On 18th May, the members of the Volunteering and Youth Working Group came together for their annual face-to-face meeting. The JOIN Office hosted representatives from Austria, England, Germany and Hungary in the Belgian capital.
Topics of the meeting were engaging different generations in volunteering and comparing the medical qualifications of volunteers across Europe to facilitate their effective deployment abroad. The group also discussed the legal frame needed to facilitate Swap opportunities for young volunteers aged under 18. The participation and opportunities of the past Volunteer Swap programme were reviewed, and the latest Swap opportunities were presented.
The group then planned the upcoming Volunteer Swap between young people (under 18) from England and Germany in June. For the first time, a group of young people from St John Ambulance will travel to Nürnberg, Germany and participate in the celebrations of Kirchentag (protestant church day) from 7th to 11th June. In the following weeks, young Johanniter Germany volunteers will travel to London and participate in the St John’s Day celebrations.
