COORDINATOR: 

YMCA Siderno: 

For over seventy-five years, YMCA Sidero has provided training and support to young people to promote their physical, moral, and spiritual growth. Today, the association has 500 members and is a reference point in the territory for competitive and amateur sports and social activities. Founded in 1948 by volunteers, it quickly became a meeting place for hundreds of young people. For many, it was at YMCA where they could obtain their first basketball shoes and other essential goods such as food, blankets, and clothing. YMCA also built the first public changing rooms in the area. In addition to being one of the first basketball clubs to affiliate with the Italian Basketball Federation and officially host matches in 1956, it became one of the first organisations to host groups of young people from abroad in exchange for allowing Calabrian youths to have the same experience. Today, it is one of the most important youth organisations and associations at the local and territorial levels. YMCA Sidero has offered various activities for children and young people for years, creating positive experiences that help with moral and physical growth. They pay particular attention to interpersonal relationships between children and educators. During the winter season, the main activities, including after-school care, a playroom, and basketball and mini-basketball activities, take place in the afternoons, while on weekends, various workshops are also offered, from creative to culinary, providing the opportunity to experiment with manual activities and have fun with artistic expressions. These meetings stimulate young participants to share experiences with their peers in a creative way, learn something new, and showcase their skills. During the summer season, the proposed activities include basketball and mini basketball sports and the YMCA VILLAGE, the summer camp for children aged 12 months to 12 years.

PARTNERS:

Etna – Progetto di etnopsicologia analitica

is a social promotion association that deals with the mental illness of people belonging to vulnerable groups. Specialising in adolescents and migrant people, the ETNA working group began its activity in 2006 with information and training activities. In 2007 it promoted five information/training weekends on intercultural psychotherapy entitled “The new frontiers of care in a multicultural society”, attended by national and international scholars. In 2008 he promoted a training course in Analytical Ethnopsychology lasting 11 weekends, which received 50 ECM credits from the Ministry of Health (with the support of AIPA). A contribution from the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation partly financed the course. To participate in tenders promoted by public and private entities and o obtain funding, the original working group was set up as a social promotion association on 17 July 2008. Over the last ten years, Etna has contacted schools and his students. He has promoted psychological support and counselling desks in various schools, collaborating with physical education teachers to make the most of the gym hours as a moment of aggregation and developing a healthy relationship with one’s body. Sport is of fundamental importance for the story of a healthy and balanced life, and during adolescence, it can be of great help if exploited correctly.

YMCA Romania

Founded in 1919, the Romanian YMCA Federation is part of the vast worldwide YMCA family operating in over 120 countries. Between 1945 and 1989, the association’s activities in Romania were stopped by the communist regime. In 1991, the YMCA reopened for youth-focused activities by opening several locations. In 2004, following European trends, YMCA Romania restructured itself as a Federation. Its members are Bucuresti, Baia Mare, Cavnic, Timisoara and Constanta, and some informal groups in other cities. The main activities are designed for young people, teenagers and students and focus on training courses, social services, camps and outdoor activities, international exchanges, workshops, sports, community and youth centres and activities in rural areas. We focus on the development of youth work and youth workers, supporting the capacity building of organisations through their human resources. In Romania, YMCA manages many projects and programs, with over 100 volunteers and thousands of beneficiaries. Since 2009 we have been certified as a sending, coordinating and hosting organisation for EVS/ESC projects. The work area of our organisation is accordingly focused on our national strategy in three main directions: a) Youth empowerment, b) Strengthening the movement, c) Advocacy and influence of youth public policies. – has been part of the National Working Group of EU Dialogue with Youth created by the Ministry of Youth and Sport together with six other NGOs in the country since 2016 – carrying out regular consultations with young people on the EU Youth Strategy and creating its national strategy -promoting standards in youth work created by a consortium led by YMCA Romania with Asociatia Young Initiative and Centrul pentru Dezvoltare Comunitara Durabila through a project called “Standards and sustainable public policies in youth work in Romania” financed by the European Social Fund through LITTLE. -participate in public debates and formulate amendments to different youth policy proposals created by government, county and local authorities – our young leaders are involved in different EU-level policymaking working groups, thus participating as delegates in UN ECOSOC meetings, COP meetings – as representatives of World YMCA, which had a special status in those bodies. YMCA Romania Federation has 12 independent local member organisations with the previously described strategic framework. With their structure and activities in the National Office, we have seven executive team members, paid and volunteers. With ten other experts, this team is extended in projects according to the skills and activities needed. We also contact colleagues from our member associations with diverse skills and backgrounds. (at least ten other team members).

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