Volunteering

The Girona Buddies volunteering group was created on 14 January 2025. It exists to connect people (especially English speakers) with volunteering opportunities in Girona and help organize volunteering activities.

Join the Girona Buddies volunteering WhatsApp group at https://chat.whatsapp.com/GRO8cijOS4xDBRv0CrqnhV.

Past activities

• 31 March 2025: Paul and Yvonne picked up litter from the children's playground https://www.instagram.com/p/DH4Cu1BozyC
• 3 April 2025: Paul and Yvonne picked up litter from the children's playground at Plaça Poeta Marquina https://www.instagram.com/p/DILowUGi378/
• 6 April 2025: Litter cleanup of Parc del Vista Alegre https://www.instagram.com/p/DILowUGi378/

Discussion meetings

• 6 May 2025: Volunteering meeting at Centre Civic Santa Eugenia
• 22 May 2025: Volunteering organisers meeting at Kelly's house

Volunteering organisations

• Sorrellona: A group that organizes volunteering activities and speaks English. Someone in the group previously volunteered with them.
• English on wheels: A cycling group where Catalan teenagers practice English with English-speaking foreigners https://www.resilis.org/tag/english-on-wheels/

Brigada Activista del Salabret

The organiser is a man called Joan Olivet. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076137530456

Locations of last 7 meetups:

• 4 May 2025: Carrer de l'Esport (17007 Girona, near Hospital Josep Trueta)
• 27 April 2025: Pavello municipal de fontajau (17007 Girona, just behind La Devasa)
• 13 April 2025: Parking de sorra d'abans de l'Auditori de Girona
• 6 April 2025: AEIG La Claca, Cassa de la Selva
• 30 March 2025: Carrer Fontajau amb Carrer Bluefields (pavello municipal de fontajau, just behind La Devasa)
• 23 March 2025: Llar d'infants la Baldufa (near Cellar de Can Roca)
• 16 March 2025: AEIG La Claca, Cassa de la Selva

Volunteering resources

• Girona City Council Volunteering Platform: https://web.girona.cat/voluntariat/ciutadania/demandes Lists volunteering opportunities in Girona (However, most require Catalan).
• For a list of volunteering opportunities in Girona for English-speakers, go to http://guidetogirona.com/Volunteering_in_Girona.

Volunteering ideas

• Informal litter cleanup. Places:
  • The playground at Parc Central de Rafael Masó i Valentí (behind the train station)
• Help Voluntariat ambiental per la conservació de l’espinós a l’Espai Natural Protegit de les Gavarres / Associació La Sorellona https://voluntariatambiental.cat/activitat/voluntariat-ambiental-a-les-gavarres/, They pick up litter, sometimes they do it in Girona
• Community allotment/garden. Tessa wrote a wrote a proposal for the Ajuntament a few years ago and they offered her a free huerto (kitchen garden) in Santa Eugenia.
• Chatting Bench: Sitting in public spaces and offering conversation to lonely people (Kalpesh's idea)
• Spending time with elderly residents at retirement homes (although language might be a barrier).
• Helping homeless people by offering food, clothes, and conversation (inspired by a Barcelona initiative).
• Helping local businesses or entrepreneurs with skills like marketing, leadership, or fundraising.
• Volunteering at food waste programs (e.g., starting something similar to Olio, which is a an app for giving away food, books, clothes, and furniture, or lending things in your community for free)
• Animal shelters: Finding opportunities at animal shelters (walking dogs, assisting with care) like Rodamon (Palafrugell) and CAAS (Tossa).
• Help each other with problems we have (Stuart's idea)
• Graffiti removal (especially offensive ones) (Yvonne's idea)
• Promote positive stories through a “Humans of Girona” social media page (Kalpesh's idea)
• Get fit by doing good - run, walk, and cycle to help people with tasks. See "GoodGym (Get Fit Do Good)" (Sonia's idea)
• Tessa says her local WhatsApp neighbourhood group (fora de la muralla) always ask for help, as does Vista Alegre