As part of the European POWER project (“Promoting Opportunities for the Engagement of Adults with Disabilities and Recognising their Role”), supported by Erasmus+, POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ organised two webinars dedicated to the development of inclusive volunteering. Bringing together more than 40 participants from associations, public bodies, support services and regional institutions, these sessions provided an opportunity to combine research findings, field testimonies and European initiatives.
The event forms part of the ongoing work of the POWER project, implemented by Belgium, France and Italy until August 2027. Its objective is to strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities in society through inclusive volunteering, while combating the stereotypes and discrimination that still limit their civic participation.
Results of the POWER survey
The first part of each webinar was devoted to presenting the survey results produced as part of the project. Presented by Chloé Croes from the Susa Foundation, these findings highlight the many benefits of volunteering for people with disabilities: a sense of usefulness, the development of social connections, improved well-being and recognition of skills. The results also underline several persistent challenges, including the persistence of stereotypes, the lack of accessibility of some organisations and the need for appropriate support.
Good practices for inclusive volunteering
The discussions then provided an opportunity to discover several inspiring initiatives. During the first webinar, Bernadette Varlet (AVIQ) presented the “Citizen Activities” scheme, which supports nearly 500 people in Wallonia in their volunteering engagement. Caroline Reinault (In.out.sider Festival) shared lessons learned from a first inclusive volunteering experience carried out during the 2025 edition of the festival, while Sylvain Cigna (Push ASBL) highlighted the importance of individualised support built around people’s interests and skills.
The second webinar also shed light on the work of the French-speaking Volunteering Platform, presented by Milèna Chantraine, which develops numerous tools and resources to support organisations wishing to make their activities more inclusive. Finally, Ismaël Paez Civico, general director of the European Confederation of Senior Expert Services (CESES), presented several European initiatives, including the TEAM IV project, which offers a free online training platform for mentors supporting people with disabilities in their volunteering journey.
Among the key lessons emerging from these discussions were the importance of motivation in volunteering, the central role of support and guidance, the value of peer-based approaches, and the wealth of resources already available to help organisations become more inclusive.
The exchanges also confirmed the need to continue raising awareness and to remove the administrative and organisational barriers that still hinder access to volunteering opportunities.
The full webinar report is available
POWER is a project supported by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme and implemented through a partnership between the FRENCH RED CROSS – France (project coordinator), ASSOCIAZIONE DELLA CROCE ROSSA ITALIANA (CRI) – Italy, “e.artES cum panis” Aps – Italy, the SUSA FOUNDATION – Belgium, and POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ-PLS.
