Next Door’s project partners and external participants from the seven European countries involved in the fields of community engagement, urban development and elderly care met in sunny Carpi for a ‘Short Term Joint Staff Training’ (STJST).
This STJST event was designed and executed by the Italian partner Anziani e non solo with the aim of strengthening the Next Door model and finding ways to disseminate it across Europe. Furthermore, it was an opportunity to review the progress made so far in the project through engaging activities with external participants to gain fresh insight into what could be improved and how these could be carried forward beyond the lifecycle of the project.
Through the reflection, discussions and workshops conducted over the course of three days, both project partners and external participants contributed ideas to improve the model and strategies to make it replicable in their respective national contexts.
As the project is gearing up for the final lap involving the launch of Local Social Resource Groups (LSRG’s) in each partner country, the STJST focused on helping all attendees understand the aims and practical mechanisms of conducting the LSRG’s.
ACEEU led an interactive workshop on the structure and aims of awareness activities and how these can be adapted to different national and social contexts with the aim of increasing civic participation in supporting the elderly in their own neighbourhoods and communities.
Through active feedback sessions, dialogue between partners regarding the challenges faced in their respective countries as well as a guided walk through the city of Carpi and a visit to a local elderly club called Bruno Losi, partners left feeling satisfied with a productive and meaningful STJST in Italy.
Stay up-to-date with project Next Door here: https://www.nextdoor-project.org/
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