voluntariado during this first year
- Councilor Marta Torrado has participated in this first meeting, highlighting that the Casa del Voluntariado de València has «established itself as a reference space in the city for volunteering, participation, and collaboration among social entities»
- The event has the participation of 50 third sector associations, who have been able to present their respective projects and share experiences
València celebrates the first anniversary of the Casa del Voluntariado with a meeting of third sector organizations under the slogan «Creating synergies.» The City Council of València, through the Department of Social Services, in collaboration with the Plataforma del Voluntariat de la Comunitat Valenciana, has organized this First Encounter of Entities, which began this morning at the entity’s headquarters, bringing together the main social entities in the city with the will to «share experiences, strengthen collaboration, and promote volunteering in the community.»
The event features the participation of 50 third sector associations, as part of the celebration of the first anniversary of the Casa del Voluntariado. As highlighted by the Councilor of Social Services, Marta Torrado, the Casa del Voluntariado de València has «established itself as a reference space in the city for volunteering, participation, and collaboration among social entities.»
The meeting, held this Wednesday at the Casa headquarters on Calle Santos Justo y Pastor, has been conceived as a forum for exchange, mutual knowledge, and the generation of synergies, where the different participating entities have presented their respective projects and have had the opportunity to share experiences. Additionally, the representatives of the associations have been able to reflect on the social challenges facing the city.
A place of welcome, visibility, and connection
During the opening of the event, Councilor Marta Torrado emphasized «the fundamental role played by social entities in building a fairer and more cohesive city,» highlighting that the Casa del Voluntariado «has established itself, in just one year, as a place of welcome, visibility, and connection, as a useful tool that has strengthened the work of our entities and has generated community,» she emphasized.
The event has also served to take stock of this first year of activity, highlighting the main achievements since the opening of the center. Among them, the councilor emphasized the more than 1,500 people who have directly participated in activities, training, or consultations carried out at the Casa del Voluntariado, or the 155 people who have been registered in the volunteering pool after receiving personalized guidance.
Additionally, Marta Torrado pointed out that a total of 80 social entities have used the space, both for meetings and for carrying out training activities or community initiatives; and up to 600 companies have been contacted to explore avenues for collaboration and corporate volunteering, with 36 participants in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) meetings.
Specialized advice has also been provided to entities in areas such as communication, equality plans, legal aspects, and project development. 39 collaboration agreements have been signed with social entities. The year’s balance also includes 17 training sessions conducted, with 320 participants (81% of whom are women), or the 39 collaboration agreements reached with various social entities. More than 130 publications have also been made on social networks and the website, and finally, a specific digital space with useful information and resources has been created, the digital platform www.casadelvoluntariado.org.
The 1st Volunteer Congress of the city of València
One of the key moments of the year was the celebration of the 1st Volunteer Congress of the city of València, held last February, initially scheduled for October 2024, but postponed due to the dana of 29-O. «The community response to that emergency, with significant participation from entities and volunteer individuals, demonstrated the need for stable spaces for coordination and collective action,» pointed out Councilor Marta Torrado.
The councilor especially thanked the work carried out in these circumstances by the Casa del Voluntariado team, as well as by the Section of Social Inclusion Programs and Community Action (PISAC) of the City Council, for their technical support and coordination work.
«Volunteering is transformative energy, and social entities are its driving force. This anniversary is not just a milestone, it is the starting point for a new stage to continue building a city from the collective, the close, and the supportive,» concluded the Councilor of Social Services.
Following the institutional opening of the event, led by Councilor Marta Torrado, the director of the Casa del Voluntariado, Cristina Martínez, and the president of the Plataforma del Voluntariat, Miguel Salvador, have intervened in the session. Subsequently, a series of participatory and collaborative dynamics have been carried out among the representatives of the different entities participating in the event.
