3. Why “Twinning-Voluntary-Cooperation”
The three ideas included in the project’s title :
The European Commission declared the year 2011 “ The
European Year of Volunteering”

Petroşani municipality wanted to be actively involved in
promoting the volunteering activities, along with its partners

By participating to this project we desired to also improve
the relations of cooperation between the twinned towns and

their civil societies’

4. Short summary of the
Aplicant : project:
Petroşani municipality
Romania
Partener

 s: Bansko municipality, Bulgary
 Varpalota city, Hungary
 Ponte nellle Alpi city, Italy
 Wolfsberg city, Austria

5. Period of the project :
August 1, 2011 – August 1, 2012
The budget of the project:

 49.994,41 Euro
This project was financed by the European Commission,
through the Executive Agency for Culture, Education and

Audiovisual through
“Europe for Citizens” Programme, Action 1 - Active
Citizens for Europe, Measure 1.2 – Network of twinned
towns

6. Project’s Aim:
To promote and to raise the volunteering activities
and of best practices, by :
encouraging the interactions between citizens, in order to
strengthen the relations between twinned towns

 implementing practical volunteering activities

7. Project’s Objectives :
Attracting volunteers from the civil society and from the
local public administration

Specific objectives
developing a long term thematic relation between towns
creating an informal network between towns and the

organizations of civil society interested in developing such

future relations.
This informal network offers contact data, human resources
and knowledge, bringing together professional individuals from
different professional fields.

8. Means to accomplish the aim and objectives of the
project
 5 conferences, having Volunteering as main theme:
 The Opening Conference, Petroşani, August 24-26, 2011
Medical Conference “Medicine and şi Volunteering”,
Petroşani, October 27-28, 2011

Study visit “ Volunteering activites in the fields of medicine , civil
protection and emergency services”,

Ponte nelle Alpi, November 24 – 26 ,2011
 Conference “Youth and Volunteering”, Bansko, March 21 – 23, 2012
Closing Conference, “Civil Society and Volunteering”
Varpalota, May10 – 12, 2012


9.  2 charity events
 Santa Claus Factory, Petroşani, December 5 – 14, 2011
 Santa Claus Factory, Wolfsebrg, December 5 – 14, 2011
 2 common meetings of Petroşani and Varpalota Local Councils

10. The Project’s Opening Conference ,
Petroşani, August 24 – 26 , 2011

11. The main themes approached :
Importance of civil society’s involvement in the
volunteering work

Presentation of the activities of the main NGOs from
Petroşani municipality that rely on volunteering work

The importance of a good collaboration between local
public administration and local NGOs that rely on

volunteering
Ways of increasing the number of volunteers among
the citizens from the local community


12. Participants:
 80 local participants -representatives of local public
administration and of volunteering associations
 40 international participants -representatives of local
public administration from the project partners towns and of
Participating NGOs:
volunteering associations
 National Society of Red Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary
 Caritas Association
 Pollicino House
 Pro-Parâng Association
 Petro-Aqua Association
 The Supreme Military Order of the Jerusalem Temple, Matei
Corvin Commandeer, from Petroşani

13. An example of the volunteering work in
Petroşani

14. Obtained Results
Raising among the citizens the degree of visibility
of the volunteering work done by the NGOs

Starting new relations of collaboration between
the NGOs from the cities involved in the project

Improving the relation of collaboration between
the local public administration and the NGOs that rely on

volunteering work

15. The common meeting of Petroşani and
Varpalota Local Councils
Petroşani, August 24,2011

16. About the meeting:
The organization of this meeting between the two Local
Councils represented a premiere in the European Union

The Local Council Decisions adopted at the meeting
became mandatory for both cities


17. Local Council Decisions adopted at the
common meeting
Decision no.248/24.08.2011
Setting up a common commission Petroşani –

Varpalota, to help improve the twinning relations between the two

communities. Main attributions:
Identification of collaboration opportunities
Making proposals regarding annually common programmes and

submitting them to the approval of Local Councils

Identification of new financial resources needed for covering the
expenses of the established actions, by setting up a special fund from their

own budgets
Collaboration with the departments from the two City Halls in
order to elaborate and submit community European projects


18. Decision no.249/24.08.2011
Elaboration of a common programme which would promote

economic relations, cultural, sporting and cooperation relations between the

organizations belonging to the civil society of the two cities.
Decision no.250/24.08.2011
Elaboration of a common exchange programme between the

public servants and the personnel from the public institutions from the two cities

Decision no.251/24.08.2011
Setting up a Department for Youth, within Petroşani City

Hall, having as main attributions the following :

organizing information and promotion campaigns regarding
volunteering, having as main objectives offering information about the

Volunteering Law and attracting volunteers from the administrative structures.
organizing courses and workshops in the fields of communication, of
active citizenship and of ecological projects management for the youth from

Petroşani and Jiu Valley

19. Obtained Results
The Local Council Decisions adopted at the meeting
from August 24, 2011, came into effect

The common collaboration commission was set up
Two experience exchange programmes took place,

between the public servants from Petrosani and Varpalota

New opportunities of collaboration between
Petrosani ad Varpalota, benefic for both communities, were

created through this Local Council Decisions

20. Medical Conference “Medicine and
Volunteering
Petroşani, October 27-28, 2011

21. Approached subjects:
Ways of increasing the number of volunteers in the
medical field

Presentation of the activities of volunteers from the
medical field

Presenting the main problems faced by the volunteers
and identifying solutions to these problems

Practical presentation of an emergency situation, made by
The Emergency Situations Committee and volunteering

association

22. Participants
38 local participants, representatives of local
public administration, of Petroşani Emergency Hospital

and of volunteering associations.
10 international participants ,
representatives of local public administration of the cities

involved in the project and of volunteering associations

23. Participants

24. Obtained Results
 Knowing best practices from the project
partners, that have a tradition regarding medical
volunteering
Starting new relations of collaboration between
the NGOs involved in the project


25. Study visit “Volunteering activities in the
medical field, of civil protection and emergency
services
Ponte nelle Alpi, November 24 – 26, 2011

26. Main subjects approached :
Presenting the NGOs that work in the medical field, civil
protection and civil rescue from Ponte nelle Alpi

Ways of raising the number of volunteers among the
youth and the elderly


27. Participants:
21 local participants, representatives of local
public administration and of volunteering association

20 international participants , representatives of
local public administration of the cities involved in the

project and of volunteering association
The Associations that presented their activities are:
Accanto all’Anziano (Besides the Senior)
Civil Protection”

Circolo “Astra

CSV (Center for Volunteer Service)

VV.FF (Fire Department) and Soccorso Alpino (Mountain

Rescue) – Belluno

 Filò Sant’Andrea (Association for Social Promotion)

28. Participants:

29. Obtained Results:
 Exchange of best practices between the local and
foreign NGOs
Improving the relations of collaboration between the
NGOs from the project partner towns

Improving the relations of collaboration between
local public administration and the NGOs that rely on

volunteering work

30. Santa Claus Factory
Petroşani, December 5 – 14 , 2011

31. Objectives:
Increasing the involvement of citizens in the
community’s life and offering a direct and real help to

more than 500 poor families and institutions that have
in their care such families, from Petroşani
Giving the citizens of the community the chance to be
actively involved in promoting the volunteering activities

Offering to the young generation the opportunity to help
the less fortunate from their community


32. Participants:
Volunteering Students from the education
Associations: institutions from Petroşani
 
Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary
 National Society of Red
Petro Aqua
Pro Parâng Media partners:

Caritas KapitalTV, Kapital FM

O. S.M.T.H.

Afaceri în Valea Jiului
 
Jurnalul Văii Jiului
 
Mesagerul Văii Jiului
Sponsors:

www.companiadepr.ro,

Pluss Supermarket, Mondo TV, Mondo FM,
 
INSEMEX, VISA TvParâng

Ziarul Văii JiuluI

Cronica Văii Jiului

gazeta de Dimineaţă



33. Volunteers helping to collect packages for
the persons with severe social and
financial problems

34. g
Volunteers sortin
packages
The Mayor of Petroşani
promoting Santa Claus
Factory

35. Distributing packages to the Day Cares for Children
with social problems

36. Obtained Results
Under the slogan
“Your small donation means the world for them”
(original in Romanian:“Dă din puţinul tău, puţin!”)
in this helping campaign:
More than 1.000 volunteers, from Petroşani and from the project
partner towns got involved

Over 500 families and institutions that have in their care families
with severe social problems were helped

 500 packages were collected

37. Santa Claus Factory
Wolfsberg, December 5 – 14 ,2011
Objectives:
Increasing the involvement of citizens in the community’s
life and offering a direct and real help to more than 400 families

with severe social and finacial problems from Petroşani and
Varpalota
Giving the citizens of the community the chance to be
actively involved in promoting the volunteering activities

Offering to the young generation the opportunity to help
the less fortunate from their community


38. Participants:
Representatives of volunteering associations
from the project partner towns

Citizens of Wolfsberg
Results:

More than 400 poor families and orphan children
from the Day Care Centers from Petroşani and Varpalota

received help
 400 packages were collected

39. Conference “Youth and Volunteering ”
Bansko, March 21– 23, 2012

40. Subjects approached:
Importance of civil society’s involvement in the
volunteering work

Presentation of the main organizations from Bansko
municipality that rely on volunteering work

Importance of maintaining a good relation of
collaboration between the local public administration and the

local NGOs that work with volunteers
Ways of raising the involvement of citizens in
volunteering work


41. Participants
20 local participants, representatives of local
public administration and of volunteering association

20 international participants,
representatives of local public administration of the

project partner towns and of volunteering associations

42. Obtained Results
Exchange of best practices between the local and
international NGOs

Improving the relations of collaboration between
some NGOs from the project partner towns

Improving the relation of collaboration between the
local public administration and the NGOs that rely on

volunteering work

43. Closing Conference ,,Civil Society and
Volunteering”
Varpalota, May 10 – 12 , 2012

44. Approached subjects
Importance of civil society’s involvement in the
volunteering work

Presentation of the main organizations from Varpalota
city that rely on volunteering work

Importance of maintaining a good relation of
collaboration between the local public administration and the

local NGOs that work with volunteers
Ways of raising the involvement of citizens in
volunteering work


45. Participants
 30 local participants, representatives of local public
administration and of volunteering associations
 45 international participants, rrepresentatives of
local public administration from the project partner towns and of
NGOs that participated are :
volunteering associations
 Várpalota és Kistérsége Civilek Szövetsége
 Városszépitő és - Védő Egyesület
 Pétfürdői Kertbarátkör Egyesület
 Magyar Vöröskereszt Várpalota Területi Szervezete
 E.P.E.
 Egy Mosolyért Közalapitvány
 Vakok és Gyengénlátok Egyesölete
 Máltai Szeretetszolgálat
 Örömhir Alapitvány

46. Participants

47. Obtained Results
Local Council Decisions were adopted regarding the
following:

making an evaluation report of the project
distribution, on a reciprocity basis, of touristic

brochures at the Touristic Information Points, in Petroşani

and Varpalota
extending the common programme of collaboration
between Petroşani şi Varpalota

A partnership agreement was signed between
“Comitato Pollicino” Association from Ponte nelle Alpi

and Örömhir Alapitvány and K.E.S.Z Associations from
Varpalota

48. Common meeting of Petroşani and Varpalota Local
Councils Varpalota, May 2012

49. About the meeting:
The second common meeting of the two Local Councils
was organized in order to evaluate the results of the project

The Local Councils Decisions became mandatory for
both cities


50. At the meeting :
the results of the project were evaluated
Petroşani – Varpalota common collaboration

programme was evaluated

the common exchange programme was decided to be
extended

distribution, on a reciprocity basis, of materials
promoting tourism, in Petroşani and Varplaota


51. Obtained Results after the
implementation of the project
 Among the citizens, the degree of visibility of NGOs volunteering
work has increased
 New relations of collaboration between the NGOs from the project
partner towns were started (a partnership agreement was signed between two
NGOs from Varpalota and one from Ponte nelle Alpi)
 On local and international level the relations of collaboration between
local public administration and NGOs were improved by starting new common
The number of citizens from the project partner towns who got involved
projects
in volunteering activities has increased

The involvement degree of citizens in solving some problems of the
community, by volunteering was raised

 An exchange of best practices took place between local and
international NGOs

52. Follow-up
Maintaining the visibility of volunteering work among the
citizens from the project partners towns, by organizing seminars and

public meetings
Maintaining and improving the new relations of collaboration
newly started at the meetings organized during the project, between the

NGOs from the project partner towns, by organizing meetings between
their representatives
Maintaining and improving the relations of cooperation between
the local public administration and the NGOs that rely on volunteering

work , by establishing meetings between their representatives
Raising the number of volunteers among the citizens from the
project partner towns

Raising the involvement of citizens in solving the community ‘s
problems, by volunteering work


53. The project’s publicity
 Before and After each event press conferences were held and
press releases were given to the media
 A web site was created containing all the necessary information
about the project
 DVDs and brochures were made and disseminated

54. Acknowledgeme
nts
The project management team expresses its gratitude to the following people,
for their good collaboration
 Tiberiu Iacob Ridzi – Mayor of Petroşani muncipality
• Talaber Marta – Mayor of Varpalota city
• Schlagholz Hans-Peter –Mayor of Wolfsberg city
• Seifried Gerhard – Former Mayor of Wolfsberg city
• Georgy Ikonomov – Mayor of Bansko municipality
• Alexander Kravarov - Former Mayor of Bansko municipality
• Roger De Menech – Mayor of Ponte nelle Alpi
• National Society of Red Cross – Petroşani Subsidiary
• Petro Aqua Association
• Pro-Parâng Association
• Caritas Alba Iulia Association- Petroşani Subsidiary
• O.S.M.T.H - Petroşani Commandeer
• Mother Mary Association
• Mr. Robert Schmid and his project management team from Wolfsberg
• Mrs. Morena Pavei and her project management team from Ponte nelle Alpi
• Mrs. Borbasne Gazdag Gabriella and her project management team from Varpalota
• Mrs. Elena Todeva and her project management team from Bansko municipality
• Mrs. Gabriela Nicolau – Consultancy Centre for European Cultural Programmes,
Europe for Citizens Point-Bucharest