The aim of the Volunteers programme is to provide adequate training to volunteers in order to guide them in the development of solidarity activities. In this regard, 11 of the 14 countries the programme is present in offer volunteers the general and specific training they need in order to propose and set up solidarity initiatives that will benefit the community or contribute towards improving the living conditions of the less advantaged sectors of society.
During the year 2007, around 2,115 volunteers took part in the 63 training activities that were organised, providing over 23,500 hours of training. Given that the Volunteers programme is dynamic and with a national scope in each of the countries it is present in, it essential indispensable to have effective communication channels, both internal and external, to enable interaction between all participants.
The highlights among these channels are the Internet portals created in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Mexico and Peru, which function as a vehicle for communication between the programme, the Group's employees and social organisations. These portals inform about various possibilities for participation in solidarity projects, campaigns, volunteering campaigns, special events and other aspects of interest. These portals also allow volunteers the opportunity to present their own initiatives for collaboration with social organisations in their surroundings and allow these bodies to present and disseminate their activities so that volunteers can collaborate with them.
As well as the portals, the programme also uses other internal communication channels, such as the Group's corporate Intranet, Intranets in the various companies, blogs, etc. On the other hand, the Volunteers programme is also an active presence at Third Sector congresses and conferences, to which it is increasingly being invited, as a case-study for promoting the development and proliferation of corporate volunteering programmes.