2017 was the first year that Lancaster & Morecambe College hosted a European Volunteering Service (EVS) participant. That was a great success so we decided to extend our involvement in the programme.
In 2018 we hosted three EVS at the same time - Now we are looking for two more from Spain and Ukraine to start in summer 2019!
What does it mean? An EVS project is a partnership between two or more organisations. They are responsible for recruiting volunteers for their project. Lancaster & Morecambe College are the accredited host for this project. If you are interested you should have your own sending organisation in Ukraine or Spain.
In this instance we are looking for volunteers for 6 months each to start in June 2019 (until end of December 2019) - We will require anyone interested to submit a CV and motivational letter to us for consideration. We can't guarantee every gets a reply, but we will do our best.
Remember - there are restrictions for people who have already participated in an EVS project!
Volunteers can choose to work in a wide range of educational fields in a busy college, but the main focus is on Erasmus+ and other International project coordination and management. We have Erasmus+ projects ranging from preventing Online Radicalisation to developing Entrepreneurship Skills for Migrants and Well-being Training for Young People.
We prefer people who have a working and sound grasp of English and experience of living in another country. The EVS would suit participants over 21 due to the nature of the activities and independent nature of the role. Although part of a small team there will be occasions where you will be working independently on a range of projects.
Each volunteer receives subsistence for accommodation, food, insurance, pocket money, and a set sum for travel costs depending on distance. This is an EVS project, although some of you will have noticed that since October 2018 some projects are called European Solidarity Corps!
Lancaster & Morecambe College
LMC serves communities across North Lancashire, South Cumbria and North Yorkshire in the north west of England, with a broad education and business development offer. The College provides students with the opportunity to enter and progress through various levels of study. Students who progress from our College are ‘work ready’. We work closely with industry to help shape the most appropriate courses as we strive to provide our students with the best possible chance of progression in the future, while making sure they fully enjoy their time at College.
Our students also contribute to the wider community in a variety of ways, through fundraising and their involvement in work-based learning, as well as the considerable hours of vital volunteering work they undertake with a range of age groups throughout our area.
International Mobility
Lancaster & Morecambe College have been running European work experience projects for over a decade and were one of the first colleges in the UK to receive the Leonardo Certificate in Quality for Mobility. This was in recognition for our commitment to offering high quality European work placements and developing a strategic approach to embedding this activity across the curriculum.
International Projects have played an increasingly important role in the personal and professional development of students and staff as well as the wider community. We have used past projects to research, develop and implement many initiatives into mainstream practice. The core activities of the college are supported by these projects and they also allow us to work locally, regionally, nationally and internationally on positive initiatives.
Our volunteers
In April 2018 volunteer Emilio arrived from Spain. In August 2018 Oksana from Ukraine. And in October that year, Zuzana from Slovakia also arrived in Lancaster.
Each volunteer has a specific scope of expertise that can extend to activities outside of the International projects team.
For example, having an Economist, Emilio provides the team financial support. He assists with Erasmus+ project planning, development of educational and project outputs and he is the one who enjoys working with spreadsheets and documents. Emilio contributes to conducting educational sessions and presenting the College to European project partners.
Oksana and Zuzana are more engaged in work with students. Thus, Oksana works part time in the Learning centre, where has experience of communication with students and tutors. She also assists at a Creative Centre called More Music in Morecambe, where she shares her journalistic experience and develops media content.
Being a qualified interpreter, Zuzana teaches English to the ESOL students at LMC, participates in the kids sport sessions and assists the ESOL teacher; helping people from other countries improve their English skills.
Volunteers are always welcome to suggest their own volunteering preferences at LMC and where possible these can be accommodated.
Volunteers are usually accommodated in Lancaster or Morecambe (by the sea) in Homestays or in student houses in nice, friendly and safe conditions. We risk assess every host family. We encourage EVS volunteers to make the most of their time here and support them if they want to travel around the UK and take part in local cultural activities. This opportunity is not only about working, it's a great opportunity to contribute to the development of a local community and achieve personal and professional growth and development.
Every single day our volunteers have the chance to learn new things, set new goals and achieve the.
Join us and enjoy the process of 'discovering a new Emilio, Oksana and Zuzana'.
About mentors
It's not only the members of the International Team that support our volunteers. Our big College family opened their doors to these three, and some LMC staff became the second family for our volunteers.
John Latham - International Projects Manager.
Mathew Hayes - International Project Coordinator.
Brigitte Rogers - Part-Time Aadministrator
Contact Information
International Projects Team | Lancaster & Morecambe College
Morecambe Road - Lancaster - LA1 2TY - UK
Look at some of our projects by click the link below
www.lmc.ac.uk/the-college/european-learning/current-european-projects
E-mail: europe @ lmc.ac.uk
Web site: www.lmc.ac.uk