Our Projects & Campaigns 

Launched in December 2016, the European Solidarity Corps is an initiative from the European Union initially designed to act as a crisis-response volunteering programme for young people in Europe. The European Solidarity Corps is for 18-30-year-olds who are residents of one of the European Union member states, with some exceptions. It has been developed into an initiative to support communities and people in need by offering young people volunteering and solidarity-related jobs, traineeships and apprenticeships, around Europe. The programme is funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme.

The European Solidarity Corps has both volunteering and occupational roles, therefore some of the roles are paid and contracted. Volunteers must visit the official website and register to join the corps by making an account. Find out more about Erasmus+ Volunteering and the European Solidarity Corps.

Erasmus+ Volunteering, previously known as the European Voluntary Service (EVS), is a programme of long-term, full-time volunteering opportunities open to young people aged 17-30 years old and residents in one of the participating countries. For the past 20 years, EVS has had a major impact on the lives of thousands of young people in Europe by improving their language and intercultural competencies, while providing support to local communities in need. The programme is funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme.

There are projects in many different fields, ranging from protection of the environment, through arts and culture, activities with children, young people or the elderly, heritage, to sports and leisure. All travel costs, insurance, food and accommodation are covered plus a small allowance is given to help volunteers support their needs during the project. Find out more about Erasmus+ Volunteering.

Started in October 2018, Young Trustee was a campaign with a goal to match 250 organisations with 250 new young trustees (aged 18-26) by September 2019. Declaring 2019 ‘Year of the Young Trustee’, the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits of trusteeship among young people; encourage organisations to feel confident about appointing and engaging young people in their boards; and promote these opportunities across Scotland.

The project was awarded funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, supporting the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People 2018. Developed by the team at the IVS, the campaign also supported the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions and it’s targets, particularly to Target 16.7: “ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels” across Scotland’s third sector leadership.

Launched in 2017, the Peace Day campaign aims to promote the International Day of Peace, a UN sanctioned holiday celebrated on the 21st of September globally, as an officially recognised day of action in the UK and by British people.

By distributing official Peace Day pins, gaining signatures on our Petition, and sharing ideas and support for Peace Day events and education in classrooms, IVS has made a significant impact to making the importance and recognition of Peace Day more widely known. Our Pins for Peace are available to order here.

In September 2018, Members of the Scottish Parliament held a debate on the importance of peace in our society and called for recognition of the International Day of Peace. This was a significant achievement for the campaign on which we hope to build on for future Peace Days.

For more information on the campaign and to find out what you can do, visit peaceday.eu.

You can also find more information on previous Peace Day campaigns led by IVS here.

Volunteer Pledge is a yearly campaign that was created to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to take up volunteering.

Developed by IVS, Volunteer Pledge is in partnership with volunteering organisations across the United Kingdom.

By making the pledge, individuals receive tailored voluntary opportunities to suit their interests and location.