Volunteer –friendly Algarve...

The idea for the creation of these volunteer structures came from the municipalities, who found themselves facing other boroughs willing to take part in community activities – but without the means to collaborate.

An example of how a BLV can succeed can be found in Vila Real de Santo António, where there are 250 volunteers involved, most of them young people.

They’re currently developing activities with the elderly population – as a way of helping the local old people’s homes.

There’s also an “inverse project” developing, involving the elderly people giving reading sessions in schools, and taking part in pre-school mealtimes.

In Loulé, the idea is for foreign volunteers to support the integration of immigrants; and in Silves there are a number of volunteer programmes going ahead – like the one involving cleaning up the forests.

Anyone interested in volunteering for any social programme should get in touch with their local authority.