These opportunities can consist of structured courses, training periods abroad, job shadowing or observation periods at schools or other relevant organisations.

 Information on the funding opportunities for adults (aged 18 and older) in both individual learning mobilities - Key Action (KA) 1 and strategic partnership projects - Key Action (KA) 2

European Solidarity Corps: Solidarity projects

Erasmus+ Programme: KA2 Transnational Youth Initiatives, KA3 Support for policy reform

Several funding opportunities are available for young people to take action in an issue they find important in their local community: ESC solidarity projects concentrate on the local societal problems while the Transnational Youth initiatives give the same opportunity to work on an issue for youngsters residing in more than one country. Key Action 3 projects give space for young people to meet decision makers on issues important for local youngsters.

If you are interested in creating a long-term cooperation based on a common strategic aim, the Erasmus+ programme gives funding opportunities for these kind of projects in all of the educational sectors, including the Youth field.

Youthpass is a non-formal educational tool for organising and reflecting on learning outcomes, and a certificate of participation in Erasmus+ Youth projects.

The Youth@Work Partnership was created in January 2018, being the youngest of the three mentioned above. It has 15 members (11 National Agencies and 4 SALTO-YOUTH Resource Centres) and its motto is “collaborative pathways to youth employability”. Youth@Work intends to raise awareness about the value and contribution of Erasmus+ and of youth work, in particular, to promoting youth employability and entrepreneurship. 

The TCP Forum is part of the Youth@Work Partnership. 

Funding opportunities and ideas on how to reach these.

After dinner, the forum officially opened and all the participants were in the same room for the first time. The ice was quickly broken as the first game involved sharing personal stories. This was followed by the Drum Xperience which encouraged them to build their own ecological instruments and to create music together. It was a lively and colourful start for what is sure to be a lively and colourful week!

 

It became clear to David that tackling the food waste problem requires a close cooperation between different actors - food producers, distributors, educators, customers, media influencers. As a result, “Coriandr” is partnering with many different actors in the field, such as Montreal Network against Food Waste (REGAL) and the Food Banks of Quebec to facilitate donations of food or cash. The workshop “Feed your synergy!” participants looked into the positive impact of the synergy model of “Coriandr” and explored the common themes and entrepreneurial solutions between each other, that could potentially lead to the future collaborations. 

Address: 1053 Királyi Pál utca 18.

Online: http://jotekonyser.hu/

Address: 1051 Budapest, Arany János u. 31.

Online: http://voroskereszt.hu/empathy-cafebistr

Address: 1053 Budapest, Zoltán u. 18.

Online: www.hosszulepes.org/‎

Address: 1085 Budapest, Üllői út 2-4. // Baross utca 1.

Online: http://www.premiercafe.hu/

Address: 1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 2

Online: https://impacthub.net/

Address: 1083 Budapest, Bókay János u. 34.

Online: http://golyapresszo.hu/

Address: 1076 Budapest, VII. ker. Dózsa György út 32. 

Online: https://www.kockacsoki.com/

Address: 1077 Budapest, Csányi u. 7.

Online: https://helloanyu.hu/

Address: 1024 Budapest, Kis Rókus u. 16-20., Millenáris Park, B building

Online: https://www.lathatatlan.hu/

Field visit 2. - Dinner at a social enterprise

Address: 1086 Budapest, Magdolna u. 1.

www.nemadomfel.hu

Address: 1111 Budapest, Bertalan Lajos u. 26.

Online: http://cyclonomia.org 

Address: 1085 Budapest, Gyulai P. u 12.

Online: http://szatyorbolt.hu/

The head of the Hungarian National Agency István Verses dedicated some words at the forums official opening. Then, one of the heads of the forum, Andrea Kiss, gave the welcome to the assistants and presented the other National Agencies that participated as organisers (Spain, Italy and United Kingdom) and those that collaborated but are not in the event (Sweden and Turkey). Concha, from Spain, announced that the next TCP forum will be in Madrid just before the speaking of Raluca Diroescu, who reflected on the previous Towards Collaborative Practice Forums. The objectives of these events include creating an international network of people who can exchange experiences and motivations, so they can collaborate in the future.

 

The coffee break, in which there were some tasty sweets on offer that were made by EVS volunteers from an organisation near Budapest, was also preceded with some clarifications about the weeks program and and introduced the coaching session to be had on the final day.

 

Post refreshments, the floor welcomed Alejandro Crawford. He is CEO of RealBase; a global team deploying a new operating system for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment. Crawford talked about "Troublemaker or innovator? The digital ecosystem to launch a better world" and had a lively discussion with the participants about this subject. The expert encourage them to take initiative and affirmed that entrepreneurs “look like us before they look like them”. The CEO considers that the connection of people from all around the world can make possible the necessary innovations to generate changes and save the planet.

 

"Digital revolution and what it means for us" was the second inspirational talk of the morning. The ex-investment banker Péter Küllői explained that is still possible to fix our planet before going to another one but only if the common people start to do something instead of waiting for the action of the politicians. Küllői believes that the society is digital and he made some references to companies like Nokia that grew exponential and then disappeared, in this case because Nokia failed to see that the mobile was not a phone anymore; but a computer.

 

The afternoon started with the participants divided in ten groups. Only one person of these groups was fixed in the place and the other people moved twice to another table. The objective of was to discuss and answer "What is the link for you between social and environmental approaches of an entrepreneurship?", "How do you see the question of generating profit in a business and/or compromise for more sustainable solutions and minimise environmental footprint" and "What good practises do you know from your country or network on environmental responsible entrepreneurships?".

 

After some sweets and drinks during the afternoon coffee break, the people were divided in rooms where there were different workshops. One, for example, was about how to not waste the food we have at home.  In another room participants could learn more about the situation of the women in Africa and how they can use a big variety of materials to make menstrual pads or soap that then they sell. Interesting and concrete, the debate generated in some of the workshops lasted until dinner time.

 

A practice fair was the last activity of the day. Many were presenting their sustainable expertise, such as how to avoid the use of plastic, their knowledge about mushrooms, the language school, or how to make a smoothie with the help of a bike. Some of the participants of the TCP were presenting this stands but the rest of them could move around the room to learn more about those interesting and inspiration ideas.

 "Activating youth entrepreneurial mindsets to grow social innovation" was a space to share problems that can appear when a new business is created and techniques to brainstorm the possible solutions.

 Other participants enjoyed in the second room "DROPS. Cocreate with you". They had to show their creativity by drawing themselves and then choosing a talent, a passion and dream they have to answer the question "Who are you?".

 The audience participated actively in the workshop "Organisations to increase youth engagement". The people shared their opinions about competences, autonomy and relatedness. In addition, they also discussed about what it is a good job.

 Finally, "Let's talk about Brexit" put on the table the consequences of the exit of United Kingdom from the European Union in a quite pessimistic atmosphere.

 The coffee break allowed the participants to drink and eat something with calm just before the learning journing. It consisted of different opportunities to increase their knowledge in areas like the youthpass, the Erasmus+, the strategy partnership, the European Solidarity Corps, the non-financial resources for social enterprises and the funding opportunities available. The people shared interesting books and impressions about a big variety of subjects in a friendly environment.

 The cold but sunny afternoon was a good opportunity for the participants to explore the city and to discover the amazing initiatives that some people developed.

 For example, the visit related to Charity brought an international group of people to the place where the beer Jótékony Share is now promoted. As one of the creators explained, this product is sold in some bars and supermarkets but they also go to the festivals with a caravan to offer it to the consumers. The money the craft beer produces is donated for different purposes, like the promotion of sports, the support of the culture, the protection of the animals, the care of people and the fight against the alcoholism. The products they sell are with and without alcohol and in two sizes.

 After this visit, the group moved to the Hungarian Red Cross, where they had dinner: pita bread with lecsó and pita bread with the sour cream and the cheese the hungarian cuisine use on langos. The head of the Cafe & Bistro explained that they opened this space recently but that originally was a garage. Many youngsters were sit there drinking and chilling with friends, using the computer, studying or just reading. A big table is usually in the center of the place, which embraces the motto "Let's sit at the same table". That is an invitation for sharing and meet new people in a community space where a lot of events are organised and where donations are always welcome.

 The other places the participants in the TCP visited were the Cyclonomia, Kockacsoki, the Invisible Exhibition Budapest, Impact Hub Budapest, Hosszúlépés, Gólya Community House and Cooperative, Helloanyu, Szatyor Association, Never Give Up Foundation and Premier Kultcafé.

 A busy and fulfilling day!

 

Workshop facilitator Alan Johnson shared his personal experience of working in ‘Symbiont’ consulting enterprise, which is involved in a wide range of projects, including work with people with disabilities and learning difficulties, NEET, engagement and support of smaller SEs, NGOs, SMEs, etc. For such enterprises Brexit raises a lot of questions and worries, especially regarding the EU-funded entrepreneur and business support programmes, EU training support, and EU grant assessment and evaluation contracts.

 

Workshop used an interactive quiz to differentiate the facts from myths and misinformation associated with Brexit, as well as to raise remaining questions regarding the free movement, EU funded programmes, common EU policies and so on. On the other hand, participants also had an opportunity to identify the positive impact or opportunities that might come from Brexit, such as the boost internal market or the liberation from unwanted regulations.

So what about if someone will come to your home and take what you want to give away and assure you that this stuff will have a new life in someone who needs hands. So Charity taxi started to create a community system to connect Budapest with some remote villages in the North and in the South of the country, where poverty and marginalisation were quite hihg and relevant.

But donating is not the only aspect to underline for them: they organise trips to the villages, where they hold proper day event in and for the community. They work together with the community leader to involve all the people and distribute clothes, toys, etc., but also create a relationship between them and the volunteers. 

Moreover, they organise sessions in schools to raise awareness among pupils and students about what they do and experience. In the near future they will start to work on team buinding events for companies, for offering pro bono support to them, amd extend the collecting to IT equipment and forniture, so start to go towards a proper CSR. 

During the initiative’s 3 years Charity Taxi succeed in reaching 600 households, going to 35 towns and supporting 8,000 people with the help of 250 volunteers. City and village.

After a simulation game where the participants will create their own ventures, pitch their ideas and then identify the entrepreneurial mindset skills necessary for building successful, environmentally-focused ventures. Starting form the debriefing of this activity, the workshop leader introduced the reasearch project he is working on, focused on the teaching of entrepreneurial mindset and all the competences, attitudes, skills related to it, and how to measure and evaluate it. They involved 3.000 students who were attending short or long term training on entrepreneurship and business. 

The coffee break arrived to give the participants some time to take more strength to participate in the coach session coordinated by Monika Bolcskei. These intimate talks finished on time to have lunch, after which some of the participants enjoyed an amazing drum experience. One of the experts from the Drum Xperience gave to the people the opportunity to feel being in the forest and in the seaside through the emotions the instruments can provoque. It was also possible to let the creativity flow with some paint and manual activities. 

 

The main room was the meeting point at 15.00 hours for the last afternoon of the TCP Hungary 2018. The participants sat in a circle where two chairs were one in front of the other so they could talk by pairs. During six rounds of five minutes, the freelancers, representants of companies and organisations and the youngsters discuss about networking.

Only the coffee break could stop these interesting talks, but in this case it was a special pause. The organisation of the event put four different areas so the assistants could go to drink a coffee or a tea and eat something sweet or pogácsa to the "dating bar", in the "still single", the "zen dating" and the "dating and work". It was a moment of chilling but also of sharing the last comments and experiences.

Maria-Carmen Pantea gave a presentation of about half an hour in which she explained what exactly is the TCP. Some of the purposes were to clarify who supports these kind of events, who they are made for, the impact that they usually have on the participants (like the exchange and the networking) and the institutional impact.

Everything came to an end and the Towards Collaborative Practice Hungary 2018 was not an exception. Ildi, from the Hungarian National Agency, gave thanks to all the people that made it possible to happen, from the representatives of the agencies that collaborate in the organisation to the volunteers. That was also the moment when Ildi gave to Concha, from the Spanish National Agency, a bag as a symbol of the transfer to Spain the planing of the next TCP, that will be in October 2019.

The film producer Anna, that was working hard during all the event, presented to the audience a project she has that will allow to plant some trees and reduce the impact of some common actions, such as taking a plane to travel. Anna recommended also the book "How bad are bananas?".

The paperwork was almost the last point of the journey and the assistants filled an evaluation online to comment their impressions about the TCP just before they got their Youthpass. The technology was also protagonist when they wrote what they will bring home (inspiration, ideas, connection, contacts...) and the steps they would like to take in the next week (planning, sleep, emailing, towels...). All days before they had to go inside the room to start the next activity, Freddy Mercury sang "Don´t stop me now", and that was precisely the last of the questions they had to find an answer to: why don't stop now? Some of the people wrote because of being happy, of the enthusiasm, the good time lived... But the main point was "because I want to continue".

The circle all of them formed at the end of the journey worked to say 'thankyou' to themselves and also to the others. The participants took some seeds and they made a wish they would like to see growing up for themselves then they passed them on to another person.

After a tasty dinner, the Grund Theatre, founded in 2008, brought some games and made the participants enjoy a very full last evening of jokes and funny moments thanks to their improvisation.