Information Letter

Olde Vechte Foundation

Dear participant, We are very happy to welcome you to the Sustainable Community project. This project will take place in Ommen, the Netherlands, from the 24th of June until the 22nd of August. During this two months period you will be staying in the same house with 29 other young people, from 9 different countries. This way youll build up an international community with great multicultural diversity, of which you will be an important member. We hope that these days you will spend in Olde Vechte Foundation will bring joyful, useful and unique experiences, which you can take home and use as a motivation to create new opportunities in your personal and professional life. In the information letter we prepared for you, you will find all the necessary information you need in order to prepare yourself and answer all the questions that you might have. We invite you to read it carefully, so you will get a clear idea of how it will be once you are here in The Netherlands.

Warm greetings from, Naso and Rianne Coordinators

The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Countries participating: Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania.

Activities within the project: The working week goes from Monday until Friday, with a total of 36 hours, including travelling time between Olde Vechte and the work place. You will have the opportunity to work in several different places: Horse farm Pet shelter Forest company Youth camping Bird shelter Horse farm for autistic children Cooking place in tourist industry Supporting and maintaining Olde Vechte. We are also looking for more possibilities, as the summertime in Ommen brings extra opportunities for the ones who are willing to go for them. During the working time you will have the chance to cooperate with people from all over Europe. This will happen in different groups and in different environments. This way you can find what you like doing and what you are good at. Maybe you even find what is it that you want to do in your life!! If there is somewhere where you would like to get additional work experience or that you are already good on doing please let us know. For example: gardening, enjoy repairing or constructing, organizing tasks and events. Take a few moments and think about it while filling in the application.

The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Free time: You can spend your free time in many different ways: visiting cities, sitting around with new international friends, biking, joining Karaoke evenings, singing songs around a camp fire, movie nights, dancing, etc.

Internet Connection: In our office, there are free computers that you can use whenever you want. Also a wireless connection is available in the residency to use your own laptops and electronic devises. Food: There are 3 meals per day during these 2 months: breakfast, lunch and dinner, like it is in the Dutch culture.

Pocket money: As a participant of this project you receive 115 per month to cover your personal expenses. You will get it per week (approx. 25 per week).

The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Housing: During the project you are hosted by the Olde Vechte Foundation in Ommen. There are two building that belong to the foundation, one is called Olde Vechte and the building of your stay which is called Zeesse. There you have the opportunity to share rooms with people from different countries. In order to create a pleasant environment for yourself to live in, you will also have some housekeeping duties, which are very basic and simple.

And from the inside:

Mentors: A mentor is a person, who can guide you in order to set and reach goals and find your own solutions. During the project there will be an international group of 5 mentors, who have experience on coaching and guiding young people. They also have personal experiences with volunteering and international projects and will be there to support you during these 2 months.
The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Youthpass By the end of the project you fill in the YouthPass, which can be very useful tool for your resume or if you want to apply for a university. For more information go to: http://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass
(Press CTRL and click on the link)

More information: About Group EVS in Ommen, you can find a video which is made in 2010. Just go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3vl-g8-zHo
(Press CTRL and click on the link)

About Ommen A quite, green, loveable, farmers town with a tourist touch during the Dutch summer (as Dutch people call it). It has many of the countrys most beautiful bike-routes. To find Ommen on the map, turn your eyes to the right. Its the big spot. What Wikipedia says about Ommen is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ommen
(Press CTRL and click on the link)

Ommen

About the Netherlands: To give you a sense about the Netherlands, we are giving you some basic information: Currency: Euro Capital: Amsterdam Population: 16.500.000 National Language: Dutch Average temperature during July/August: 18.4 C (Dutch summer!!) Rain: Most of the days Sun: Sometimes
The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Stuff Dutch People Like: is a study of all things orange. It investigates and highlights the idiosyncrasies of the Dutch culture and their uncanny ability to talk on a mobile phone, while carrying 2 children, 6 bags of groceries, a television set, and a mattress balanced on a gear-less bicycle. This is a site you can check to find some stereotyping things about Dutch culture. http://www.stuffdutchpeoplelike.com (Press CTRL and click on the link) What to bring with you: The weather in Netherlands in very unpredictable, so be prepare for everything. We advise you to have with you besides your summer clothes: Clothes for indoor and outdoor activities, shoes suitable for sports . Working clothes and shoes, comfortable for a work day and that you arent afraid to get dirty Rain coat. Warm clothes: jacket, long pants, sweater etc. Towels and personal care products: shampoo, tooth paste etc. Passport or other ID.

Dates of the project: When you book your tickets make sure that you stick to these dates and time:
Arrival to Ommen till: Departure till: 17:00 am 20.00 pm 24th of June 22nd of August

*We do not accept early/late arrivals or departures.

Note: For any reasons, if somebody has to come earlier or stay longer, feel free to contact us so that we can suggest a solution.

The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

How to get here? 1. Take the train to Zwolle (Direct trains from Schiphol, Amsterdam Centraal, Utrecht and Nijmegen); 2. From Zwolle take the train into direction Emmen and get off at station Ommen (approximately 17 minutes); 3. From train station Ommen to the Olde Vechte its approximately 20 minutes walk. From the station you go right towards, and following, the Stationsweg; 4. Once you get out of the train station and you reach the crossing, you turn left and just follow the Stationsweg until the bridge; 5. Just before the bridge you turn right to the Zeesserweg; 6. Follow this road and in the turn of the road there is the entrance to the estate of the Olde Vechte on the left.

For more information and a train planner you can check the website of the Dutch national train system: www.ns.nl (it also has an English version)

For those who are travelling in Germany please check www.bahn.de and for those who are travelling in Belgium, please check www.b-rail.be . Both websites have an English version.

Please see the map on the next page, for visual representation!

The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl

Map of how to get from the train station in Ommen to Olde Vechte Foundation.

Address: Olde Vechte Foundation Zeesserweg 12 7731 BG Ommen The Netherlands Telephone: +31 (0) 529 451963 www.oldevechte.nl Facebook: Synergy Olde Vechte foundation, Groepsaccommodaties Olde Vechte & Zeesse

We wish you a nice journey and we look forward to having you here!

Warm greetings from, Naso and Rianne Coordinators

Olde Vechte Foundation

(If you have other questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to contact us or your sending organisation!)
The Youth in Action programme funds and supports European projects for young people. Youth in Action is executed by the Netherlands Youth Institute. www.youthinaction.nl