The association “Volontari e Amici del Cottolengo” is located in Biella (Piemonte, North of Italy), it is the

capital of the province of Biella, with 45,500 inhabitants. It is located about 70 Km northeast of Turin and

about 100 Km west-northwest of Milan. In Biella there are university courses and several facilities and tourist

attractions. Biella’s surroundings are very beautiful, there are many woods and hills that stands at the

beginning of Alps. In every moment, if you like it, you can go for a walk in nature. At the same time, heading

toward south, you can find flat lands with lakes, fields and paddy fields. Religious pilgrims make their way to

the Sanctuary of Oropa that in 2003, was inserted by UNESCO in the World Heritage List. Biella is an

important wool processing and textile center too. There is a small airport in the nearby comune of Cerrione.

In Biella you can find also many relevant international contemporary art activities such as the Pistoletto

foundation, Cracking – art movement.

We carry out our activities in the structure called “Piccola casa della divina provvidenza S. Giuseppe

Cottolengo”. This is a little village, with a church in the middle. Around it there are the buildings where our

guests live. There are two different main areas: the female one and the masculine one. This is the only way

we differentiate our guests. They live in households, composed by 15-20 persons each. This is made to

make everybody feel always at home, with their own family group. This aspect is very important and it’s

appreciated by the guests too. During the week there are organised activities for the whole day. During

spring, summer and autumn, when the weather is good, all our guests can stay together in a big garden if

they are not busy in the workshop activities. There are also some big areas that can be used for group

activities. There’s a little café and a big physiotherapy gymnasium.

B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers

· Describe what you can offer to volunteers in terms of service and learning opportunities.

· Please, explain what will be the role of EVS volunteers in the host organisation.

· Describe the activities in which the volunteers could be involved and the activities the volunteers could create in your

organisation. Give examples of typical activities for the volunteers.

The association “Volontari e Amici del Cottolengo” EVS hosting project wants to be first of all a learning

experience for the volunteers. They will be gradually introduced to the daily activities, under the supervision

of an Italian volunteer.

We believe that the volunteers interested in our project has to be aware of the peculiar context they will face,

and they have to be highly motivated and ready to face the disability and elderly people world. Specific skills

are not required but competences related to this field of activity will be appreciated.

The volunteers will learn also all the issues and problems connected to the condition of disabled and eldery

persons, they will discover the diseases that affect the guests of the structure. They will help and follow the

Italian volunteers in the daily activities, enabling people with mobility difficulties to increase their mobility and

independence. They will acquire skills and competences that could be useful for their human and

professional future.

During their experience the volunteers will also have to think about different approaches to the needs of

every single person. Every user requires a particular care, tailored on his needs and the volunteer will learn

that there are many different approaches to disability and disease, because everyone is different and unique.

They will also understand and realize how important is the fight against architectural barriers and how these

affect disabled people’s everyday’s life.

The volunteers will be encouraged to organize leisure time activities and to propose their own ideas in order

to develop a personal project.

We usually organize many different kind of activities: hand working (a little bricolage, manual art workshops,

ornamentation workshops,assembly activities, papier mache…), playing sport activities (physiotherapy,

gym…), artistical activities ( embroidery, stencil workshops, Theatre activities…) and some really important

“brain exercices” (reading newspaper!, computer activities, school courses, singing workshops…).

A typical week could be:

MONDAY: in the morning, music-therapy. In the afternoon, physiotherapy activities.

TUESDAY: in the morning, hand working. In the afternoon, papier mache laboratory.

WEDNESDAY: in the morning, theatre workshop. In the afternoon, school activities.

THURSDAY: in the morning, let’s go on a trip!! In the afternoon, let’s go to the gym !!

FRIDAY: in the morning, outdoor activities. In the afternoon, school activities.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY: free time; in case some activities could take place during the weekend.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=42000468416