Euclid Network and NCVO event on European Years: What do they mean to us?

The Euclid Network/NCVO event on January 28th brought together a variety of civil society leaders to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the European Year of Volunteering in 2011 and to take forward lessons into the European Year of Active Aging 2012 and the forthcoming European Year of Civil Society 2013.

The event included contributions from representatives of Volunteering England, CSV, the European Year of Volunteering Alliance ad both the EU commission and the Britsh Government's Office for Civil Society and Department of Work and Pensions. The event fostered discussion and suggestions to the panel from the audience and offered a chance for civil society to interact with government departments, and issues were identified around timescale and legacy planning, with examples of good planning being held up, particularly by Sam Mars of Volunteering England who focussed on the successes of Leeds City Council as a model for future years.

The event was split into two parts, with the first section focussing on the successes and lessons of the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and the second looking at the current year, The European Year of Active Aging 2012, and forward to the European Year of Civil Society 2013.

Videos are available below, and also on Euclid Network TV

The full agenda is here

Part I: Views on the 2011, the European Year of Volunteering

Joachim Ott from the EC gives a perspective from Brussels

Sam Mars of Volunteering England, on what became known as "The Oldham Question"

Gabriella Civico Outlines her IMPACT 6 Point Lessons from 2011

Tamara Flanagan on the making and legacy of EY 2011

Part II: Lessons for the next two years

The Government Perspective on the coming years

Katy Chason on Plans for the Future