For many years Olde Vechte has been offering volunteering places for people who would like to make a change in their lives, move away from their current situations and live independently. We provide a learning context where you can proactively focus on yourself in a new, challenging and dynamic environment, and shape your own volunteering project, while supporting the foundation in the day-to-day.
Olde Vechte is a verified hosting organisation for the European Solidarity Corps project, working with young people regardless of gender, physical limitations, religion, cultural differences, educational and social background.
Check the volunteering info and join us if you come from an EU country and you’re 18-30 years old!
The volunteering programmes are made possible by:
EXTRA MILE
12-month volunteering programme
Are you already familiar with us and our way of working? Then you can come for long-term volunteering for up to 12 months. Take the chance to dedicate one year for yourself, develop practical skills and focus on your individual goal.
WORK:
Olde Vechte is mainly run by volunteers who contribute 32-36 working hours per week.
You’ll take an active part in maintaining and developing the venue, covering practical tasks such as:
- Cooking for youth exchanges and training courses
- Fixing bikes, laying paving bricks, repairing damages in the buildings, painting, gardening, watering plants, fixing benches, cleaning the areas, and more
- Maintaining a historical landmark and assisting with building processes
- Taking care of office tasks such as marketing, communication and assisting in project coordination & logistics
- Supporting the organization of international projects and events
- It’s also possible to sometimes workaway in a herb garden or retired horse farm
Accommodation, utilities, insurance, pocket and living money are provided by the organization.
HOUSING:
Have you ever tried living in an international community?
Have your own private room and shared kitchen, living room and bathroom.
We host volunteers in connected 3 houses hosting 3/4 people each.
In your free time, you can grow your vegetables in the small garden around.
The accomodation is close by the river, in a calm natural area 5 mins walk from the city centre.
FREE TIME:
In your free time you can travel and explore the Netherlands, rest, learn Dutch with the ESC language portal or have beautiful walks in the nearby forests.
Do you come from the countryside, are burnt out or struggle with your health, belong to a minority, have dropped out of school/university, have troubles in your family or face economic difficulties? This might be the place for you.
WIDER HORIZON
2-month volunteering programme
Wider horizon is a 2-month volunteering programme. We host a group of 4 short-term volunteers.Wider horizon gives you a glance into volunteering and a chance to live abroad together with other international youngsters. Come and see if Olde Vechte is a place for you!
We especially recommend this programme to young people who are in a period of re-evaluating where they are heading in life and what is that they want to do.
WORK:
Short term volunteering is mainly practical and consists of 32-36 working hours per week.
You’ll take an active part in maintaining and developing the venue, covering tasks such as:
- Cooking for youth exchanges and training courses
- Fixing bikes, laying paving bricks, repairing damages in the buildings, painting, gardening, watering plants, fixing benches, cleaning the areas, cleaning and more
- Maintaining a historical landmark and assisting with building processes
- Supporting the organization of international projects and events
- It’s also possible to sometimes workaway in a herb garden or retired horse farm
Accommodation, utilities, insurance, pocket and living money are provided by the organization.
HOUSING:
During your short term you’ll live in a shared space with participants and volunteers.
You’ll have your own private room and a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom.
The accomodation is close by the river, in a calm natural area 5 mins walk from the city centre.
FREE TIME:
In your free time you can travel and explore the Netherlands, rest, learn Dutch with the ESC language portal or have beautiful walks in the nearby forests.
Do you come from the countryside, are burnt out or struggle with your health, belong to a minority, have dropped out of school/university, have troubles in your family or face economic difficulties? This might be the place for you.
What our volunteers are saying
"So basically I came to do the short term in September 2018 until November 2018. I was tired of my job and left it, then one summer day I saw an ad on Facebook and I applied, then actually forgot about it. After a few days, this organisation called me and asked me if I was still planning to go and I came to Olde Vechte. It was an incredible 2 months with a lovely group of people, hard work and fun mostly. After 1 month I decided that I want to come back for the long term, mainly because I saw different groups of people coming and going from the trainings, projects, youth exchanges etc.. In January 2019 I came back with the intention of developing myself and doing training courses. It was a life changing year I believe, I don't really know yet obviously but it feels like this. A year in which I was valued and empowered to grow, where I started to take my life in my own hands and being accountable and aware of things that I didn't realise I was doing before. I had time to think of what I really want to do in my life, and I also found love, unexpectedly! Now my plan for the future is to become a meditation teacher and a life coach."
"Wider Horizon" September 2018 - November 2018 (two months) + "Extra Mile" January 2019-2020 (one year)
Andrea Scroccaro, Italy
"As I was arriving in the Netherlands the worries and fears of moving to a country and organization I knew nothing about were eating me. I was scared to be alone and I thought that I won’t be able to commit to living and working at the same place for a full year. Soon enough, I was proved wrong as I started working outside on projects. I had changed my job a few times, from doing outside work, working in the kitchen, working in a second-hand shop to working in the office of Olde Vechte until I found my fit. Trying and failing, learning by doing was very important for me to shake off this “lost” feeling that has been following me my entire life, and now I feel like there’s something beautiful opening up for me, and I’m the one who’s in charge of it. This experience is the most important experience I’ve had in my life so far. It feels like a gift that keeps on giving."
"Extra Mile" May 2019-2020 (one year)
Teodora Saltirova, Macedonia
"My volunteering experience started in July of 2019, when I decided to venture out past the walls of Lithuania to the open fields of Ommen, the Netherlands as a short-term volunteer in Olde Vechte Foundation. From the first day, I arrived everyone made me feel very at home in their environment and I found it very easy to settle in. Then I decided to stay for the long term. Throughout my volunteering experience, I have learned a great deal about myself as well as my surroundings and other cultures, I have learned what it is to live in a community sharing a house with multiple people, how to manage my time and finances to live comfortably. I am very thankful for the volunteering experience in Olde Vechte and I will always keep it in my heart as a valuable experience."
"Extra Mile" September 2019-2020 (one year)
Patricija Gustaityte, Lithuania
"Doing an EVS at Olde Vechte Foundation was one of the best choices in my life. I have learned how to be independent, how to arrange my daily life, how to work in a team. Also I had the opportunity to learn and discover languages, cultures and I've got the freedom to learn and to develop myself."
“YES EVS” 2016-2017 (one year)
Dávid Diószegi, Hungary
"How can I contain a whole year in a couple of lines? During my EVS, I overworked, slacked off, cooked for 74 people, biked hundreds of kilometers, cried, laughed, baked cakes, painted walls, laminated papers and fixed flat tires. And most of the time, I made mistakes. Glorious, silly, unprecedented mistakes. So I learned, every day more and more, I learned how I function as an individual and as a part of society. Now I know that I can spread my colours everywhere, without doubt or fear. I arrived to Olde Vechte as a lost soul, I leave as an illuminated source of inspiration."
"Yes EVS" 2015-2016 (one year)
Daphne Vasila, Greece
"Love, fulfillment, commitment and creativity. It was an amazing experience! Lots of learning for me as a person and also professionally to become trainer and youth worker. Also being faced with homesickness by living here has been a great lesson. :)"
"Yes EVS" 2015-2016 (one year)
Ilze Vanaga, Latvia
