On the 7th of April Woodcraft Folk’s Development Officer Eireny and young participant Alex made their way to Portugal. This trip was to begin planning for the international project Winds of Change, which is a summer youth exchange involving representatives from the UK, Portugal, Estonia, Hungary, Spain (and potentially France and Italy). They were hosted by international organisation APCC, in a small town in the south named Alvito that has a population of 2,504 where the youth exchange project will be held.
The goal of the trip was to bring all organisations involved in the youth exchange together to begin planning for the project start in the summer. On the first day of the trip, the group were treated to a tour of the town, visiting all the centres and outdoor spaces where the project activities will be held in July which included outdoor tennis courts, a swimming pool, indoor climbing wall, sports hall and community centre. The group also met the mayor of Alvito, where introductions with shared and a talk given about the youth exchange and why Alvito was chosen as the hosting location.
The mayor was thrilled that young people would be staying in the small town as part of the project as the majority of the town’s population is ageing. In the evening, the group learnt more about the culture of Portugal with a highlight being watching a band practice traditional folk singing. The group discovered the song held a lot of significance, as it was used during the revolution.
The following day was mainly focused around planning the exchange project followed by a trip to nearby town, Evora. Evora is a city with a lot of historical sights and venues. It is a spectacular town partially enclosed by mediaeval walls and historical monuments including a Rome temple. In the evening, the went group went back to Lisbon where they were hosted by APCC with a fantastic dinner.
Woodcraft Folk prides itself on creating international opportunities for its young supporters through its partnerships and projects which has had members travel to locations across the globe. Winds Of Change is one of many international projects the youth charity is currently running with others including Kids Got Rights, Peace Communicators and also international camp, Common Ground which is taking place later this summer. You can find out more about Woodcraft Folk’s international opportunities here
Want to get involved with Winds of Change?
The summer exchange will be taking place from 3rd-12th of July and is open to young
people aged 18+ years.
For this project we are looking to take 5 young people and 1 leader.
The international opportunity will provide young people with summer memories they will treasure forever. Attendees will make new friends, explore parts of Portugal and experience new cultures. The exchange will also provide a fantastic opportunity to gain international experience and develop skills for young people’s CV for higher education.
Activities on the exchange will include: icebreaker games, team building activities, energisers, working in small and big groups, individual reflection, debates, visits, video creation and editing, presentations, role plays, canoeing, swimming, painting, walking as well as active participation projects within the community.
Further Information about the opportunity in July:
Date: 3-12th of July 2022
Location: Alvito, Portugal
Age restrictions: Must be aged 18+ years
Number of places available : 5 young people needed!
If this opportunity sounds like something that you would be interested please fill in this
google form or if you have any questions then please reach out to: Eireny.akubeze@Woodcraft.org.uk.