Content: What the ESC is? Why NGOs are invited? What are benefits? What is the Partner’s role? How can we cooperate? Does it cost anything? |
What the ESC is?
The European Senior Card program is a benefit program for the Seniors in Europe. The goal of the program is social activation and education of people age 60+ in basic rules of household finance, security, new media, healthcare etc.
The idea of this campaign was born in Poland where already over 2000 businesses and entities offer discounts to the seniors, supporting them in managing household budget and making more products, services and activities accessible to them. Over 350 000 seniors are currently National Senior Card holders, which is equal to the European Senior Card. One of the flagship initiative within the ESC Program is Senior-Friendly Municipality campaign, which invites local self-governments to joint participation in support of the local community.
Within two ERASMUS+ project the Senior Card Program expanded to European countries and now it is present in Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Italy (Sardinia). The program was also carried out in 2017-2019 in Germany, Lithuania, Romania
Why NGOs are invited?
We invite NGOs that support seniors to cooperate and promote the European Senior Card and European Senior Voice magazine and web portal among seniors. One of our goals is the expansion of our initiatives among seniors all over partner countries to activate and integrate seniors’ community, shape citizenship and awareness as well as counteract social exclusion.
What are the benefits for NGO?
We love the civil media and we mainly implement the social campaigns, that’s why we can offer:
- A handbook for NGO’s on developing and implementing social campaigns, prepared under the SASME+ project.
- Ready for use training program for seniors, shaping their journalist skills and preparing them for co-creation of our civil media (European Senor Voice magazine and web-portal)
- Ready for use training program for seniors, to prepare them for the role of promoters of the European Senior Card and this way foster their social activation.
- Promotion and dissemination of the NGO’s events by taking media patronage and describing it in the produced media.
- A title of the Partner of the European Senior Card campaign and the European Senior Voice magazine (both in paper and online)
- Publishing information about various events and actions for seniors organized by Partner NGO in the European Senior Voice magazine (SASME+ project editions).
Moreover, the cooperation brings the side-benefits for the local society
- The image of the senior-friendly municipality among other self-governments and within local community – the Certificate and Label of the Senior-Friendly Municipality
- Activation of local seniors and enterprises – boosting local economy
- Promotion and dissemination of activities under the municipality’s senior policy in European Senior Voice Magazine or web-portal
- Increased interest of local entrepreneurs in the Silver Economy and the need for care of the elderly people
What is the NGO Partner’s role?
Any NGO interested in promotion of seniors’ active living is invited to joining our campaign and supporting its development and expansion by:
- Organizing training for seniors, based on the training programs developed within the SASME+ project
- Informing about or distribution of the European Senior Card among seniors
- Distribution of the European Senior Voice magazine and inviting to reading or co-creating the European Senior Voice web-portal.
- Invite the European Senior Voice magazine or the European Senior Voice web-portal to be a media patron of the NGO’s events and actions
- Help to expand with the European Senior Card campaign by acquiring new companies to the program in partner country.
How can we cooperate?
Any NGO interested in activation of seniors in local community can be a partner of the European Senior Card campaign.
In order to participate in the program and become the Partner NGO of the European Senior Card program an NGO is invited to accept provisions of the specific agreement, which defines roles of both partners – the organizer at country level and the NGO as a Partner organization. For more information about provisions of cooperation please contact coordinating organization in partner country.
Does it cost anything?
The European Senior Card Program is piloted in 2021 in Turkey, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Italy (Sardinia) within the SASME+ project, implemented under ERASMUS+ Program.
By the end of 2021 NGOs may participate in the program free-of chargé.
Training materials and handbooks are available free of chargé for any interested NGO.
All supporting materials will be provided by organizers of the campaign in partner countries.
(there is a limit of participating organizations within the pilot stage)