📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Created by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, "Special Olympics" aim to providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Today, Special Olympics is a global movement serving more than 4 million people with intellectual disabilities in 178 countries and representing 30 different types of sports.
Special Olympics Belgium was founded in 1979 and is officially recognized by the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. It organises National Games every year (alternatively in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) and send delegations of Belgian athletes to the Winter and Summer Special Olympics World Games. These competitions are open to any athlete with intellectual disability who regularly practise a sport at his/her own level. More than just a physical and sport training, these activities enhance the social development of the athletes.
The 2019 National Games will take place in Saint-Nicolas and Beveren and will host about 3400 athletes and 1200 coaches from 320 sport clubs to compete in 19 adapted sports and disciplines. The programme will include a torch run, opening and closure ceremonies, an Olympic village, a healthy athletes programme and an art exhibition from artists with mental disability.
More information (FR) on : https://www.special-olympics.be
💼 What the programme involves
For this 40th edition of the Belgian National Games, volunteers will help on several aspects of the event logistics, such as assembling and dismantling of structures, building and putting up the decorations, transport and unloading of material, waste management, …
Volunteers will work with several teams of the organisation before and after the Games. During the 3 days of competitions, volunteers will provide guidance to athletes for one of the disciplines of the competition: a precision ball sport, related to bowls and "pétanque" called Bocce. The Opening Ceremony as well as the Torch Run will take place on May 29th while the Games will take place from May 30th to June 1st 2019.
Physical work will be asked to volunteers so it is important to take this into account. Volunteers will also have lighter tasks like guidance of athletes, decorations, waste management, ...
🏠 Accommodation on site
Volunteers will be accommodated neart the logistic centre in Beveren. Please bring a sleeping bag.
Meals will be taken with the different teams of the organisation and will be prepared by local volunteers. Vegetarian food will be available but should be asked in advance.
📍 About the location
The 2019 National Games will take place between Sint Niklaas and Beveren, Flemish-speaking cities located in Flanders, close to the Dutch border. They are both close to Antwerp (20km) and Gent (50km). Brussels is 50km away. All those places can easily be reached by public transport.
⚠️ Requirements
This workcamp requires physical efforts at some moments. Volunteers are asked to prove a strong interest for the thematic of this event. There will be one free day before and one free day after the competition.
Please bring good working shoes and clothes that can get dirty as well as a raincoat in case of rainy weather.
A project-related motivation letter is required.