International Youth Volunteering with the German Red Cross

The International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement is the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. It promotes humanitarian values and provides emergency help to people in short-term crises throughout the UK and around the world.

The British Red Cross has ambitious plans to increase the engagement of young people to take action as humanitarian citizens. In joint partnership with our sister National Society, we are able to offer two unique long-term volunteering opportunities in Braunschweig and Melle, Germany for three young people from the UK.

THE CONTEXT

The German Red Cross is currently the third largest Red Cross Society in the world, with over 4.5 million members. It works extensively within Germany and is the country’s biggest provider of emergency medical services. Additionally, areas of work in the social field include support for older people, families and young people as well as first aid and emergency response, health care services and managing blood donation. The German Red Cross looks out for those who need help and support in order to overcome social disadvantage, emergencies and vulnerability.

The British Red Cross has been hosting German volunteers on UK projects for ten years, and, in January 2010, we piloted sending 2 volunteers to the Kaufbar project in Braunschweig for 8 months. In September 2011, we would like to send another 2 volunteers to the Kaufbar and send 1 volunteer to a pilot project in Melle for 12 months. Both projects share a common aim of supporting work with vulnerable people in local Red Cross services.

THE ROLES

We are looking to recruit two volunteers for Braunschweig, who will live together,and one volunteer for Mellefor a12-month placement.

All three volunteers will be recruited at the selection day in Augustand have similar pre-departure training between 16th -18th August. You will travel out to Germany together at the beginning of September 2011before going to your new projects. It is possible that volunteers will collaborate on an inter-disciplinary project over their 12 month period in Germany. The volunteers will be able to meet during the year in order to develop their project.

Braunschweig: Both volunteers will work primarily at the ‘Kaufbar’ project with adults who are long-term unemployed, as well as with local families and café customers. The Kaufbar is a social and cultural project, which enables people to gain skills in the workplace (kitchen, bar, serving tables, events organization) as well as encouraging interaction with the local community through cultural events.

Additionally, the Kaufbar serves as a location for after-school children’s groups, Open Mic and performance evenings,coaching and attendance for long-term unemployedpeople, second hand shop (where articles made in the local ‘Tragbar’ can be sold) and an informal advice centre. The Kaufbar also provides someindividual services for people including painting and moving furniture. Additionally, it handles the donations for the Red Cross in Braunschweig and Salzgitter (clothing, books, furniture and decorations).

The volunteers will be expected to integrate into the staff team and support the day-to-day (and evening!) running of the Kaufbar. This could include:

  • Helping in the kitchen, supporting the service users
  • Helping service users with serving food and drinks and taking money
  • Supporting service users to sort donations and run the second hand shop
  • Helping to plan and advertise events, including designing posters and flyers
  • Supporting the IT network and help with the paperwork, the administration and the business activities
  • Taking part in the manual work at the building site in Salzgitter
  • Running weekly/monthly after-school activities for primary school children
  • Supporting blood donation sessions through providing food, reading stories etc
  • Supporting coaching people suffering from mental disorders
  • Writing for the newsletter or website about upcoming events

As the volunteers become involved in the different aspects of the Kaufbar, there will be scope for them to follow their own interests, from the sewing workshop to poster design to helping with the after-school activities.

Volunteers will primarily be based at the Kaufbar in central Braunschweig but there is scope to work at the Wohnbar (second hand furniture restoration centre and shop) and the Tragbar (centre for service users to design and sew items for sale) in Salzgitter, approx. 15 miles from Braunschweig. There will also be the opportunity to take part in activities run by the Red Cross office in Salzgitter, working with local vulnerable communities.

Given the variety of options of activities and the occasional late opening hours of the Kaufbar, it is expected that the volunteers will work some evenings and possibly weekends. This will be compensated for with TOIL (time off in lieu).

There will also be the chance to regularly volunteer with the local Red Cross Youth group. There you can take part in First Aid training and school projects as well as being a summer camp leader during the residential trips with children and young people to the North Sea coast in July.

Volunteers will need to be sensitive to the service users and the Kaufbar’s customers’ needs. They need to understand the ethos behind the project, which is to support service users to make a fresh start, and should be open-minded and supportive to the service users. Given the varied nature of the project, volunteers will need to be flexible, dynamic and able to multi-task. The volunteers’ own input into activities (creativity, design, woodwork, arts, music) will be appreciated.

Melle:

The German Red Cross area branch of Melle is one of about 560 area branches in the German Red Cross. Their main focus areas of work are in the health service and in care for the elderly. They also run a soup kitchen for people from low socio-economic and/or immigrant backgrounds, as well as a new ‘social department store’.

The German Red Cross in Melle is keen to develop a new German Red Cross youth programme over the next five years. They have taken on one employee who has developed a programme of First Aid training in schools, and is building up a network to offer ‘School First Aid Services’ across the area, in partnership with the area branch in Osnabruck north.

By the end of the five year period, it is hoped that there will be a fully developed Schools First Aid Services programme, as well as a training programme on issues such as International Humanitarian Law, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and running projects in schools.

The Melle branch is looking for 1 EVS volunteer to support the development of this youth service and work closely with their youth staff member. The volunteer will be encouraged to contribute their own ideas to the project’s development and can become a contact person for the teachers involved. The volunteer can take part in suitable advanced trainings and meetings. The volunteer will be working closely with members of the Red Cross Youth in the regional branch of Lower Saxony.

Melle, is a small town with approx. 50 000 inhabitants, is close to Osnabruck, about 120 km west of Hannover and 230 km south of Hamburg.Leisure activities tend to be based around sport, outdoor activities or local interest groups. Volunteers will need to be pro-active in finding free time interests.

The volunteer will need to be open-minded, flexible and understand the challenges of volunteering in a pilot project. S/he will be encouraged to contribute their ideas for the successful development of the project and to take an active role in delivering sessions in schools.

QUALITIES WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The successful candidates will be aged18-26, and will also demonstrate the following:

  • An interest in working in the social and/or youth fields
  • Committed, mature and independent work ethic
  • Excellent communication and social skills
  • Sensitivity to service users’ needs (whether in schools or in the Kaufbar) and an understanding of working with vulnerable people
  • Flexibility and an ability to deal with challenges in a constructive manner
  • Creativity and willingness to take the initiative
  • Realistic expectations regarding the benefits and challenges of volunteering overseas for 12 months
  • Prepared to live with a modest allowance and accommodation
  • Spoken English & a reasonable level of German (GCSE equivalent or preferably higher)
  • And most importantly, a commitment to the Red Cross, volunteering and global humanitarian issues

PRACTICALITIES

The placement will run from September 2011 for 12 months until the end of August. The successful candidates will be funded and accredited through the European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme of the European Commission. More details about EVS can be found at

Our priority is to recruit young people who would otherwise not have access to such international opportunities. Accommodation will be provided as well as food or an allowance for food. Travel to and from work will be via public transportor by bike. In addition, each volunteer will receive a small allowance of 105 Euros per month.

Volunteers will work an average of 7 hours per day, 5 days per week. Some flexibility is required to accommodate activities that run in the evenings or weekends. There are also 24 days of holiday during the placement (not including national public holidays), which can be taken with prior arrangement with your supervisor.

Volunteers at the Red Cross are highly valued for the skills and energy they bring to our work. The successful candidates will receive pre-departure and on-arrival training from both the Red Cross and the European Commission, as well as have access to confidential support and supervision throughout the duration of the placement.

Location:Braunschweig, Germany or Melle, Niedersachsen,Germany
Reporting to both:

  • Relevant German Red Cross staff member in either Melle or Braunschweig
  • Rachel Butler: Programme Coordinator – International Youth Volunteering, British Red Cross

For more information:

Application deadline:27th May 2011

Interviews: Suitable candidates will be invited to a selection day at our UK Office in London with Rachel Butler (British Red Cross) and Antje Kaempfe (German Red Cross) w/c 20th June.

Part of the selection day will be in German.

To apply, please fill out the enclosed application form and return to th ‘Germany application + your name’ in the subject heading.

International Youth Volunteering Programme

GERMANYApplication Form 2011-2012

Please complete all sections in English. All information provided will remain strictly confidential. Please send a CV (max 2 pages) with your application form.

Section 1: Personal Information
Last Name / First Name / Middle Name(s)
E-mail: / Date of Birth: / Gender:
Male Female
Town and Country of Birth: / Passport number: / Nationality:
Current correspondence address: / Home telephone: / Mobile telephone:
Permanent address (if different): / Home telephone:
Do you have any existing insurance cover (travel/medical)? If so, please give details below
Emergency Contact Information
Name: / Relationship to you: / Home telephone:
Home address: / Email address: / Mobile telephone:
Section 2: Education (continue on additional sheet if necessary)
Secondary School/College: / Years Attended: / Qualifications Obtained (GCSE, A-level, NVQ etc.):
to
to
Tertiary Education (Polytechnic, University etc.): / Years Attended: / Qualifications Obtained (Diploma, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate etc):
to
to
Section 3: Work Experience (continue on additional sheet if necessary)
Organisation: / Year: / Position: / Responsibilities:
Section 4: Additional Skills
Languages: / Spoken: / Written: / Reading:
Driver’s Licence: / Others:
Section 5: Additional Questions (continue on an additional sheet if necessary)
Please describe any relevant prior work or voluntary experience, giving as much detail as possible.
Please explain your reasons for volunteering abroad with the Red Cross. Which project(s) interests you the most, and why?Write at least 200 words of explanation
Please describe any personal trials and how you overcame them.
Please describe any prior international experience, giving details of location and how long you were overseas for.
What challenges do you think you will face during your time abroad?
How will you overcome them?
As the Red Cross, our priority is to provide international placements to people who would ordinarily have less access to them due to socio-economic, health or other personal reasons. If appropriate, please use this space to describe why you think this programme is especially applicable to you.
Section 6: Additional Information
Please detail any allergies, medical conditions or other support needs.
Section 7: Practicalities
We are looking to send 3 volunteers out to Germany at the beginning of September. Please state when you would be able to leave, which (if any) Red Cross training courses/events you have already attended, and confirm that your passport will be valid for departure in September.
Section 8: References
Please provide the names and contact information of two referees. These may include an employer, supervisor, colleague or teacher (but not a relative).
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Relationship to You: / Name:
Location:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Relationship to You:
I hereby acknowledge that all information contained within this form is true to the best of my knowledge.
Signature: / Date: