Description
The project addresses the need of the applicant to boost its organizational and financial capacity in order to deliver better services to its clients, i.e. children and young people with special educational needs and their parents (SEN). The project aims at boosting the applicant’s capacity by enhancing the skills of the applicant’s team. First, 20 of the applicant’s employees and 20 employees of similar NGOs will attend 2 two-day training courses in organizational development and financial sustainability of NGOs. Second, 8 of the applicant’s team will enhance their professional competence during a 4-day training in innovative social and therapeutic methods of working with risk groups. Finally, the applicant’s team will deliver services guided by its trainer for 8 months including counselling parents and social workers, working with children with SEN. The project will benefit the applicant’s team, supporters and volunteers as well as its clients.
Summary of project results
The project is part of the long-standing goal of the organization to create an efficient model for acquisition of skills by people with physical and intellectual disabilities through various forms of artwork. An art therapy centre was set up to offer a new service to people with disabilities and the centre will continue to function after the end of the project as well. The centre offers 8 types of art therapy services adapted to various target groups. The centre has been recognized by the local community as a reliable source of support to help disable people from Smolyan District overcome their isolation and have a successful social life. The other major goal of the project was to recruit new motivated and competent members of the Association who can work for its growth. The training workshops held stirred interest in both resource teachers and parents of children and youth with special educational needs to get involved. In addition, new communication channels were created to keep in touch with parents, teachers, people with disabilities, NGOs and various organizations through the new website of the organization. In addition, the platform supports more than 100 important reference materials in an online library and the online shop offers artwork created by the participants in the art centre. The project activities resulted in the following output: Strategy for organizational development and financial viability of the NGO sector in Smolyan District in the area of social services and work with children and young people with specific needs; Handbook for creating types of art therapy services; a website with an e-library and an e-shop (
www.kos-smolyan.org).
Summary of bilateral results