Belingual volunteers plan and run Belingual language clubs in different languages. Belingual volunteers can be parents and guardians of multilingual children or young people and adults interested in supporting their language community.  On this page you will find information about it:
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• What a Belingual volunteer does 
• How to become a Belingual volunteer
• How to start a Belingual club 
• How to develop your skills as a club facilitator 

• Ilmoittaudu Familian Vapaaehtoiskoulutukseen
• What does a Belingual volunteer do? 
• Belingual volunteer training
• Start a Belingual club
• Support to Belingual volunteers 
• Belingual Club volunteer toolkit (coming soon)

 

WHO CAN BE A BELINGUAL CLUB FACILITATOR? 

• You are the parent or guardian of a multilingual child  and you want to give your child access to your family language.
  
• OR you are a minority language speaker and want to  your language community
  
• You are willing to participate in volunteer training and commit to the club for at least one season (but we understand that it is not always possible for families with children to participate, so you will run the club with 2-3 other volunteers)
  
• You don't need previous experience in club activities, just motivation and enthusiasm! 
  
• You can also join the volunteer team of an existing language club (for a list of existing clubs, click here. 
  
• Volunteers of all languages are welcome, from all over Finland! We are also starting clubs in new languages, in new locations! 

WHAT DOES A CLUB FACILITATORS DO? 

• Participates in Familia's volunteer training .
  
• Commits to Familia values. 
  
• Set up a Belingual language club or join an existing club and run a language club with your volunteer team (1-3 other volunteers)
  
• Plans the club season and submits a written seasonal plan to the Belingual team.
• Together you will make preparations for each club and complete an electronic club report after each club session.
  
• Together with 2-3 other volunteers, you will run a 2-hour Beingual language club every two weeks or once a month, using the Belingual guidelines.
  
• You can agree with other volunteers who will do it. For example, the team might include a club leader who speaks the language, an assistant who helps run the club, a planner who prepares and markets the club, an organiser who is responsible for purchases, budgeting and reporting. Together you can agree who does what. 

WHAT TO CLUB FACILITATORS GET?

• The chance to give your child the opportunity to meet other families who speak the same language, share your culture, make new friends and strengthen their sense of community. 
• You will receive training, support, new skills to develop your child's language and identity in a safe environment and a wonderful group of volunteers.
• Tools and methods developed by professionals 
• The Belingua team will help you find a club venue, market the club, handle registrations and cover the cost of club materials - we will make running the club as easy as possible! 

 

WE ARE HERE HELP YOU GET YOU CLUB STARTED

There are many new things to learn when starting and running a Belingual club, the Belingual team is there to support you and you are not alone, you have a team of volunteers to support you. Start with these steps: 

1. Take part in Familia's volunteer training.
   
2. Find a suitable venue for your club.
   
3. Decide what day and time to hold your club.
   
4. Market your club.

 

Take part in Familia's volunteer training

Trainings for autumn 2024

Family General Training - Thursday 1 August 2024, 17.30-19.30

This training will introduce you to Familia and other volunteers and give you the necessary knowledge and skills to guide your activities. The training will take place in two parts: a general Familia training for all on  and an introduction to Belingual after the general training. 

The Belingual training will take place after the general training and you can choose from the dates below: 

• Saturday 17.8. from 14.00 to 15.30
• Wednesday 21.8. from 18.00 to 19.30

The content of the Belingual training course will be available from 15.00 to 18.30 hrs: 
 

• How to create a safe and equally accessible space for families
• Introduction to Belingual materials and planning of the club activities
• Meet your club with the volunteer team
• Find a suitable venue for your club
• Decide on what day and time to hold your club
• Market your club 

After the training, we will introduce you to other volunteers in your club if you don't already know them. 

Register for training here

Find a suitable location for your club

Belingua Language Clubs are based in locations chosen by volunteers. We recommend that you find a location that is easily accessible, glass-friendly and barrier-free.

Find a place that is free of charge, Familia can sign a contract on your behalf. 

Tips for finding a club space (coming soon)

Decide how often, on what day and at what time you will hold your club

We recommend that clubs meet every two weeks. This will help you to regroup. Young children are often in pain, so if you only have a club once a month, some families may not be able to join for several months. However, some clubs are better off meeting once a month. 

You can decide together when to hold your club, it is important that you choose a day of the week and a time that suits all volunteers. We recommend a weekend and that the club is held either before or after the daytime (e.g. 10-12 or 14.30-16.30).  Once you know where and when you will hold your club, please contact us: [email protected]

Market your club

Familia handles club registrations and markets Belingual clubs in general. However, it is important that you market your club to your language community. On the Belingual communication page you will find communication materials, rules and other marketing materials (coming soon).

 

INFOMATION AND SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTEERS

When you join Belingua as a volunteer, you also join the Familia volunteer community.
We support our volunteers throughout the club season. When you join the volunteer team:

• You will be added to our Belingual Volunteers WhatsApp group where you can ask for support and discuss your club with both the Belingual team and other volunteers.
  
• You can join the Familia Volunteer Café and chat with other volunteers and attend Familia Volunteer Refreshment Days.
  
• In the Belingual Volunteer Toolkit (coming soon) you will find a Belingual guide, more information on running a club, self-study videos, activity tips for your club and much more.