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Description
This grant will help us work more effectively to improve the situation of consumers. We want to develop our Foundation in a comprehensive way, engage the local community and help those in need of our support even better. As a Foundation, we will take part in a study visit to a leading European consumer organisation, thanks to which we will establish a long-term cooperation, learn new fundraising methods and develop effective methods of consumer protection in Europe. The experience we have gained will allow us to develop and start implementing the Foundation''s long-term development strategy, striving to ensure stable funding. Using local social potential, we will start building a network of Consumer Guardians (volunteers), who, equipped with knowledge, necessary tools and expert support, will help us effectively implement the mission of protecting consumer law. They will also become ambassadors of our Foundation in the local environment. Additionally, we will establish the Lower Silesian Consumer Centre, where it will be possible to obtain professional legal support even in complex problems. We want to use our potential and show it to everyone interested, which is why we will rebuild the website and create a video business card of the Foundation.
Summary of project results
The creation of Dolnoslaskie Consument Center (DCK) was a response to the needs of our beneficiaries and was intended to support consumers in situations when other options to solve a difficult situation often fail. Separating our advisory activities allowed us to expand this area, including the possibility of providing support in complex consumer matters. The grant also helped the Foundation build lasting cooperation with local activists. Consumer Guardians help us create relationships with the communities in which they operate, they are their ambassadors, but also the initiators of new pro-consumer activities of the Foundation.
As part of the activity, we managed to establish cooperation with the Italian consumer organization Ipso FACTO Coop. Soc. and sign an official agreement between our organizations. Based on the experience gained and conclusions from the projects completed so far, in March 2024 we developed a multi-year development strategy for the Foundation for 2024-2029. During the classes we conducted in Lower Silesia, we recruited a group of 10 activists (5 students and 5 seniors) who joined the Foundation''s activities for local communities. After completing a series of training, the guards now provide support in their communities for people who need help in solving simple, current consumer problems, e.g. complaints about defective footwear. The guards were provided with direct substantive support from a lawyer-guardian who helped them in their activities. We organized 1 consumer initiative with each guard. We have established a counseling point specializing in complex consumer matters - the Lower Silesian Consumer Center DCK. In this way, we managed to help over 57 consumers (including seniors having problems with energy companies and people who were defrauded by photovoltaic companies).
The results achieved are: -1 partnership with a European consumer organization established as a result of organizing a study visit, - increase in substantive and management competences of 3 Foundation employees, -1 Foundation development strategy, -1 comprehensive reconstruction of the Foundation''s website, extended with the possibility of subscribing to the newsletter, -1 promotional clip of the Foundation, -10 trained Consumer Guardians (5 students and 5 seniors), -4 workshops for Guardians/students, -4 workshops for senior guards, - a set of teaching and information materials for Guards, -10 local initiatives carried out with the Guardians, -1 point of consumer advice on complicated matters for our beneficiaries (DCK), -57 consumers who received legal support in complex consumer matters.