About 250 non-profit organisations apply for free premises from the Moscow government

07.08.2020

It is now possible to apply to be included in the selection process of organisations eligible for free work premises. The application window closes on 10 August.

The selection process is being run by the My Career centre, a Moscow-based project organised by the Department of Labour and Social Protection. Free work premises would provide significant support for NGOs during the current crisis, where resources are becoming stretched while demand continues to rise.

“Participation in the selection process could provide the opportunity to receive a comfortable working space for free, to find a new home for charitable activity – to work with those who are most in need and respond to those needs” , said Irina Shvets, director of the My Career centre.

Socially oriented non-profit organisations, which work for example with large families and foster parents, people with disabilities, residents of Moscow who have come into difficulty, as well as other activities are eligible for selection. The only mandatory condition is that they provide social services for Moscow residents and have worked for no less than two years.

“One huge benefit is that the state is offering offices with excellent accessibility. There are rooms in the centre providing fantastic opportunities for inclusive activities and lots of space for social events for people with Down’s syndrome. Classes in such spaces allow children with Down’s syndrome to feel more confident when with their peers. From a parental perspective, these spaces grant them a better understanding of their child and how to support them. This type of interaction allows the whole family to enjoy a more fulfilling social life.”, stated Aleksandr Borovykh, Director of the Strategy department at the charity Downside Up.

In total, there are 50 newly refurbished rooms, equipped with office furniture, available for the competition’s winners. The first 20 will be transferred to the chosen organisations in October 2020, and another 30 will be distributed in December.

“One of our projects, Uyutka, revolves around needlework as an act of charity. We are focused on the elderly, for whom creativity and crafts have a significant rehabilitative effect. They benefit not only from the support we provide, but also from the sense that the items they produce have a genuinely positive effect on someone else in society. I am extremely glad that Moscow has reached out to us and decided against allocating workspace of marginal value, but instead chosen to provide first-class, newly renovated spaces,” said Ekaterina Bermant, Director of the charity Childrens’ Hearts and of the Shop of Joy foundation.

The website for registering to participate in the selection process can be found here.

Source: https://www.asi.org.ru/news/2020/08/07/okolo-250-nko-pretendujut-na-besplatnije-pomeshenija/