Maastricht
This project will be realized as a European Volunteering Teams (ESC-VT) project. This means that the project is co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps subsidy program 2025 and has certain requirements for participation. Who can volunteer? European Solidarity Corps volunteering activities are open to 18-30 year old people who reside in programme and partner countries. This means an EU member state, a Non-EU country associated to the programme (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of North Macedonia, Turkey, or Norway) or a partner country (Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine) Young people who want to participate in the European Solidarity Corps must register on the European Solidarity Corps Portal (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/register_en). Volunteers travel costs will be compensated by this program and volunteers will receive €5,- pocketmoney per day. The travel cost reimbursement has a maximum amount and is based on the distance from your hometown to Leens, the Netherlands. Following the distance, we will reimburse based on the actual costs with a maximum of the following amounts (in between brackets the amounts if you use green travel, meaning low emissions means of transport for the main part of the travel, such as bus, train or car sharing): 0-99km: 23 euro 100-499 km: 180 euro (210 euro) 500-1999 km: 275 euro (320 euro) 2000-2999 km: 360 euro (410 euro) 3000-3999 km: 530 euro (610 euro) 4000-7999 km: 820 euro >8000km: 1500 euro It is very important to keep at the receipts, booking confirmations, boarding passes and travel tickets with you. Any missing documents may affect your reimbursement amount. Furthermore, we can also provide up to 100 euro for visa purchase. For this, please keep your receipt as well.
Due to the system limitations, the option to select 'other' gender is unavailable. However, our projects are inclusive and open to everyone, regardless of gender, religion, or cultural background. If you specifically identify as LGBTQ+, feel free to share this information, and we will make sure to be mindful of it. Young people who want to participate in the European Solidarity Corps must register on the European Solidarity Corps Portal (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/register_en). PLEASE SEND US YOUR PRN (PARTICIPANT REFERENCE NUMBER) AS SOON AS YOU APPLY. Volunteers travel costs will be compensated by this program and volunteers will receive €5,- pocketmoney per day.
Castle Vaeshartelt has a vast area with forests and gardens. The woods and gardens need restoration and maintenance. A significant portion of the work will involve clearing and pruning vegetation along designated pathways and within the grounds of the forest. This will ensure that plant growth does not obstruct walkways or cause damage to buildings or infrastructure. The work will also contribute to the preservation of historical landscape elements in the forest. Volunteers will help restore these natural and historical elements through active involvement in landscape care and heritage preservation. Volunteers will discuss the recreational program together with the camp leaders. For example they can explore the area by bike, go swimming, visit the city of Maastricht, Valkenburg or the crossroad of the three countries. Next to forest maintenance, the restructuring and maintenance of the many gardens of the Buitenplaats will be the majority of the work. There are gardens for fruit, low tree and high tree gardens, small fruit gardens for strawberries, rasp berries and blackberries, a vineyard, mush room cultivation and so on. Tasks for the gardens will be to improved the outlook of the gardens and also the optimize the fruit production of the gardens as well. You will learn a lot about gardening an fruit production, to be come a more professional ‘castle’ gardener. Part of the work is the circular approach converting green waste from the garden maintenance into compost, to be used as fertilizer for the gardens.
The accomodationis in one of the side castles like like Delbrock or Kanjel. At these locations sanitary facilities are present. Airbeds are available. You have to bring your own sleeping bag. The food will be provided by the Castle Vaeshartelt restaurant. There are opportunities to have dislocated bbq's, which have to be organised by the volunteers.
Buitenplaats Vaeshartelt is a historically rich and unique landscape due to its deep historical roots and diverse transformations. From its Roman origins as a key traffic hub, to its role as a fortress in the time of Charlemagne, the estate evolved through medieval times and became a symbol of aristocratic and intellectual life in the 17th to 19th centuries. The creation of Buitenplaats Vaeshartelt as a monumental estate, with gardens, buildings, and nature forming a harmonious whole, is characteristic of the Dutch outdoor estates built by wealthy townspeople to escape urban hardships. Volunteers will discuss the recrational program together with camp leaders and the host organisation. For example, they can explore the area by bike, provided by the castle, go swimming, visit cities like Maastricht, Valkenburg or three-country point.
