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Supporting and developing the voluntary sector is a broad, complex objective. In practical terms, Ciessevi has sought to achieve this through the activities performed by its own areas.
Consultancy Area
The Consultancy Area is one of the main contact and service points for voluntary organisations, offering information, guidance and advice on organisational, legislative, accounting, fiscal and fund-seeking issues.
Since the service was activated, in January 1998, more than 7,000 users have come to it, presenting around 27,000 cases.
Of these approximately 80% are organisations or individuals who wish to establish voluntary associations. From records of contacts, furthermore, it can be seen that almost 90% of voluntary organisations in the province of Milan entered in the Regional Register have contacted Ciessevi at least once.
The Training Area
Training represents one of the main tasks of the Service Centres for the Voluntary Sector, understood as any instrument directed towards the qualification of voluntary organisations.
For its training programme, since the outset Ciessevi has involved and harnessed the training experiences and expertise to be found in the voluntary sector. Over the past ten years it has organised 800 courses, attended by 19,000 volunteers.
The Project Planning Area
The Project Planning Area began its activity in December 2001.
Its tasks include monitoring all material on the topic, in order to seize real opportunities for voluntary organisations to take part in public or private calls for proposals. The Project Planning Area has worked to in collaboration and contact with those publishing calls for proposals in order to know and better understand any doubts emerging from the work of consulting with the bodies.
The Area has offered its consultancy service for over 2,600 projects.
Voluntary Sector Promotion Area
The Voluntary Sector Promotion Area began its activity in September 2003.
Through notices of selection it has produced 125 awareness-raising initiatives, presentations of first-hand accounts, short in-depth courses, conventions, seminars and round table discussions, while 25 large festivals for the voluntary sector have been held in the province of Milan by networks of associations. 18,000 people have taken part in the initiatives, 4,000 of them under the age of 29.
The system of voluntary sector promotion points is a coordinated system for informing, guiding and accompanying people wishing to approach the world of voluntary work. It consists of 9 guidance helpdesks run by associations. 7,500 people have contacted the helpdesks – 4,700 women and 2,800 men. Of these, 4,000 were interested in the social and health area, 1,600 in international voluntary work and 1,900 in the environment and the protection of artistic heritage.
In addition, 3 school/voluntary sector liaison points are open (in Legnano, Quarto Oggiaro in Milan and Monza), set up with the Provincial Schools Office.
Local Delegations Area
The Local Delegations Area oversees the Service Centre’s activity in the province through two actions: local workshops for the voluntary sector which are decentralised places of work, and the promotion and creation of local groups and coordinating committees which are involved in policy choices at the Milan centre.
At present the province is subdivided into local areas which correspond to the spheres of action of the Local Area Social Programmes in the following places: Sesto San Giovanni, Cinisello Balsamo, Garbagnate Milanese, Rho, Legnano, Melzo, Gorgonzola, San Donato Milanese, Abbiategrasso, Rozzano and Monza & Brianza.
Communication Area
For several years Ciessevi has been communicating with voluntary organisations through its twice-monthly magazine, News Volontariato (Volunteering News), which is sent free to 8,000 addresses, its website www.ciessevi.org, updated daily, and its fortnightly newsletter.
In 2008 it also activated its consultancy service to help voluntary organisations publicise their own initiatives and put their own communication plans into action. |
