ESC: Husmandsstedet

Husmandsstedet is an activity and recreation centre, located in a former farmhouse in the heart of Sdr. Naerå, Årslev. Everybody is welcome to come here and participate in different kinds of ongoing activities or to start up new interest groups and organize various activities such as music groups, theatre, creative work, courses and training, etc. Furthermore, children and youngsters, who are at least 10 years of age, are welcome to spend their leisure time in the centre in order to pursue their interests and hobbies; and/or to be motivated to try out new ideas. The children and youngsters are supervised by a minimum of three adults. Husmandsstedet also invites parents to keep close contact with the centre in order to keep up with their childrens' well-being. More than 100 children and youngsters take advantage of Husmandsstedet with an average of 40 - 50 visiting the place everyday. The centre is open for the children from Monday to Thursday from 12:00 to 17:00. There is a Juniorclub Monday evening from 18:30 - 20:30. There are activities almost all day, starting in the morning with either very young kids or elderly people. During the afternoon the house is full of children and in the evening there are adults participating in different groups. Husmandsstedet is mainly run by the users themselves. The users elect an executive committee at the general assembly once a year. It is the committee who makes the main decisions, administrates the budget and is the employer of the staff. There is a paid staff of 3 people to take care of the facilities, run the administration, supervise the activities, etc. Husmandsstedet’s philosophy has from its very beginning in 1989 been based on values in accordance with ESC’s principles. Mutual respect, solidarity and tolerance are among the values that are fundamental for the interaction between children and adults at Husmandsstedet. Voluntary work is also one of the main principles of the institution. When entering Husmandsstedet, one will instinctively notice on the wall a framed quotation by Tage Skov-Hansen where he explains how volunteering and solidarity creates meaningfulness and satisfaction in life. Husmandsstedet is a dynamic and open institution for the local community and its success is very dependent on initiative and voluntary work. The local volunteering at Husmandsstedet is usually based on very specific tasks, often practical jobs and on certain days or hours that fit into the personal lives of the volunteers. It could include work such as mowing the lawn, taking care of the garden, making food for communal dining arrangements or general maintenance of the buildings. In this respect the local volunteers differ from ESC volunteers, who are at work everyday and whose functions are almost solely associated with the children. Husmandsstedet has the following facilities: a workshop/studio open for creative works; a music room; a computer room with internet; kitchen / café offering different afternoon snacks for children. Various rooms can be used for meetings, workshops, etc; The former small barn is used for events. (i.e. yoga, drama, concerts, markets, communal dinning, private parties, etc.) Next to the house there is a big barn with horses. The horse riding activities are organized by a special group. Adults can initiate and organize new activities and advertise them in Husmandsstedets information folder, homepage or on Facebook. The current activities vary according to the wishes of the users. The volunteer will mainly work together with her/his contact person and will be involved in the upcoming work. The main focus lies in the work with the children, either through physical activities, music or in the workshop/studio, which gives the volunteer the possibility to display and develop creative ideas and, through this, establish a good contact with the children. Husmandsstedet is in Årslev, which is a small town with about 4000 inhabitants and is situated on the island Fyn. Årslev may be described as a rural area. There are beautiful natural surroundings nearby, ideal for taking walks, and there are a number of lakes where you can fish and bathe. A lot of the local citizens even choose to bathe in the wintertime, as winter bathing is very popular in Denmark. Bicycling is a very common transportation form in Årslev as it is everywhere in Denmark. Bicycles for the volunteers are provided by Husmandsstedet, and we are helpful with respect to teaching the volunteers how to bike in Denmark. Encouraging the volunteers to bicycle is also consistent with Husmandsstedets views on environment and sustainability. Husmandsstedet endeavours to motivate the children as well as other users of our institution to make choices and actions that protect and benefit our environment. Odense is about 20 minutes away from Årslev. There is an effective train connection from Årslev to Odense. Odense is the most important city on the Island of Fyn and the 3rd largest city in Denmark.