Youth work in Ciney

Looking for one volunteer

Trip type

ESC Volunteering

City + Country

Ciney, Belgium

Dates of the next project

From 1st July 2023 to 30th June 2024

Deadline to apply

11th of April 2023 (23:59)

Hosting organisation : La Maison des Jeunes de Ciney

Your main role as a volunteer will be to assist the non-profit association La Maison des Jeunes de Ciney (Youth House of Ciney). In this project, the volunteer will have the chance to put himself in the shoes of a youth worker and supervise young people aged 12 to 26, together with the team.

La Maison des Jeunes, aka MJ Ciney, gives youngsters from 12 to 26 opportunities to engage in social, cultural and artistic activities. They encourage youngsters to become responsible citizens and to actively participate in society.

Feel free to visit the website and Facebook page.

It is located in the courtyard of St Roch Castle, in the middle of the town’s pretty park. For more than 30 years, MJ Ciney has been recognized as a Youth Centre by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

The Youth house has different activities:

Welcome space: open to any youngster wishing to meet and/or organise activities with other participants.
Themed evenings: animated debates, intercultural nights, blind tests
Sport, cultural, artistic excursions: city trips, paintball, beach walks, theatre, cinema
Summer camps: there were 11 activities and 6 camps in 2021 about radio, sport, theatre, hip-hop, skate and so on
Weekly workshops: music (guitar, drums, singing), art (fashion design, theatre) or sport (Chinese box, fitness, self defence)
Longer projects: youngsters realise their own projects from idea to implementation with the support of the youth house staff
Visits in schools

CBB coordinates 26 international volunteers around Wallonia. The ESC team of CBB tries its best to connect volunteers together trough different activities, seminars, etc.

Support organization : CBB

The association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs, aka CBB, is located in Marche-en-Famenne (another cool Belgian town). CBB is a non-profit, non-political youth organisation recognized and financially supported by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The organisation proposes different volunteering activities using non-formal education principles: local and international workcamps, short and long term voluntary services (including ESC), leisure time activities for and with disabled people, campleaders trainings… CBB is active within the different European programmes of volunteering and non-formal education since 1997 and also hosts ESC volunteers each year.

CBB’s roles as support organization are to:

Promote the project and to link local and the international networks
Support the selection and coaching of European volunteers before arrival
Manage administrative matters: budget allowances, bank account creation and enrollment at the municipality, insurance (if not done by sending organisation), activity agreement
Provide pedagogical support for the volunteer and the hosting organization: ensuring the participation in the National Agency seminars, organising auto-evaluation meetings with the volunteer and hosting organization to reflect on learning outcomes
Handle practical arrangements: information about health insurance in Belgium, French lessons, online language tools, etc.
Create networking activities between all ESC volunteers of the hosting organisations they support

As a volunteer, you will be involved in activities with young people that the Youth House organises in the region of Ciney. Youngsters are usually teenagers and young adults (12-26) going to different local schools. You support the team in preparing and implementing these community projects.

In the first stage of the project (July and August), you mainly help organise summer camps (theatre workshops, sport activities). You prepare the camp, facilitate group life and support animators during creative and/or sportive activities. There can be some residential and non-residential activities from Monday to Friday from 9 to 17.

In the second stage (after summer), you get to join and observe a wide range of regular activities. You then choose to support the ones you find more interesting:

Welcome space for youngsters who want to hang out after school (Tue-Sat 12-18:30 / Fridays until 23)
Weekly workshops, such as music, fashion, design, or any other workshop you want to create !
School visits, often during lunch time
Excursions, such as escape rooms, nature walks, a day at the Belgian seaside
One-time events and youngsters’ long-term projects
Office work, like sorting documents, promoting the work of the Youth House on social media

In addition, you participate in weekly team meetings where you communicate on activities and share concerns and ideas. We highly encourage you to implement personal initiatives according to your skills, passions and/or culture.

Collective activities with other ESC volunteers.

The ESC project within the Youth House and other ESC projects organised in Havelange (another Belgian village) aim to increase European awareness among the local community, as well as to enhance a closer networking between the local non-profit associations. For this reason, you might get involved in activities with other ESC volunteers from other local organisations. We encourage you all to take those initiatives, collaborate and make your presence visible in the community. We plan volunteer gatherings and activities in order to give visibility to the European Solidarity Corps programme and to encourage cooperation between local associations.

Accommodation in Ciney

The Youth House and your accommodation are located in Ciney’s town centre. Ciney is a small town in the Belgian province of Namur which has its own cultural centre, a library, a youth centre, a swimming pool, and quite a wide range of options in sports, arts and culture. There is an academy proposing drawing and painting initiation as well as a music conservatory. There are supermarkets and several shops in the town centre. Ciney’s train station has direct and regular connections to Namur, Brussels or even Luxemburg. Other cities such as Liège are also easily reachable. The town is full of students from different primary and secondary schools during the week, yet rather calm in the weekend.

Ciney has an important natural and historical heritage. There are many places to discover, such as the Provincial Park of Chevetogne (outdoor leisure activities park), the Byzantine Monastery, the Conjoux Caves, the Saint-Roch Castle, the Capucin’s Church…

Those interested in hikes and “green tourism” will find a wide range of trails around.

Indeed, Ciney is located in a semi-rural area, with at least 80% of its territory covered by field and woods. This project therefore fits volunteers who are not attracted by a lively nightlife, but mostly by quiet evenings and outdoor activities during the weekend. They can meet other ESC volunteers supported by CBB living in Ciney, Marche-en-Famenne, Liège, Rochefort and Genappe.

You must appreciate living in a rural area. It will be resourceful, quiet and will give you a break from your usual urban routine.

The country - BELGIUM

Squeezed between the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, Belgium is one of Europe’s tiddlers. The north is flat, with a beach of 65km along the North Sea full of resorts, except for a few patches of windswept dunes. In the south you will not find mountains, but the hilly forests of the Belgian Ardenne. We have 4 seasons well contrasted, cold winter and sunny summer… But be ready to look up to a grey sky at least half of the year.

Despite the rainy clouds, Belgian people are usually warm. A lot of cultural and free events happen during the year, which makes your journey in this little country entertaining.
This project will take part in the south of the country where we speak French. Be therefore ready to learn and speak French! Especially as this project involves kids.

Specialities : FRIES and BEERS and FESTIVALS
AREA: 30,518 km
POPULATION: 11.420.163 million
CAPITAL: Brussels (pop: 1.191.604)
REGIONS: Flanders (North), Wallonia (South), Brussels
COMMUNITIES: Flemish, French and German-speaking communities
LANGUAGES: Dutch (±59%), French (±37%) and German (±1%)
CURRENCY: Euro

Working Hours

Working hours are flexible. You work five days a week on average, but sometimes you work weekends and evenings. That is because the schedule during school holidays is different than during school period. You get days off to compensate for the extra shift hours in order to keep an average of 35 hours a week.

Accomodation

You will have a private room in a fully-equipped shared house or apartment in the municipality.

Food

You receive a budget and take care of your own meals.

Pocket Money

Participation in the European Solidarity Corps is free of charge, except for exceptional contribution to travel costs. You will therefore receive free board and lodging during the whole activity. In addition, you will receive pocket money for personal expenses throughout the duration of the activity, including holidays.

Language course

EU Academy + French lesson. We provide an online language course as part of the budget from the Commission. You will need to complete a level test before the activity starts. We encourage you to join free French lessons given in the municipality or around if possible. We recommend that the participant starts practicing French prior to their arrival in Belgium and that they participate in as many activities as possible in order to get better at the language.

Insurance

You get covered, throughout the activity period, by the obligatory European Solidarity Corps insurance plan (Henner) that the European Commission sets up. This coverage is only complementary to the mandatory coverage of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which you must obtain prior to departure.

In certain cases, when national rules deprive participants from coverage under EHIC for the duration of the placement, Henner will provide full coverage. However, you must provide proof that obtaining the EHIC in your case was not possible. You should contact your National Agency for advice on your specific circumstances. You must read carefully the insurance-related information here.

Being 18-30 years old
Highly motivated for volunteer work, work in the field of inclusion and youth work
Open-minded and pro-active
Willing to learn more about pedagogical and playful activities
Open to work with different publics: children, teenagers, young adults from different social backgrounds and life experiences
Able to take initiatives: you will look for ideas and inspirations for playful and pedagogical activities, you need to want to share your personal interests and culture with the youngsters
Interested in hanging out with youngsters
Prior to departure, able to give proof of contact with a support/sending organization in order to receive information and preparation
-> Look up for a support organization in your region via this link: https://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisations_en
Able to give copy of certificate of good conduct related to the work with minors before starting the activity
We welcome all to apply, regardless of their nationality, religion, believes, diploma, professional experience
Basic French knowledge is a plus

Cassandra, volunteer at Le Cercle in 2019-2020

Apart from the classic advice: dare to ask questions !
It will be useful for you during your volunteering at the AMO to open yourself to others. Respect them but also listen, communicate and adapt to each situation and person you encounter.
The team spirit is very present at Le Cercle and it is interesting as a volunteer to be able to contribute with your ideas.
In short, Le Cercle is a place where routine has no place, it is important to be reactive, creative and open to new adventures !
Washing your own dishes and enjoying team drinks will be very much appreciated.

How to apply ?

Deadline: 21st June 23:59 (brussels time)

1. To join the European Solidarity Corps programme, create a profile on the European Youth Portal (click on “register” at the bottom)

2. Answer the questionnaire below (you will be asked to attach a CV at the end of the form)

3. If you’re feeling creative, feel free to send us any additional material related to your application to esc@compagnonsbatisseurs.be (optional)

The creation of a profile on the ESC portal AND fulfilling the form are compulsory for us to take your application into consideration. In the days following the application deadline, we will contact the pre-selected volunteers for a Zoom interview.

ESC at the Youth House in Ciney / Application form and motivation letter

Step 1 of 4 - Personal Data

Personnal data
By filling the information below, you provide us with personal information. You are aware of the fact and agree that the pieces of information will be used in the frame of the call for candidates for the Erasmus+ volunteering project. Your personal data will be used by the persons in charge of the selection of volunteers in the sending and coordinating/hosting organizations. Each part mentioned takes the responsibility of erasing the documents containing your personal data once the selection procedure is over.
Name*
Surname Name
PRN*
If you already have it: it’s a super long number you receive when you get registered into the PASS.
Email adress*
Birthdate*
Day
Month
Year
Phone number*
Current address*
Street Address City ZIP / Postal Code Country
Do you need a visa for this project ?*
Languages spoken*
Please specify which level you have whenever possible
Availability period for the project*
Preference will be given to the volunteers able to join the project for the whole period.
Have you ever taken part in a volunteering project under ERASMUS+?*
- YES
- NO
If yes, what was it and for how long ?
Sending organization (Name, OID number, post address, phone number, contact person’s name and email address)*
What are your (long term) travel experiences?*

Long term

Short term