The Czech Streetwork Association and the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation award low-threshold clubs and streetworkers

The Czech Streetwork Association and the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation presented the časovaná bota awards – annual awards for the greatest contributions in the field of low-threshold social services in 2006. The award for Low-Threshold Club of 2006 went to the Diakonie Rokycany community centre, Tomáš Brejcha, the director of the South Bohemia Streetwork program, took the award for Personality of the Year. The awarding of the Time Boots is culminating in an enlightenment campaign to support low-threshold clubs that both non-profit organisations started in October of this year. Czech Streetwork Association Time Boot for “Personality of 2006” Tomáš Brejcha, director of the South Bohemia Streetwork program, was awarded this prize. The program is the only one in South Bohemia that carries out cross-country social work with drug users and is developing a preventative project that focuses on those likely to experiment with “dancing drugs” directly at their parties.

Czech Streetwork Association Time Boot for “Personality of 2006”

Tomáš Brejcha, director of the South Bohemia Streetwork program, was awarded this prize. The program is the only one in South Bohemia that carries out cross-country social work with drug users and is developing a preventative project that focuses on those likely to experiment with “dancing drugs” directly at their parties. After six years of activity in the field, Tomáš Brejcha has succeeded in breaking through the barrier of incomprehension, which he encountered primarily at the level of municipal authorities.

“We appreciate his enlightenment activities at town councils and local authorities, on local radio stations and in the local press. He is also receiving the award for his contribution to the development of new methods of contact work,” says Jindřich Racek, Chairman of the Czech Streetwork Association.

Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation Time Boot for “Low-Threshold Club of 2006”

The Diakonie Rokycany low-threshold community centre was awarded this prize for its effective support of Roma children and youth, especially those from families facing the threat of social exclusion, and for organising their free time activities. The centre is forming a pilot model for work with the Roma minority and close co-operation with the Municipal Authorities in Rokycany.

“The Diakonie centre in Rokycany is not only successfully working with socially endangered Roma youth, it has also successfully brought town representatives into the process of resolving several unpopular problems, which, in the field of low-threshold service is still quite unusual,” says Inga Kaškelyte, Director of the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation.

Other nominees for this year’s Time Boot were: Proxima sociale o.s. (the Krok (Step) Community Centre in Prague-Modřany and Jižní Pól (South Pole) in Prague-Jižní město), the PVC Blansko low-threshold club, the Likusák low-threshold club(Brno), Martin Holiš (with the Likusák low-threshold club), a Jindřich Vobořil (Sdružení Podané ruce o.s.).

“This year, the Czech Streetwork Association successfully executed a very cunning information campaign, as well as a comprehensive educational program for workers and facilities operating in low-threshold services. And thanks to the support of the European Social Fund, the investment into human resources in the form of education was reflected in the quality of the nominations for the annual Time Boot awards for 2006,” adds Jindřich Racek, Chairman of the Czech Streetwork Association.

As part of its Vpoho grant program, the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation provided low-threshold clubs with CZK 8.5 million in 2006 (grants, direct financial and material assistance). The foundation is awarding the winning, and nominated, people and clubs with phones and prepaid Vodafone Cards.

Enlightenment campaign to support low-threshold clubs (18.10. -18.12. 2006):

Low-threshold Tour – a benefit tour featuring Tři sestry, Wohnout, Vypsaná fixa, and Jaroslava Uhlíře (Pardubice, Opava, Havlíčkův Brod) raised CZK 582,000 for regional low-threshold clubs
Social spots – Czech Television, Óčko, Metrovisions, Cinexpress multiplexes
The launch of www.streetwork.cz – an information portal for low-threshold social services
The annual Time Boot Awards

Contact:
The Czech Streetwork Association
Jiří Kocourek, Senovážné nám. 20, 110 00 Praha 1
602 696 893, kocourek@streetwork.cz, www.streetwork.cz

The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation
Filip Hrubý, Vinohradská 167, 100 00 Praha 10
775 011 550, filip@nadacevodafone.cz

What are low-threshold clubs?

Low-threshold clubs and streetwork are developing new methods of social assistance in the Czech Republic that differ from the classic institutional model of social work. They are often mistakenly classified only as facilities that deal solely with people that have drug problems; however, the scope of their activities is far greater – they include elements of social assistance, prevention, and leisure time activities. The clubs offer children and youth an active means of enjoying their free time, provide a safe environment for self-realisation, and inhibit potential risks associated with adolescence. A low threshold is the cardinal principle of these services. Neither registration nor a ticket is required to spend time in these clubs.

The Czech Streetwork Association

The Czech Streetwork Association is a non state-based organization that represents individuals and organizations active in the field of low-threshold social services (in-field programs, low-threshold club facilities for children and the youth, contact centers) and its main activities include:

Creating an appropriate atmosphere for work in this field (networking, aiding in member communication, promotes the area, etc.)
Supporting the professionalism of the field with its own internal activities; it develops definitions and norms, sets quality criteria, defines the utilization of supervision, develops accreditation and evaluation systems and so on
Implementing projects for the expertly-orientated public including educational and training programs
Organizing professional meetings, conferences, seminars and other activities for specialists

The awarding of annual prizes is one of the projects supported by the European social fund, with which the Czech Streetwork Association is trying to recognise prestigious social workers in this field.
www.streetwork.cz

The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation

The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation was founded in 2005 as the twenty-first local Vodafone Foundation in the world. In its activities it especially focuses on the support of low-threshold clubs for children and youth (through the Vpoho grant program) and the support of independent initiatives of young people and connecting communications technologies to help disadvantaged groups (through the Vpohybu grant program). The foundation receives subsidies from the Czech branch of Vodafone and from the Vodafone Group Foundation (VGF). In 2006, the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation invested over 17 million koruna to charity and publicly beneficial projects.
www.nadacevodafone.cz