More than 1,000 people take part in the 1st Navarra Volunteer Week
More than 1,000 people have taken part over the last six days in the 1st Navarra Volunteer Week, an initiative promoted by the Government of Navarra together with organisations from the regional volunteer ecosystem to raise the visibility of volunteering, recognise and promote volunteer action, and bring citizens closer to the many ways they can get involved.
First Vice-President and Minister for the Presidency and Equality, Javier Remírez, and Natalia Herce, Internal Coordination Manager at Medicus Mundi in Navarra, Aragon and Madrid and Vice-President of the Navarra Volunteer Council, took part this Saturday in the 3rd Volunteer Festival, held in the Bosquecillo Park in Pamplona/Iruña, which brought to a close a programme of 32 activities that have taken place since last Monday.
Vice-President Remírez highlighted the positive response to this first edition of Volunteer Week, noting that “more than 1,000 people have taken part in and responded to the initiatives we have developed in collaboration with volunteer organisations over these six days.” “This is a figure we can be satisfied with, but above all one that gives us hope, because behind those more than 1,000 people there is interest, a willingness to participate, and people who have approached an organisation for the first time and may have found a cause, a project or a way to get involved that they were previously unaware of,” he said.
In this regard, the Vice-President stated that the festival held this Saturday “is not simply the end of a week, but a celebration of a collective response that shows us that Navarra has a society willing to get involved, participate and care for others.”
A red human chain representing “the pulse that connects us”
One of the highlights of the morning was the volunteer human chain, in which participants, wearing the red T-shirts created for the occasion, joined together in the Bosquecillo to represent The Pulse That Connects Us, the slogan of this first Volunteer Week.
The image sought to symbolise the network formed by volunteers, organisations, institutions and citizens, while showcasing the transformative power of volunteering when it connects people and efforts around the common good.
“One person alone can do a great deal, but when we join hands, when we connect people, organisations, institutions and communities, our ability to transform things multiplies. That is the pulse that connects us,” Remírez stressed, thanking volunteers for “their time, commitment and daily contribution to caring for Navarra and the people who live here.”
For her part, Natalia Herce highlighted the human dimension of volunteering and the diversity of ways in which people can participate. “Behind a word as big as volunteering, we almost always find very small things: a conversation, a visit, a phone call, an afternoon shared together, someone who listens or someone who accompanies. You do not need to do something extraordinary to make a difference; very often, simply being there is enough,” she said.
Herce particularly encouraged those who had approached volunteering for the first time during the week to continue learning about organisations and their projects. “Every person has something to contribute, and there are many ways to be a volunteer because there are many ways to be a person. I hope that those who came with curiosity over these days have discovered that there is also a place for them,” she added.
Music, an exhibition and activities for all ages
The Volunteer Festival began at 11:30 a.m. with the welcome of organisations, volunteers and members of the public, as well as the distribution of T-shirts and materials created for the event. Throughout the morning, the Bosquecillo became a festive meeting place featuring inflatable attractions, traditional games, face painting, music and entertainment activities for all ages.
The event also included the participation of Sembrando Ilusiones – Hospital Clowns, which helped animate the festival, as well as the exhibition Stories That Unite Us: Intercultural Coexistence and Narratives Against Racism in Navarra, organised by Fénix Asociación Navarra. Volunteers from the organisation accompanied visitors around the exhibition and explained the stories and project developed in Pamplona, Tudela and Tafalla.
Following the human chain, music took centre stage with a concert by Correcaminos Rock & Roll Band, bringing a festive close to a morning designed to recognise and thank volunteers and the organisations that make volunteering possible in Navarra.
Six days and 32 activities bringing volunteering closer to the public
The festival held on Saturday concluded six days of programming during which 18 organisations participated directly in the 32 activities that made up the 1st Navarra Volunteer Week.
Since Monday 14 September, citizens have been able to explore volunteering from a wide range of perspectives through open days, workshops, training activities, meetings, talks, practical experiences, cinema forums and online sessions.
The programme began with the presentation of the School of Volunteer Action, along with initiatives focused on learning how to respond to choking emergencies, improving communication and using new narratives to raise awareness of volunteering, building community and wellbeing after the age of 50, learning about the work of social organisations, and acquiring tools and skills for volunteer action.
Throughout the week, topics such as equality within volunteer organisations, opportunities to collaborate with social and healthcare organisations, prevention and response to health issues, and the relationship between youth and volunteering were also addressed.
Among the activities, highlights included workshops and open days; initiatives introducing participants to fair trade and international cooperation; and experiences designed to provide first-hand insight into specific areas of participation.
The programme also encouraged reflection on emerging trends in volunteering, energy saving and responsible consumption, the reality of adolescent migration, prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation, human rights, and violence against women.
On Friday, before the closing festival, additional activities used cinema and debate as tools for exploring human rights and justice in greater depth.
In this way, the 32 activities showcased the breadth and diversity of volunteering in Navarra, including initiatives related to social and healthcare action, health, equality, youth, human rights, cooperation, migration, community participation, training and awareness-raising.
The challenge of continuing to nurture and strengthen volunteering
Navarra Volunteer Week also provided opportunities for organisations to come together and highlighted their responsibility in supporting those who decide to volunteer. “Volunteering is not simply about finding people willing to help. Organisations must know how to welcome them, train them, care for them, support them and ensure their participation is meaningful. Volunteers care for other people and many causes, and organisations must also care for their volunteers,” said Natalia Herce.
Currently, Navarra + Voluntaria has 218 registered organisations, 108 active volunteer programmes and 4,693 registered volunteers. In addition, the Interactive Map of Volunteer Organisations in Navarra includes 427 geolocated points corresponding to 377 organisations across the region.
Volunteer Week forms part of the 3rd Navarra Volunteer Plan 2024–2027, approved by the Government of Navarra on 13 March 2024 and comprising 59 actions grouped into six strategic objectives and 16 lines of action.
Its celebration takes on particular significance in 2026, declared the International Year of Volunteers, and coincides with the entry into force this year of the new Navarra Regional Volunteering Act.
The 1st Volunteer Week builds on the two editions of the Volunteer Festival held in 2024 and 2025. It emerged from the assessments and contributions of volunteer organisations themselves and other actors linked to volunteering, with the aim of becoming a benchmark event for recognising, highlighting and promoting volunteer action in Navarra.
Source: navarra.es
