Voluntary service and social involvement Center .Fundación Edes

“Fundación Edes” is a non - profit and non - governmental organization which is made up by mental and intellectual disabilities people. Families, professionals and volunteers, they come together to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities towards a fairer and more egalitarian society.

We has been working in a rural area of north-western Asturias and northeast of Lugo since 1999.We provide speciality services and support and we care about the exercise of rights and duties, and to the access to resources and the social inclusion to disability people in rural areas. From an involvement, transparency, participation and community work management, Fundación Edes promotes the following:

-Prevention and early treatment
-Development of individual programs based in abilities
-Family Involvement
-Social and inclusion employment.

Fundación Edes had been involved in the Youth in Action Programme through two youth initiatives in previous years. It has been accredited as an European Voluntary Service organization since 2014. Although we haven’t had any experience in the management and support of similar projects. In spite of, at the local and regional level, we have over ten years in the management and support of similar projects.

We think that cooperation, interdisciplinary coordination and working together is one of the main objectives of our organization. We have the following work team:
-Early Childhood Intervention Unit: Psychologist-coordinator, physiotherapist, speech therapist, and specialist in psycho-motor skills development.
-Accompaniment Program Families: Coordinator and five / four educational technical assistants in extracurricular activities and summer leisure center.
-Employment and Training Service: Coordinator and Project Manager organic agricultural production.
-Environmental Awareness program: one Coordinator.
-Volunteer Office and Social Participation: Two technical.
-Staff of Coordination and administration: One coordinator
-Fifteen volunteers: leisure and farm support.

Edes Foundation holds once a week a coordination meeting. This is an important place to settle, share and resolve, important decisions to the development of the projects, including problems the management of the European Voluntary Service.
In addition, Edes Foundation has a long and successful career managing own volunteering and supporting volunteer projects in the region where it works.
As for the economic and quality issues management, Edes Foundation has the profile of the "program coordinator". As well as she is dealing with issues of this type she has a broad and extensive experience in managing volunteer projects.

By 2015 our experience under EVS has more to do with the spread of service and paperwork as a result of our previous accreditation as sending organization.
-We launched this blog section of the Volunteer Center and social participation of NW : http://cvps1.otroccidente.org/voluntariado-europeo/

-We have organized a dissemination session last June in a nearby town: http://otroccidente.org/actividades/nodes.php?numero=1921
Issues about insurance, protection, certificates ,etc. of participants we intend to address the way the Spanish National Agency and its delegation in Asturias : the Asturian Youth Institute provides all entities accredited in our region.

Regarding support and tutoring, such organization has got several people who carry out this task:
- Irma García y Fernando Mendez (Volunteer Center and Social Participation coordinator). They will be watching the management of the project and the monitoring and support of EVS participants.
-Jorge López Calvín (Accompanied program families coordinator). He will accompany the volunteer in the day to day.
-Elena Martínez (Staff of Coordination and administration). She will make the overall supervision of each project of European voluntary service.

Fundación Edes provides pre-departure workshop it provides mutual understanding between the organization and the volunteer as well as ensuring that we know the project in which we will participate and know that there are assurances of support in the host country. For this contact will be maintained via e -mail and other applications to try to know all the conditions and activities that will develop the volunteers. As for the language, the participation will be encouraged in training courses organized in the country of origin on this matter.
During the mobility experience, we try to have at least monthly contact with the volunteer to see the development of voluntary activity and the possible difficulties that can find the volunteer development experience.

It will be preferentially looked for people with previous experience in local voluntary service, not being an exclusive matter but if to consider.

As for the selection of volunteers, it is intended that the experience possible for young people in the Asturias countryside that meet the unique requirements of EVS and show interest and commitment to social initiatives.

Edes Foundation works in rural Asturian northwestern and northeast of Lugo with small coastal towns with high added value on tourism because it is an area with a temperate climate without extreme temperatures. It has an economy based on the primary sector and the service sector economy. We are located in northern Spain, near of Galicia Region.
Our work area in includes the following council towns:
Valdés, Navia, Coaña, Villayón, El Franco, Tapia de Casariego, Castropol, Vegadeo, San Tirso de Abres, Taramundi, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, San Martín de Oscos, Villanueva de Oscos, Grandas de Salime, Illano, Boal y Pesoz. We also work with people from northeast of Lugo villages such a: Ribadeo, Foz, Alfoz y Cervo.
The activities planned for EVS are related to young people with disabilities and the context in which we do it.
In rural areas there are few opportunities that exist for young people to join European initiatives and in the case of EVS volunteer organizations are not currently in our immediate environment with such projects.

The daily operation of equipment working Edes Foundation is based on collaborative work and team working. This is learning for those who participate in this working model. Volunteer will join the team of Summer Leisure Centre, attending the meetings planning, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of day -to-day Summer Leisure Centre.
It is also expected that the volunteer involved in the project for independent living for young people (21 and older) with disabilities. Natural support is provided to lend support in the day -to-day chores in the people they will coexist.

The volunteer profile we seek is a young person with basic training in recreation, with willingness and ability to learn. A person with commitment to the inclusion of young people with disabilities and prone to teamwork. The selection process shall comply with criteria such as : basic use of Spanish spoken , flexibility and ability to adapt to the proposed project . Be interested, predisposed to live and develop their work in the countryside in contact with nature.

Fundación Edes are the transfering of a building with several rooms in the same location as the rest of the organization. Edes Foundation provides the flat to live. It´s got bathrooms, toilets, kitchen and dining room in order to the volunteers.
We also have got a shared house with young mental disability people (over 21 years).
Travel necessary for the development of the tasks are covered and guaranteed by the organization.
The volunteer person will be provided with the support team the move to the area and public transport pass.

As mentioned above, each team has a manager or coordinator who is responsible for keeping track of volunteers.
Monitoring daily meetings with the project manager (Jorge López Calvín), weekly meetings with the mentors (Irma García y Fernando Mendez) and how the volunteer get used to the project will be assessed. There will also be monthly meetings to collect general topics of the experience, the welcome and to get used of the volunteer. In addition she will take care of accommodation to the project, the institution and the environment of volunteers, because being in a rural setting and dispersed need more support to live independently.

Edes Foundation has basic security measures for the users, volunteers and employees. There will be follow-up meetings with the program manager and other employees of the organization. They can address and resolve conflicts, work motivation and answer any questions about the tasks to be performed by the volunteer.
The professional team of Edes Foundation has social workers, social educators, educationist and psychologist. All of them are available to the SVE with all team abilities to provide support to the volunteer might need. Likewise we will look after the integration of the volunteer in the work enviroment by establishing relationships with staff, providing contacts and approaches to local associations organize cultural and leisure activities close to environment.