Volunteering as a Legacy: the End of a Year That Opens a New Beginning
The end of 2025 was not merely a symbolic closing of one phase of preparations for Trenčín as the European Capital of Culture. Above all, it was a moment of collective pause and reflection on what should remain as a lasting legacy beyond 2026 – volunteering, cooperation, and active communities.
At the turn of November and December, within the Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture project, we created space for expert discussion, community networking, and public recognition of the work of people who have long been developing volunteering. All of these moments were connected by one common question: how to transform the energy of a single year into a system that will function well beyond it.
A conference as a meeting point of experience, vision, and responsibility
The conference Volunteering 2026 – a Legacy That Changes Society provided a shared framework for all the topics we opened during this period. It was not a showcase of activities nor a summary of past achievements. It was a place where representatives of local governments, the state, companies, the non-profit sector, education, and international partners came together to look ahead – at how to anchor volunteering systematically in the lives of cities, institutions, and communities.
The discussions focused on themes that go beyond a single project or region:
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how companies and communities can create inclusive and long-term partnerships,
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how young people grow through volunteering, non-formal learning, and international experience,
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how local governments can work with volunteers as active co-creators of the city.
It was repeatedly emphasized that volunteering is not an “add-on” to cultural events, but a strategic development tool that strengthens trust, cooperation, and civic engagement. In this context, the concept of legacy was increasingly mentioned – a value that endures even after the year of the European Capital of Culture ends. The conference thus helped create a shared language and a starting point for thinking about volunteering not only in 2026, but also in the years that follow.
DOBROstretko: when volunteering becomes a shared language across Europe
The expert discussions were naturally followed by the community gathering DOBROstretko, this time with a strong European dimension. The main theme was volunteering as a tool for connecting communities, culture, and active citizenship in the context of European Capitals of Culture – in other words, how to create volunteering programmes that make sense not only for a single year, but in the long term.
The discussion opened space for sharing experiences between Trenčín and guests from other European Capitals of Culture. The personal experiences of international partners confirmed that the challenges we face are similar across Europe – from working with communities and engaging young people to the sustainability of volunteering structures after the title year ends.
DOBROstretko was therefore not just a side event, but an important bridge between systemic discussion and lived human experience. It showed that volunteering works best where professional structures meet trust, relationships, and openness to learning from one another – across cities, countries, and cultures.
Srdce na dlani as recognition of work that often remains in the background
The end of the year also brought symbolic recognition in the form of the Srdce na dlani (Heart on the Palm) award, which highlights the importance of the work of people who volunteer, coordinate volunteering, support it, and develop it systematically. The award in the category Volunteer Coordinator, granted to the head of the Trenčín 2026 volunteering programme, Stanka Minárik Imrišková, is seen as a confirmation of the approach that Trenčín 2026 has long been promoting – volunteering built on trust, support for personal development, and partnership-based cooperation.
The fact that this work will represent the Trenčín Region at the national Srdce na dlani awards is both a commitment and a motivation for us to continue building a high-quality, meaningful, and sustainable volunteering programme with an impact that goes beyond one city or one year.
We do not see the award as individual recognition, but as appreciation of an entire ecosystem of cooperation – among volunteers, organisations, local government, and communities, without which volunteering could not function.
2026: not only culture, but also the International Year of Volunteers
We enter the new year aware that 2026 is exceptional for two reasons. In addition to the title of European Capital of Culture, it is also the International Year of Volunteers, creating a unique opportunity for Slovakia to connect culture, civic engagement, and systemic support for volunteering.
For Trenčín 2026, this is a clear signal that volunteering should not be merely a side effect of major events, but a solid part of the development of the city and the region even after 2026. If we succeed in transforming experience, partnerships, and energy into lasting mechanisms of cooperation, volunteering may become one of the most important legacies of this project.
We are starting a new chapter
We closed 2025 by naming the values we want to protect and develop. We see 2026 as the beginning of a new chapter, not the finish line – a chapter in which volunteers, communities, and active residents have a firm place in the story of the city.
Because culture cannot exist without people.
And volunteering is a way to create it together.
