Are you excited about connecting with people, organizing engaging activities, and contributing to a vibrant community? Would you like to support people with intellectual disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders in their daily activities? Welcome to volunteer at Dagtek Life Skills!
- Number of open positions: 1
- Volunteering period: 12.8.2025–11.8.2026
- Last day to apply: 16 March 2025
DAGTEK offers services for people with intellectual disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders as a part of Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county. Dagtek organises activities in three different workshops which focus on arts & crafts, media work and independent life skills. The volunteer will assist mainly in the section of life skills activities. It is also possible to partly assist in Dagtek’s arts & crafts workshop and FIXtv (a small group working with film and media) if the volunteer has skills in these fields. The volunteer can also take initiative to arrange small workshops with different themes, for instance at this moment our volunteers are offering a weekly cooking class and Beauty Salon.
The participants of Dagtek’s life skills activities (Livsorienterad verksamhet in Swedish) need guidance and support in their daily activities. The life skills activities take place in small groups consisting of 2–4 people and are planned according to the condition, interests and needs of the participants. About twenty people take part in the life skills activities daily. The daily activities consist of music, arts and crafts, painting, games, and walks outside, for example. The goal is to encourage every participant to be active, get involved, make their own decisions, and affect the content of their daily lives, taking into consideration every participant’s individual starting point.
Location
Dagtek is located in Ekenäs (Tammisaari in Finnish), which is a small town with about 15 000 inhabitants situated by the sea in Southern Finland. Dagtek is located in the centre of the town. The majority language spoken in Ekenäs is Swedish (81 %) and about 17 % of the population speaks Finnish. Ekenäs is a part of the Raseborg commune (28 000 inhabitants).
Volunteer’s role and tasks
Through European Solidarity Corps volunteer cooperation, we wish to offer our community members the possibility to build networks and get a wider perspective on the world around us. At the same time, we hope to have one more person to be present for the clients and assist them in the daily workshop activities, as well as in social and practical situations during the day.
The volunteer’s role in the life skills activities is to support the clients and give guidance for them. The volunteer also helps in the clients’ daily activities related to mealtimes, going to the toilet and to walks outside, as well as walking the clients to and from their car transportation when they arrive and leave Dagtek. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organize activities for small groups or individuals. Dagtek values creative activities such as music, arts & crafts, and physical and outdoor activities. The clients appreciate possibilities for individual encounters, for example, talks or reading for them. The volunteer can also contribute to the production of pedagogic and visual support materials and the documentation of Dagtek’s activities through photography, for example.
The volunteer will also write articles for Dagtek’s own Magazine (Dagtek Chronicles). The work with the magazine is done together with the clients and other staff members. The magazine is a very important task for the volunteers. A couple times a year the volunteers will also plan parties for the community. For example, a disco party or a summer party. This will be planned and arranged together with the staff members.
Volunteer’s profile
We are looking for a volunteer interested in working with adults (18–60-year-olds) with different types of intellectual disabilities, autistic disorders, or minor learning challenges. It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible, and motivated to participate in community life, meaning being there for the clients and communicating actively with them. It is also important that the volunteer has open communication with the staff team and shares their ideas and observations with them. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so it is important to be motivated to learn Swedish.
In the life skills activities team, the ability to motivate and encourage people and awaken their interest in participating and being active are of benefit. In the team, it is also good to have good social skills and to be open to meeting new people. We appreciate flexibility and a positive outlook on life and other people. It is also important to be able to tolerate fast-changing situations. Experiences or skills in alternative communication methods are an advantage.
Accommodation, food, and transportation
The volunteer will live in a shared flat together with other two volunteers of Dagtek. The volunteers have private bedrooms and share kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Lunch will be offered at Dagtek. Other meals will be cooked by the volunteer and the volunteer will get a food allowance.
Training during the volunteering period
The volunteer will have an on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp organised by the Finnish National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps.
The volunteer will get access to the Online Language Support (OLS) tool of the European Solidarity Corps to support learning Swedish.
Accessibility
The physical environment of Dagtek is also suitable for people with physical or (minor) sensory disabilities, depending on the special needs of the person. Wheelchair access is possible and there is an accessible toilet in the building. Since Dagtek works with people with different disabilities, our staff has experience in providing extra support and can sometimes support the volunteer, if needed. However, there are no resources to provide continuous intensive support for the volunteer. If you have a disability, please, feel welcome to contact us for consultation via the coordinating organization Maailmanvaihto: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.
Themes
Creativity and culture, disabilities – special needs, inclusion – equality, health, and wellbeing
How to apply?
Further information
- If you wish to ask something about the open position for volunteering at Dagtek, please, see answers to frequently asked questions and European Solidarity Corps program page.
- If you don’t find an answer to your question, please contact us at Maailmanvaihto at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. Do not contact the voluntary workplace directly.
- Please note that you can only apply for the open position through Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland by following the application instructions linked above.
Volunteers’ experiences
Lisa – Dagtek
“Hi everyone:) I’m Lisa and I was a volunteer (2023) here at Dagtek. Here we work with people with intellectual disabilities and we mostly engage in art workshops and organise daily activities for them. I love this job because it gives me the possibility to improve myself and learn a lot everyday from my colleagues and from the clients of the centre. It’s a place where everybody is respected and treated equally. From the very beginning they made me feel important and valued and they encouraged me to be an active part of the workplace giving me also the opportunity to create my very own workshops. If you are thinking about joining the European Solidarity Corps and starting this adventure I can tell you that Dagtek would be a great opportunity for you :)”