Research has found that volunteering among adults, age 60 and over, provided benefits to physical and mental health, and volunteers report better physical health than do nonvolunteers. Research also has shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety, especially for people 65 and older. For this reason, the partner institutions of the project have identified the need to encourage older people to carry out voluntary activities. In this way, a double objective could be achieved: on the one hand, the various associations of disadvantaged people have benefited from these collaborations with the elderly but, at the same time, the elderly have been rewarded with an increase in their personal satisfaction, as they are aware of their contribution to the community and have felt active and useful to society. The main aim of the project is to help older people to connect with society and to develop an open attitude towards other people, stimulating and enabling older people to continue to participate actively in society. The project has increased pupils' competences in new technologies and improved social awareness, which implies the ability to understand and empathise with others, especially with people from different backgrounds. The project has fostered the social inclusion of the different target groups through the exchange of innovative experiences using new technologies. This has strengthened their social awareness and sense of "European community". Therefore, one vehicle for engaging older people in volunteering has been the new technologies, which have facilitated participation in the activities of the whole community. The partnership was formed by the University of Castilla-La Mancha (coordinator) and 3 other institutions from Poland, Cyprus and Italy: AKTYWNI XXI Foundation, SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education Ltd and LUMSA University. The intellectual outputs of the project have been the following: - Mentoring curriculum: this is the first output, which consisted of the creation of an innovative training methodology and training programme for high-level volunteers supporting the integration of disadvantaged groups. It was realised in a downloadable and user-friendly e-book format for development and training courses organised in each partner country (O1). - AID-Software App Tool is an online web application that offers support to mentors through podcasts, tools/practices, reflection questions and a discussion forum for the exchange of practices and skills by adult learners. - AID-Multimedia Awareness-raising film that reflects the unique experiences of project participants - older volunteers and disadvantaged people - and aims to reduce existing misconceptions by combating social stereotypes (O3). The main results that have been achieved through the project include: - Increased digital competences of people working with the different target groups of vulnerable adults (50+ and staff of companies and organisations). - Increased ability to understand and empathise with others. - To have an innovative method of volunteering that can be used by all partners. - To increase social integration through ICT competences. - To improve the competences of the teaching staff of the participating institutions. - Training sessions and 4 multiplier events were organised in all partner countries which allowed to make the products developed in the project known to institutions in other fields of education. - The project has had a substantial positive impact on the participating organisations and their staff and/or students and this year, for example at UCLM, a weekly volunteering and internship workshop is being held with different groups. - In conclusion, the project has served to encourage volunteering in the participating partners and has fostered cohesion between the different institutions at local level, with the expected results and synergies in the long term, with joint projects, such as the above-mentioned workshop.
The project activities were centred around the objectives of: 1. Improving the mentoring and volunteering skills of older people. 2. To prepare the staff of the partner organisations to carry out attractive activities to improve social integration. 3. To develop a new approach, a new formula for teaching older people how to use their skills and put them at the service of others. Preparation of the publication "Volunteering as a means to improve the quality of life of older people - Innovative Guide for Trainers". Innovative Guide for Trainers", the AID-Software App platform and the video motivations. These objectives targeted two groups of beneficiaries: 1. trainers from partner organisations, who learned about interesting and pragmatic opportunities to use digital technologies in training as mentors for older people. 2. Seniors participating in educational activities of partner organisations: Fundacja "Aktywni XXI", UCLM, Synthesis and LUMSA.
The demographic changes that have occurred in recent times have resulted in an unprecedented increase in the number of older people in our society, people who, in addition, live longer, with a higher cultural level and in better health conditions than previous generations. In this context, the University Programme "José Saramago" (PUJS) 50 plus of the University of Castilla-La Mancha aims to meet the need to equip older people with the tools to cope more effectively with changing environments and thus remain active subjects of society. Previous research has found that volunteering among adults aged 60 and over provides physical and mental health benefits. Research has also shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety. In addition, volunteering is a great way to meet new people and build healthy relationships. It strengthens your ties with the community and also encourages the practice and development of social skills, so the need to address and encourage volunteering in older people is more than justified.