View from Ciderhuset

EVS- / / 6 or 12 months

Project Environment: The volunteers will be living in a rural village in Norway called Balestrand. Our village is in the og Fjordane and has ca 1400 innh. It is situated along the Sognefjorden (the longest and deepest fjord in the world). The village has an important history, since 1880 it is an attractive place for tourists. The emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, was spending many of his summers in Balestrand with his wars ships until the First World War broke out. Balestrand also has an important place in Norwegian art history. The artists have been living here for 200 years. You will find two shops, post, petrol station, summer cafes, library, cinema, youth house, sport hall, churches, sheriff, health center, doctor, and dentist. We have three kindergartens, primary schools, youth school and one private high school.

Culture and Leisure: Balestrand has a rich cultural life. We have a lot of organizations arrange cultural activities such as art exhibitions, concerts. Every year in Mai we have a jazz festival called Balejazz (http://www.balejazz.no). You can find a sport center and ski arena just 20 minutes away from Balestrand and you can take nice walks up to the mountains from sea level and have a great view over the village and the fjord. You can travel to nearest towns. (one hour) has big shopping center and in Høyanger you visit the beautiful swimming pool (45 minutes). Nearest small city is Førde (two hours away), nearest airport is Førde lufthamn Bringeland, nearest big city is with the international airport Flesland. You can travel to Bergen with a direct express boat through the deepest and longest fjord in the world, and takes four hours.

Description of the organization: Balestrand Ungdomslag (BUL) is connected to Norges Ungdomslag and is a voluntary run organization. BUL`s main purpose is to coordinate some voluntary activities in the village. It runs the cinema and the revue of Balestrand. The cinema is giving a good cultural offer for people in the village and the revue is being put up once a year with the local people. BUL also has activities like dance courses and it takes active part of the 17th of Mai (The national day of Norway) celebrations. BUL has a goal to create active everyday live in Balestrand. That is why our target group includes people from all ages. Some activities as cinema and revue for everyone, we also arrange some activities for a specific target groups.

Proposed Activities for EVS volunteers: We will offer the tasks written below to the volunteers and make a timetable according to the need of tasks in the village and the qualification of the volunteers. -To help in the cinema -To assist the youth worker in Balestrand in the youth club. -To be the support staff in the sport center in the village -To help out in the activities of Balestrand Kunstlag and Club Bele (Art and Jazz music organizations) and have opportunity to meet Norwegian and international artists in the art village of Balestrand. -To be part of the Balestrand Revue and other BUL courses about dance, theater, gardening, etc. -To help in the organic garden. -To arrange a youth exchange about a topic which volunteers are interested in. -To create their own activities with their target group: We will support them to make their own projects such as dance, theater, sport, working with the local artists etc. in the village. We will teach the volunteer about the Erasmus + program and support them to write a project and implement it in Balestrand. They will get supports from the BUL about it.

Number of volunteers hosted: 2 or 3

Volunteer profiles and recruitment process: We want to receive youngsters with social ability, who wish to experience a Norwegian small village everyday life. The person should be able to take initiative and create workshops, courses and to take part of the other activities, which already exists in Balestrand. The volunteers can be in age of 18-30 years old, but we will give priority to applicants in the age of 22 and over. The person should have the motivation to learn Norwegian, and ability to communicate in English. The volunteers should be aware of the climate and dark period of year, rain and a rural district’s life. The person has to send us a police record of him showing that he/she is free of charge or conviction of child abuse. (It is obligatory to show when working with children and youth in Norway).

Risk prevention, protection and safety: We believe that having a close follow up on the activity level as well as the personal and social level of the volunteers is the most important thing for risk prevention and crisis management. The mentor will speak with the volunteer on a personal level and he or she will be an important contact for the volunteer in Balestrand. If the volunteers will be involved in outdoors activities, there will be always be a qualified instructor in charge of these.

Welcome  BALESTRAND UNGDOMSLAG