Tenerife Cabildo to Coordinate 1,200 Volunteer Groups

Tenerife's local government, the Cabildo, will now coordinate and plan for over a thousand volunteer organizations across the island. This decision was unanimously approved during a social action meeting, following a proposal by socialist councilor Nauzet Gugliotta. The initiative aims to create an island-wide strategy to encourage volunteering, boost support for community groups, and improve how different institutions work together. It will also continue to celebrate December 5th as International Volunteer Day and recognize individuals and groups with the Island Solidarity Awards.

Nauzet Gugliotta explained that while Tenerife's long-standing approach to volunteering remains consistent with the spirit of community support, this new planning tool was essential.

The proposal also highlights the excellent contributions volunteers and organizations make to Tenerife society. It confirms the continuation of the Solidarity Awards, which recognize businesses, schools, media, and other groups committed to improving society. Furthermore, it renews the commitment to developing policies that foster and strengthen volunteering on the island.

The agreement outlines a plan to advance strategic planning for volunteering, building on existing initiatives, and to design a new "Island Strategic Framework." This framework will be developed with public participation to ensure it is effective and legally sound. It will also align with the future Canary Islands Volunteer Law and will comprehensively, cross-departmentally, and coordinately address all of the Cabildo's volunteer policies.

Additionally, the Cabildo will provide useful tools to departments such as Social Action and Natural Environment, and other island areas involved in promoting volunteering, to improve their coordination efforts. Another unanimous agreement is to support the long-term stability of community groups by guaranteeing stable funding, with increases (at a minimum) matching inflation (Consumer Price Index) whenever possible.

The Cabildo is also committed to better integrating volunteering into island policies, encouraging collaboration and shared working methods among different departments. This agreement will be shared with Tenerife's 31 municipalities and the Government of the Canary Islands to emphasize the Cabildo's official commitment to volunteering.

Tenerife is home to approximately 1,200 volunteer organizations. Around 700 of these are part of the "Tenerife Isla Solidaria" program, while the other 500 focus on environmental work.

The "Tenerife Isla Solidaria" program has been "helping to help" for nearly 30 years. It began in the late 1990s as a pioneering Cabildo initiative designed to strengthen community groups and encourage public involvement in social activities. As non-profit organizations grew and diversified their efforts, the island institution created a stable system to meet Tenerife's evolving social needs. Volunteering saw a significant surge during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a crucial factor for social balance, which led to the strong, stable network that is now well-established.

Separately, the Cabildo de Tenerife's Office of Environmental Participation and Volunteering, unique in the Canary Islands, has been promoting environmental awareness and respect for over two decades. Established in 2004, its purpose is to guide and encourage non-profit organizations, public bodies, and private groups to organize activities for the conservation, restoration, and dissemination of the island's cultural and natural heritage.

Overall, the commitment is to create a stronger, more organized, and better institutionally supported volunteer system that contributes to a more inclusive and supportive society in Tenerife.