The Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector has announced the activity Together We Shine – Family Fun Fest , a one-day event for the whole family which will be staged on Sunday 20 October between 10am and -4pm in the San Klement family park, Żabbar. There will be various activities, including a number of voluntary associations that will be exhibiting and selling various different products, along with entertainment for children and interactive activities for the public that will be visiting. Among these there will be football games by Frame Football Malta, a treasure hunt by Embrace Diversity Organisation, first aid for children by Badel Powell Scouts Malta, a musical performance by VOCA and the Malta Society for the Deaf, and much more.
This activity has the main objective of promoting inclusion and facilitating inclusive volunteering opportunities for people with disabilities. Therefore, an important aspect is that the participating organizations will be helped by volunteers with disabilities during the activity, where they will also be prepared in advance through training and preparation for this event. This is being done in collaboration with the Sapport Agency and other organizations that are experts in this sector.
Minister for Inclusion and Volunteering Julia Farrugia Portelli explained how this activity sums up the importance of inclusion and volunteering. “This day is a special occasion to show the value of volunteering and the contribution that disabled people are able to give to our society. It is an opportunity to promote inclusion and ensure that every individual, regardless of the challenges they face, has the necessary support to reach their full potential. With collaboration between volunteers and people with disabilities, we can build stronger and fairer communities for everyone.”
CEO of MCVS, Mauro Pace Parascandalo said that such an activity combines various aspects of the Council’s work in the field of volunteering. He explained that the voluntary organizations that will be present will not only promote their work but will also help and give a volunteering opportunity to the disabled.
Oliver Scicluna, Chief Executive of Aġenzija Sapport, praised the initiative of the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector where, through the VERA project, it is raising more awareness about the validity and importance of the inclusion of people with disability in the voluntary sector. He reiterated that where there may be a perception that persons with disabilities benefit from services provided by volunteers, such activities and projects also place emphasis on the abilities of persons with disabilities and the social contribution they can offer themselves.
Mr. Scicluna continued that in addition to involvement on various levels so that this Family Day could be organized, the VERA project also served so that a person with a disability from the Daytime Services of Aġenzija Sapport, benefits from training in Italy and in Brussels regarding involvement in volunteering in the past months.
This activity is part of a grant of around €11,200 from the European Volunteering Center (CEV) to the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector as part of the project Volunteering Equality Rights Action (VERA) 2024. More information can ‘ is obtained from maltacvs.org .
