Created by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, "Special Olympics" aim to providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Today, Special Olympics is a global movement serving more than 4 million people with intellectual disabilities in 178 countries and representing 30 different types of sports.
Special Olympics Belgium was founded in 1979 and is officially recognized by the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. It organises National Games every year (alternatively in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) and send delegations of Belgian athletes to the Winter and Summer Special Olympics World Games. These competitions are open to any athlete with intellectual disability who regularly practise a sport at his/her own level. More than just a physical and sport training, these activities enhance the social development of the athletes.
The 2018 National Games will take place in Tournai and Mouscron and will host about 3400 athletes and 1200 coaches from 320 sport clubs to compete in 19 adapted sports and disciplines. The programme will include a torch run, opening and closure ceremonies, an Olympic village, a healthy athletes programme and an art exhibition from artists with mental disability.
WORK:
For this 36th edition of the Belgian National Games, volunteers will help on several aspects of the event logistics, such as assembling and dismantling of structures, building and putting up the decorations, transport and unloading of material, waste management,... Volunteers will work with several teams of the organisation before and after the Games. During the 3 days of competitions, volunteers will provide guidance to athletes for one of the disciplines of the competition: a precision ball sport, related to bowls and "pétanque" called Bocce. The Opening Ceremony as well as the Torch Run will take place on May 9th while the Games will take place from May 10th to May 12th 2018.
Physical work will be asked to volunteers so it is important to take this into account. Volunteers will also have lighter tasks like guidance of athletes, decorations, waste management,...
ACCOMMODATION:
Volunteers will sleep in the logistic centre or in « Festihut », small chalets allowing to host 4 persons each. The accommodation will be located in Mouscron. Please bring a sleeping bag.
FOOD:
Meals will be taken with the different teams of the organisation and will be prepared by local volunteers. Vegetarian food will be available but should be asked in advance.
LOCATION:
The 2018 National Games will take place between Tournai and Mouscron, French-speaking cities located in Wallonia, close to the French border. The National Games will mainly take place in Mouscron where volunteers will spend most of their time. This city is located about 100 km away from Brussels, 25 km from Lille (France) and 25 km from Tournai. The place of the workcamp can be reached easily by public transport.
SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
This workcamp requires physical efforts at some moments. Volunteers are asked to prove a strong interest for the thematic of this event. There will be one free day before and one free day after the competition.
Please bring good working shoes and clothes that can get dirty as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.
A project-related motivation letter is required.
LANGUAGE:
The language of the workcamp is English. Basics of French or Dutch are useful but not necessary.
ACCESS:
Brussels International Airport (Zaventem), Brussels South Airport (Charleroi), or Lille airport (France). Meeting point at Mouscron train station on 04/05. Train timetables on http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx
For this 36th edition of the Belgian National Games, volunteers will help on several aspects of the event logistics, such as assembling and dismantling of structures, building and putting up the decorations, transport and unloading of material, waste management,... Volunteers will work with several teams of the organisation before and after the Games. During the 3 days of competitions, volunteers will provide guidance to athletes for one of the disciplines of the competition: a precision ball sport, related to bowls and "pétanque" called Bocce. The Opening Ceremony as well as the Torch Run will take place on May 9th while the Games will take place from May 10th to May 12th 2018.Physical work will be asked to volunteers so it is important to take this into account. Volunteers will also have lighter tasks like guidance of athletes, decorations, waste management,...
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION :Volunteers will sleep in the logistic centre or in « Festihut », small chalets allowing to host 4 persons each. The accommodation will be located in Mouscron. Please bring a sleeping bag.
FOOD :
Meals will be taken with the different teams of the organisation and will be prepared by local volunteers. Vegetarian food will be available but should be asked in advance.
Location & leisure:
The 2018 National Games will take place between Tournai and Mouscron, French-speaking cities located in Wallonia, close to the French border. The National Games will mainly take place in Mouscron where volunteers will spend most of their time. This city is located about 100 km away from Brussels, 25 km from Lille (France) and 25 km from Tournai. The place of the workcamp can be reached easily by public transport.
Requirements:
This workcamp requires physical efforts at some moments. Volunteers are asked to prove a strong interest for the thematic of this event. There will be one free day before and one free day after the competition.Please bring good working shoes and clothes that can get dirty as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.A project-related motivation letter is required.
Age:
18-99
Location:
Mouscron
Language(s):
English, French
Airport:
BRU: Brussels Natl (Brussels, Belgium)Vegetarian food will be available
Volunteers will help on several aspects of the festival logistics, such as assembling and dismantling of tents, building and putting up the decorations, transport and unloading of material, installation of the "village of organisations", waste management... Volunteers will work with all people working on the festival (technicians, stage managers, facilitators, organizers...).During the festival, which will take place on May 18th (in the evening) and May 19th 2018, volunteers will have the possibility, if they wish, to be integrated in the different teams (tickets, bar, catering...).
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION :Volunteers will sleep in tents on the site of the festival. The living conditions are very rudimentary similar to conditions of a "scout camp". Sanitary facilities will be accessible in a building nearby. Please bring your sleeping bag, a mattress and toiletries. If you have the possibility, you can also bring your own tent. Keep in mind that nights can be very cold in Belgium.
FOOD :
Meals will be taken with the diverse teams of the festival.
Location & leisure:
The workcamp will take place in Jette, one of the 19 municipalities of Brussels-Capital Region, located in the northern part. Volunteers will stay on the festival site, on "Parc de la Jeunesse". The site is easily reachable by public transport.
Requirements:
Please bring good working shoes and clothes that can get dirty, warm clothes as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather. If you have a music instrument or juggling material, feel free to bring it! A project-related motivation letter is required.
Age:
18-99
Location:
Jette
Language(s):
English, French
Airport:
BRU: Brussels Natl (Brussels, Belgium)Vegetarian food will be available
Volunteers will help on several aspects of the festival logistics, such as meals preparation for the entire team of the festival, assembling and dismantling of tents and structures, building and putting up the decorations, stage-managing, transport and unloading of material, installation of the market area, waste management,... Volunteers will work with all people working on the festival (technicians, stage managers, facilitators, organizers, cooks...).Hard physical work will be asked to volunteers so it is important to take this into account. Volunteers will also have lighter tasks like meal preparation, waste management, decorations,... The festival will take place from September 7th to September 9th 2018.
Accomodation & food:
ACCOMMODATION:Volunteers will sleep in tents during the workcamp. The living conditions are rudimentary close to conditions of a "scout camp". Please bring your sleeping bag, mattress and toiletries. Nights can be very cold in Belgium.
FOOD:
Before and after the festival, meals will be taken with the diverse teams of the festival. Sandwiches will be prepared for lunch and a warm meal for dinner. During the festival, volunteers will receive meal tickets to get warm meals from the caterer of the site.
Location & leisure:
The castle-farm of Marsinne, built in the XII century, is located in the old village of Couthuin (Commune of Héron), in the Province of Liège in Wallonia in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium. The site of the festival is about 10km away from the city of Huy and 40km away from the city of Liège. The caste-farm hosts also a brewery that produce a craft beer: the «Léopold 7».
Requirements:
• This workcamp requires hard physical efforts at some moments and an active participation and involvement of volunteers during the workcamp, due to the deadlines set for the good progress of the festival. Volunteers are asked to prove a strong interest for the thematic of the festival. There will be 3 free days during the workcamp: two days during and one day after the festival.• It is also important to take into account the fact that the organisation of a festival might be subject to last minutes changes or unforeseen events (for example: the truck to unload doesn't show up at the predicted time, a technical issue will delay the assembly of a stage,...). We are therefore expecting volunteers to be flexible and understanding in this kind of situation.• Please bring good working shoes, gloves, clothes that can get dirty and a raincoat in case of rainy weather (+ sleeping bag & mattress). If you have a music instrument or juggling material, feel free to bring it !• One or two evening will be organize to initiate volunteers to folk dances.• A project-related motivation letter is required.• We aim to encourage the participation of refugees living in Belgium on this workcamp
Age:
18-99
Location:
Marsinne
Language(s):
English, French
Airport:
BRU: Brussels Natl (Brussels, Belgium)Vegetarian food will be available
« I would recommend participating in a workcamp, especially with VAP, who ensured that I found a project to suit me and provided essential training for me in preparation for my trip. Being part of a workcamp really is a life-changing experience, oh, and it looks great on your CV! »
