Sixteen councillors in Middelfart Municipality to intern with local volunteer organizations in Denmark

Sixteen out of twenty-five local councillors in Middelfart Municipality will undertake internships with the municipality’s volunteer social organizations. Irene Tørnæs, a councillor representing the Venstre party, expressed her newfound appreciation for their work after becoming more aware of it through this initiative.

In July, the ‘Volunteer Centre Middelfart’ presented an unusual invitation at a council meeting, which included 25 pizza boxes filled with a volunteer catalog and a “Politician in Practice” badge. Tørnæs will intern with ‘Selvhjælp Middelfart-Fredericia’, a volunteer organization that provides support and guidance to individuals facing challenging life situations. Tørnæs admitted to being shocked by the organization’s presentation and their impactful work. “I had no idea such a large group of people volunteered to help others,” she said.

Christina Olesen, the daily manager of ‘Selvhjælp Middelfart-Fredericia’, believes the “Politician in Practice” initiative is beneficial for volunteer organizations. “It’s crucial for us to help councillors understand the significant difference our work makes for citizens,” she noted. Although ‘Selvhjælp’ receives operational support from Middelfart Municipality, Olesen feels that politicians often lack sufficient knowledge about the organization’s efforts.

Councillor Tørnæs hopes to gain deeper insights during her internship. When asked if this knowledge should have been pre-existing, she affirmed, “Yes, it definitely should have been.”

Bjarne Ipsen, an emeritus professor at SDU who studies volunteering and community life, believes that this internship program can benefit both organizations and politicians. He pointed out that many politicians have unrealistic expectations regarding the role of volunteer organizations in solving community issues and emphasized the importance of them witnessing the real challenges faced by these organizations instead of relying solely on administrative reports.