The Provincial Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Seville, COCEMFE Sevilla, participated in the annual conference of the Centre for European Volunteering (CEV), held in Brussels from 14 to 16 October. The event included the final presentation of the European TEAM IV project, an initiative in which the organisation has been involved since late 2023 to promote more inclusive and accessible volunteering. This international gathering provided an opportunity to share the results achieved, exchange experiences with organisations from different countries and highlight the personal experiences of participants in the mentoring programme.
During the sessions in Brussels, mentors and mentees took part in an interactive workshop to explore the benefits of mentoring, highlighting how inclusive volunteering encourages social participation, mutual learning and personal development. The project has also confirmed that mentors play a key role in supporting and facilitating the participation of people with disabilities. For this reason, a free, openly accessible course has been made available on the project’s online platform to train future mentors.
To move towards a truly inclusive model of volunteering, we need to continue raising awareness while also making these opportunities more accessible to those who can become part of the solution. Training is essential, but so is creating opportunities for people to experience the value of volunteering first-hand and feel encouraged to get involved.
This experience has enabled us to identify new approaches and strengthen our belief that recruiting mentors requires an active, personal and sustained strategy.
For people who face physical, social or attitudinal barriers in their everyday lives, gaining access to new experiences can represent a turning point. Having the opportunity to participate in cultural activities, discover new places, build relationships or take on new personal challenges can open doors that may once have seemed too difficult to reach.
The images and cultural experiences from TEAM IV reflect precisely this reality: moments of connection, discovery and participation that demonstrate how inclusion must go beyond a statement of intent and translate into real opportunities to live, learn and share.
