Description of the partner organizing/hosting the project:
The organization in charge of the workcamp is "Fundació Catalana de l'Esplai" well-known in the volunteering field of Catalonia, as it has been educating children and youth, strengthening leisure organizations and the third sector, improving the environment, and promoting social inclusion and citizenship, with a desire for change since over 30 years ago. The organization organizes a wide range of leisure time and education activities, such as school camps, training camps, or training for trainers. In 2024, Fundesplai projects reached 417.664 people, and every year more than 500 took part in workcamps.
Description of work:
Beyond the vineyard: the dry stone heritage workcamp is a camp based on dry stone works, which were declared cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Participants are going to recover a huge stone wall in a vineyard area and also a shepherd's stone hut. They are also going to work in a Civil War trench area in order to make them more accessible to visitors.
Subirats is a rural area with little towns and villages, so the impact is quite big. Participants will have the support of experts from CESUB Subirat's historical study group, and will meet local people to collaborate in the conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the area. The working hours will be in the mornings from 8:00 to 13:00 from Monday to Friday. There would be a break in the middle of the morning to rest and have a snack. However, depending on weather conditions, the schedule can be modified. Weekends and off-work hours are organized for visits and self-managed activities.
The technical tasks will be:
- Restoration and maintenance of the dry stone margins between the cores of Ordal and Saint Paul of Ordal. -Restoration and maintenance of the remnants of trenches from the Civil War that are in the same area.
- Restoration of a shepherd's hut located near the Archaeological area of Subirats.
- Location of dry stone constructions using the Wikipedra portal.
-Maintenance Tasks in Saint Paul's Ordal (maintenance of public banks and children's park)
- Build and place nest boxes.
The rest of the time will be for leisure, swimming pool, and other activities, and weekends will be organized for visits and other activities.
L'Ordal-Subirats (Barcelona)
Description of location and leisure:
The privileged geographical situation, a plain protected by mountains by the sea, the mild climate of the Mediterranean coast, and a permeable land, rich in phosphorus, make the region of El Penedès the main producer of wines and cavas in Catalonia. This wine history goes back to at least the 4th century B.C.
The vineyard structures are thus a distinctive cultural feature of the area, and they have been refined over time. The Subirats area, halfway between the Vilafranca plain and the Ordal mountains, has steeper terrain than the rest of the region. That is why, in this area, the structure of dry stone walls and constructions, which are necessary for leveling the ground and plotting the vineyards, is quite important.
Free time and leisure activities will include group games, workshops, and cultural activities to learn more about Catalan culture and the vineyard tradition in the area. Participants will visit cultural and historical areas and museums in Subirats, a wine and champagne factory, and also Vilafranca del Penedès, the Catalan’s wine capital. They will also visit the city of Barcelona, which is only 45km away from the accommodation area, and will participate in the rehearsals of a group of “castellers”, learning how Catalan human towers are made.
The participants of the workcamp will be installed in “ZER Montcau”, a multifunctional space of a school in the center of L’Ordal.
There is a large patio, toilets, indoor showers, a kitchen, and a large room where they will sleep. Volunteers will sleep indoors in bunk beds, all together with no gender separation. Volunteers need to bring a thin sleeping bag, pillow, and bed linen.
Volunteers will also have the pool near the school, and because the area has high temperatures in summer, bring cotton and fresh clothes.
The hosting organization highly recommends long-sleeve shirts and t-shirts for working hours and a hat to protect themselves from the sun, and the volunteers will have the chance to go to the pool near the accommodation.
There will be catering providing the food for the volunteers, and snacks and fruit will be provided during breaks. There are vegetarian/vegan options, also other cultural reasons, and any allergy options.
English
This workcamp is not accessible for volunteers with high reduced mobility or wheelchairs.
The meeting point will be in Ordal on 18th of July, in front of the local school "El Montcau d’Ordal" (Del Pi street, 1, 08759, Ordal). The meeting time is 15:00h, but the camp leaders will be there waiting for the volunteers from 12:00h.
How to arrive at the meeting point by public transportation:
From Barcelona’s Airport, volunteers have to go to the train station in Barcelona called "Estació de Sants": they can go by train (go to Terminal 2 and take the RENFE train R2) or by metro (from Terminal 1 take metro L9 to Collblanc, and there change to L5 and stop in "Estació de Sants").
From "Estació de Sants" train station, take the train line R4, destination Sant Vicenç de Calders, and stop at Lavern-Subirats. For information and schedules check: https://rodalies.gencat.cat/web/.content/02_Horaris/horaris/R4.pdf
From Lavern-Subirats, take the bus up to Ordal. For information and schedules, check here: https://subirats.cat/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/HorarisAutobusos2016_3.pdf
By car: Take A2 route to Lleida and take the way off at 559 to Vallirana. Then take B-24/N-340 up to L’Ordal.
Volunteers will receive an email with detailed information before the camp from the hosting organization.
LAST DAY OF THE CAMP: Volunteers can leave any time after breakfast and for the ones leaving in the afternoon, lunch will be provided.
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Description of the partner organizing/hosting the project:
The promoter of the activity is the Olesa de Bonesvalls City Council. The organization in charge of the workcamp is "Fundació Catalana de l'Esplai" well-known in the volunteering field of Catalonia, as it has been educating children and youth, strengthening leisure organizations and the third sector, improving the environment, and promoting social inclusion and citizenship, with a desire for change since over 30 years ago. The organization organizes a wide range of leisure time and education activities, such as school camps, training camps, or training for trainers. In 2024, Fundesplai projects reached 417.664 people, and every year more than 500 took part in workcamps.
Description of work:
“Among vineyards and dry stone walls” is a camp based on dry stone works, which were declared cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Participants are going to recover stone walls in the vineyard area and also a shepherd's stone hut. They are also going to work on adapting local roads and trails in order to make them more accessible to visitors. The place is a rural area with little towns and villages, so the impact is quite big.
Participants will have the support of experts from local entities, and will meet local people to collaborate in the conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the area. They will also be part of the Festival Música Clàssica Pedra Viva Molins, a local classical music festival held annually in the municipality. The working hours will be in the mornings from 8:00 to 13:00 from Monday to Friday, but there will be some exceptions for the music festival. Volunteers will have a break in the middle of the morning to rest and have a snack. However, depending on weather conditions, the schedule can be modified.
The technical tasks are:
- Restoration and maintenance of the dry stone margins between vineyards and paths.
- Restoration of shepherd's huts.
- Support for the current grazing area for rescued horses by the association Forest Horses.
- Arrangement of waterers, maintenance of fences
- Clearing, cleaning, and adaptation of local roads and trails
-Participation in the maintenance tasks of the municipality's public space.
- Improvement and maintenance work at the Hospital de Cervelló and its surrounding area.
- Restoration and improvement works on the historic Camí Ral (Royal Road) that passes through this medieval complex, as well as maintenance of traditional dry-stone huts and stone boundary walls located within the municipal area.
The rest of the time will be for leisure, to go to the swimming pool and participate in other leisure activities.
Olesa de Bonesvalls (Barcelona)
Description of location and leisure:
The privileged geographical situation, a plain protected by mountains by the sea, the mild climate of the Mediterranean coast, and a permeable land, rich in phosphorus, make the region of El Penedès the main producer of wines and cavas in Catalonia. This wine history goes back to at least the 4th century B.C.
The vineyard structures are thus a distinctive cultural feature of the area, and they have been refined over time. The area, halfway between the Vilafranca plain and the Ordal mountains, has steeper terrain than the rest of the region. That is why, in this area, the structure of dry stone walls and constructions, which are necessary for leveling the ground and plotting the vineyards, is quite important.
Free time and leisure activities will include group games, workshops, and cultural activities to learn more about Catalan culture and the vineyard tradition in the area.
Participants will visit cultural and historical areas and museums, a wine and champagne factory, and also Vilafranca del Penedès, the Catalan wine capital, and will participate in the rehearsals of a group of “castellers”, learning how Catalan human towers are made.
The volunteers will also participate in the Pedra Viva Molins Classical Music Festival which will take place on the 7th and 8th of August at the site of the Hospital de Cervelló.
The festival location, where the young participants will be actively involved, forms part of this historic complex, which is officially recognised as a National Cultural Heritage Site (BCIN – Bé d’Interès Nacional).
The Hospital de Cervelló was founded in 1262 by Guillem de Cervelló, within the territory of the parish of Sant Joan d'Olesa. It was established to provide shelter and assistance to travellers and pilgrims journeying along the old royal road from Barcelona to Vilafranca del Penedès, passing through Sant Boi and Olesa de Bonesvalls — the historic Camí Ral.
+ Info: https://patrimoni.gencat.cat/es/coleccion/hospital-de-cervello
Participants will stay at a Civic Center located in the town centre, next to the City Hall. The accommodation includes a large shared sleeping room with bunk beds, indoor shared toilets and showers, a recreation room, and an outdoor porch.
All volunteers will sleep indoors in the same shared room, with no gender separation. Participants must bring a thin sleeping bag, a pillow, and their own bed linen.
The hosting organisation strongly recommends bringing long-sleeved shirts and T-shirts for working hours, as well as a hat for sun protection. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to go to the swimming pool located near the accommodation.
Meals will be provided by a catering service. Snacks and fresh fruit will be available during breaks. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, as well as alternatives for cultural dietary requirements and food allergies. Participants should inform the organisation in advance of any specific dietary needs.
At the accommodation, volunteers will also have access to a small area equipped with a sink, refrigerators, a coffee machine, and a microwave.
English
This workcamp is not accessible for volunteers with high reduced mobility or wheelchairs and they will need to be functionally autonomous.
The meeting point will be in the Civic Center located in the town center, next to the City Hall of Olesa de Bonesvalls (Plaça de la Vila 12, 08795) on the 2nd of August at 15:00h.
How to arrive at the meeting point by public transportation:
From Barcelona’s Airport, volunteers have to go to Plaça Espanya in Barcelona, taking the Line bus 46 (from Terminal 1 and 2).
From Plaça Espanya, take the Line bus 902 to Olesa de Bonesvalls. IMPORTANT: On the weekends there are only 2 buses at 10:15h and 20:15h.
More information here: https://www.hife.es/en/barcelona-olesa-de-bonesvalls
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