About the Host organization
The Governing Body of Suomenlinna is a Finnish government agency responsible for preserving and presenting the UNESCO-listed fortress island of Suomenlinna. Their mission is to ensure the site's historical integrity is safeguarded for future generations.
About Suomenlinna
Fortress of Suomenlinna, built gradually from 1748 onwards on a group of islands, is located a 15-minute ferry ride off the City of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Helsinki is a modern and cosmopolitan city and home to around 600,000 residents. Since 1973, the fortress buildings have been renovated to serve as apartments as well as workspaces, to house private and public services, and for cultural purposes. Today, Suomenlinna is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland and constitutes a district of Helsinki with 800 inhabitants. Fortress of Suomenlinna is one of Finland’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
About the Volunteering
The Suomenlinna World Heritage—Hands-on Heritage offers a unique 15-day experience in which 13 young people from across Europe come together to live, learn, and grow in the Fortress of Suomenlinna in Finland. The project aims to increase young people's awareness of the need to protect and promote the common world heritage and European cultural heritage. It intends to equip volunteers with hands-on heritage landscaping and restoration skills. Furthermore, volunteers learn to work together towards a common goal, and they will have a chance to build a diverse network with other European Volunteers and world heritage professionals in Suomenlinna.
Suomenlinna ESC Team Activity 2025 empowers young people, allowing them to learn skills, basic preservation and conservation techniques, and raise their capacity as future decision-makers and global active citizens.
Activities and Volunteers' Tasks
Suomenlinna involves 13 volunteers in World Heritage preservation through concrete projects at the site. The program for Team activity 2025 includes volunteers in several different tasks and activities in maintenance work, landscaping work, supportive restoration tasks, and sustainable tourism management. The main tasks will be;
- Restoration of historical cannons (2–3 full days)
- Traditional painting of a shed
- Landscaping and invasive plant removal
- Baltic Sea clean-up and environmental awareness activities
- Heritage seminars and workshops on authenticity and sustainability
- Presentation of a World Heritage site from each volunteer's home country
- Open Camp Day with local community engagement
Eligibility | Who can apply?
- Young people aged between 18 and 30 from the European Union countries or Ukraine.
- Participants must be available to attend the whole duration of the Project
- Willing to cooperate, share responsibilities, and live collectively.
- Curious and enthusiastic about learning through hands-on experience.
Expenses and Benefits
All expenses covered regarding the participation, such as travel, food, and accommodation, are fully funded by the European Solidarity Corps program.
- Participation is free of charge, no application or registration fee
- Volunteers will be accommodated in Hostel Suomenlinna dormitories (one for women, one for men).
- All meals will be provided by the organizer. Lunches will be served ready, and the dinners will be prepared by the volunteers themselves, together in a kitchen provided by the organizer.
- Participants who will stay the whole duration of the project are entitled to receive a pocket money.
- Participants from EU countries should get the European Health Insurance Card; for non-EU citizens, they will receive HENNER insurance for the whole period of the project.
- Your international travel expenses will be reimbursed according to the distance between your home and Finland, according to the following limits:
- from 10 – 99 km - 56 EUR (Green Travel)/ 28 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
- from 100 – 499 km - 285 EUR (Green Travel)/ 211 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
- from 500 – 1999 km - 417 EUR (Green Travel)/ 309 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
- from 2000 – 2999 km - 395 EUR (Green Travel)/ 535 EUR (Non-Green Travel)
- Calculate your budget from HERE
- IMPORTANT: Keep all your travel documents! Online boarding passes and tickets for reimbursements. No documents = No reimbursement!
- IMPORTANT: Please send your travel proposition by e-mail to the organisers and wait for their confirmation before purchasing your tickets!
- Participants are entitled to receive a YouthPass certificate after the project, where you are expected to self-assess your own learning, and you can add it to your CV.
If you’re interested in joining the Suomenlinna World Heritage - ESC Team volunteering Project, please complete the online application form by 14 May 2025. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting volunteering opportunity!
More Details
For additional information about the Suomenlinna World Heritage Project, including project details and requirements, please check the Allianssi Youth Exchanges website from HERE
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