Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1464865
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 APRIL 2022 16 COMMERCIAL Villa Anna Teresa Officially becomes a member of the European Ageing Network MIRIANA Fenech Adami, Home Manager at Villa Anna Teresa had the opportunit y to attend her second European Ageing Network (EAN) gener- al assembly which took place in Malmo. The EAN groups more than 10,000 care pro- viders across the European continent. Members represent all t ypes of organizations and individuals who work actively in the sector for older persons. It is the EAN's vision and mis- sion to improve the qualit y of life for older persons and support them in making each day a better day by providing high qualit y services and care. During the general assembly Villa Anna Teresa was pro- vided with the certificate of membership with the Euro- pean Ageing Network. Malta will be hosting the general assembly in April 2023. The general assembly was followed by a Workforce Summit, in which various countries such as Italy, Aus- tria, France, Norway, Swe- den, Netherlands, Czech Republic, as well as Malta, had to give an overview on the current situation in the country with regards to the workforce in social care settings, particularly with older persons. This was an eye-opening experience, since it was evident that all countries face challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining staff in this sector. There were various discussions on how we can work together in making the sector more attractive and rewarding for staff. Villa Anna Teresa will be partners in an Erasmus + project with EAN. One such project Villa Anna Teresa will be involved in is called 'Recruiting and Retaining Staff in Social Services'. This is a project which involves six partner organisations form Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Ice-land and Malta. It was an excellent oppor- tunity to meet up with mem- bers of the EAN from all across Europe, and discuss practices and issues related to care for older persons. It is in the interest of Villa Anna Teresa to collaborate with EAN in order to con- tribute in ameliorating care practices in Malta. New project to bridge gaps between communities and foster environmental stewardship A new project, created by NWAMI International Malta and funded by the Ministry for Education's Voluntary Organi- sations Project Scheme (VOPS), will bring Maltese and migrant youths together with the spe- cific aim of fostering environ- mental stewardship. By provid- ing different groups within the community a common objec- tive to work on, the project aims to foster more and better under- standing between communities and deliver practical ideas on preserving and enhancing our environment. The project's youth engage- ment activities will be hosted by the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which offers safe and spacious facilities for community engagement activi- ties. Maria-Gabriele Doublesin, Chairperson of NWAMI In- ternational Malta, said, "This project, titled 'Together We Strive: Creating A Sustainable Environment Free from Barriers that Divide', is a transformative Voluntary Organisation (VO) and Communities based project which aims to set an example for driving innovative solutions. The project is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Malta's contri- bution to COP26. Its main objective is to engage migrant communities and lo- cal youths and their families in fostering environmental stew- ardship. The project consists of 3 key areas; Capacity Build- ing, Research, and Immersion through innovative and educa- tional community engagement activities which will start in June." The Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme (VOPS) is an initiative which falls under the Ministry for Education and Employment, administrated on its behalf by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector estab- lished in 2015, with an allocated fund of €700,000. The general objectives estab- lishing the VOP Fund, include, but are not limited to, stimulat- ing cooperation and networking among voluntary organisations, providing a platform for cooper- ation between VOs and the Gov- ernment, providing a consulta- tive forum to address issues in the Voluntary Sector, promot- ing and encouraging a culture of volunteering especially among children and youth to encour- age personal and social develop- ment and fostering cooperation in the voluntary sector between local and international bodies to promote the development of volunteering programmes, initi- atives, and activities. NWAMI International Malta (NIM) is a Voluntary Organi- sation set up in Malta in 2021. Its mission is to bridge the so- cio-cultural divide between Maltese and migrant commu- nities. It does this by helping migrant communities to famil- iarise themselves with Maltese culture, values and traditions and helping Maltese communi- ties to understand and deal with values and traditions of migrant communities through various projects and activities More information is available at www.nwamiinternational- malta.org NWAMI Chair Maria-Gabriele Doublesin, receiving the grant from the Minister for Inclusion, Social Wellbeing and Voluntary Organisations Julia Farrugia Portelli, in the presence of MCVS CEO Mauro Pace Parascandalo, (left) and MCVS Chairman Dr Noel Camilleri (right) at the Grant Award Ceremony