Project Objective
To promote young people’s involvement in voluntary work, to develop high-quality and inclusive volunteering opportunities, to promote opportunities for young people, including those with fewer opportunities, to get involved, by offering a variety of non-formal activities throughout Latvia, in collaboration with educational institutions, local authorities, state institutions and other organisations. To promote young people’s involvement in political processes by providing opportunities to take part in various participatory activities and by facilitating dialogue between young people and decision-makers. To strengthen the skills of those involved in youth work when working with young people with fewer opportunities, as well as to support youth workers in acquiring new skills and in their day-to-day work.
Project Target Group
Young people aged between 13 and 25 throughout Latvia, with a particular focus on young people with fewer opportunities and those who have not previously been actively involved in non-governmental organisations, as well as youth workers who work with young people with fewer opportunities, members of the association “Laiks Jauniešiem” and the general public, with a view to promoting a broader understanding of youth issues, support for young people with limited opportunities and civic participation.
Key Activities
Mentor training and supervision to build the capacity of youth workers and strengthen their ability to work with young people with limited opportunities, the drafting of a memorandum of understanding with political parties, thereby reinforcing the importance of youth involvement in the decision-making process and fostering links between young people and decision-makers, diverse volunteering activities and opportunities, including improving the volunteering platform and organising debates with Members of the Saeima, regular informal groups for young people to improve and develop various skills, activities to promote international participation among young people, as well as capacity-building activities for the organisation and its members.
Expected project outcomes
Sustainability will be ensured by developing a network of mentors, regularly updating the volunteering platform and strengthening cooperation with partners. The positive impact of the project will be publicised in the media to raise public awareness and attract resources for future activities. As a result of the project’s implementation, meaningful youth participation in various activities will be promoted, providing young people with the opportunity to foster their personal and professional development, as well as ensuring that youth workers are able to provide support to young people with fewer opportunities.
Specific indicators will be used to measure sustainability
The number of mentors who continue to work with young people; the number of volunteer hours; the number of young people who continue to be actively involved in NGO activities and decision-making; the number of media publications. To ensure sustainability, regular mentor training sessions will be organised, the platform will be updated, partnerships will be maintained, funding will be secured and advocacy activities will be carried out. This will increase the association’s capacity, operational efficiency, achievement of strategic objectives and ability to provide young people with a variety of opportunities in the long term.
2025 SUMMARY
Target group
In 2025, young people aged 13–17 were the most actively involved in the project. Young people with fewer opportunities were reached across all age groups; however, the highest proportion of participation was specifically in the 13–17 age group. The experiences of the young people involved in the project were most commonly linked to social barriers, such as difficulties adapting to their social environment, limited social skills, high-risk behaviour or experiences of exclusion, as well as complex family circumstances (including young parents or young people without sufficient family support). At the same time, some young people also faced economic and geographical challenges (such as limited financial resources, distance or lack of transport), which affect their opportunities for participation. The project also reached young people with learning difficulties (including early school leavers or young people in a NEET situation) and young people with cultural and linguistic differences (such as migrant background, belonging to ethnic minorities, language barriers and difficulties with integration). Conversely, the participation of young people in the 18–21 and 22–25 age groups was more often limited by their study and work commitments, so their participation was sometimes more irregular and required more flexible engagement solutions.
Key activities
In 2025, regular non-formal group sessions and voluntary work activities were particularly significant, enabling young people to develop communication, collaboration and social skills. Young people were actively involved in voluntary work, including organising FC RFS football matches and taking part in day-to-day voluntary activities, and often, following their involvement in these activities, became more motivated to take on greater responsibility – by getting involved in the planning, organisation and coordination of activities. Youth workers participating in the project were involved both in voluntary work and in developing their professional competences, strengthening their skills in working with young people, including those with fewer opportunities. The project also fostered regular collaboration between young people and youth workers – through the joint organisation of non-formal education activities and voluntary work.
Results
By 2025, the project’s activities had laid a solid foundation for sustainable development: an active core group of participants had formed, who were no longer merely passive attendees, but became co-creators – young people regularly got involved in planning, put forward ideas and took the initiative to implement them. Each month, opportunities were deliberately created for young people to carry out their own initiatives, with support provided for planning, organising and securing resources, which boosted their motivation, sense of responsibility and confidence in their abilities. A regular and targeted programme of activities helped to retain existing participants and gradually increase the number of young people involved, whilst the youth centres in Bauska and Riga saw an increase in visitor numbers.
The implementation of the project in 2025 had a significant positive impact on the organisation as a whole – capacity, visibility and long-term development opportunities were strengthened, whilst the scope of activities and the range of young people reached were expanded. Trust from young people, parents and cooperation partners increased; existing collaborations were strengthened and new partnerships were established, laying the foundations for future joint initiatives. The experience gained and the clear results achieved during the project improved the organisation’s ability to prepare high-quality project applications and attract additional resources. At the same time, the organisation’s role in advocacy was strengthened – the practice-based outcomes enabled the organisation to represent young people’s needs more effectively in discussions with local authorities, educational institutions and other decision-makers.
Sustainability
In 2025, the foundations for sustainability were strengthened in practice: the mentor network and the involvement of youth workers were consolidated, a stable group of volunteers was established, and some of the young participants became regular volunteers and members of the organisation. The partnerships formed during the project and the growing public trust created the conditions to continue the work begun – through a regular programme of activities, support for youth initiatives and cooperation with local and regional partners.