"Raising Spirits"* is Flagship Project launched within the Framework of the European Year of Volunteering 2011. This project is being led by SOS Malta in partnership with Mater Dei Hospital (Malta), Malta Cancer Foundation, Voices Foundation and The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.

The overall objective of the Raising Spirits project is to promote and develop an enabling and facilitating environment for creative and artistic volunteering within healthcare settings, aimed at improved patient recovery and community wellbeing.

The specific objective of the project is to bring national stakeholders together to explore the infrastructure required for the introduction of regular creative and artistic volunteering activities at Mater Dei Hospital, and to promote the set-up of volunteer-driven structures for this purpose.

By promoting volunteer-based structures for creative and artistic volunteering at Mater Dei Hospital, the project will increase and broaden the general scope for volunteering in healthcare in Malta. Apart from laying the ground for new volunteering services within the health ambit by persons who are artists, performers, musicians, event organisers etc, the Raising Spirits project will in turn encourage hospital employer-supported volunteering by health professionals and hospital staff in organising or participating in creative and artistic activities for patients and visitors.

Through its partnership and foreseen networking activities, Raising Spirits will also lead to the exploration and development of synergies between stakeholders and civil society working within the health, arts and cultural, and volunteering sectors. These efforts will channel into creating and facilitating new volunteering opportunities through health community performances and events. The project will thus connect different stakeholders and civil society organisations on a national level. Through the opportunities of exchange it will create amongst these stakeholders, Raising Spirits will bring them to work together towards a three-year Action Plan which would introduce regular creative and artistic volunteering activities on the national healthcare calendar of events.

*This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Raising Spirits - Compendium of Good Practices  - (2011)

  - (2011)