“Change Lives Open Minds” will be a group EVS project for 4 volunteers from Turkey, Italy, Ukraine and Lithuania. The volunteers will be based in Cardiff, and will be engaged in a variety of activities based in different not-for-profit organisations. One EVS volunteer will be working with the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Wales, one volunteer will be based at PromoCymru and two volunteers based at UNA Exchange. The projects will focus on themes such as cultural awareness, youth work, digital media and community development and international volunteering. All activities will focus, in part, on young people in the South Wales area with a focus on making them more active citizens that are engaged in their communities.The individual activities will be long term (11 months) to allow the volunteers time to really get involved with their organisation and the work that they do, as well as having the opportunity to develop their own personal projects. The projects will allow young people from across Europe to interact, share ideas, exchange cultures and learn about each other in a safe and supportive environment. The volunteers will be fully integrated into the activities of their hosting organisation and will be given the opportunities to focus on elements that most interest them and to develop new skills, experiences and knowledge that will enhance their employability and personal professional development.Volunteers will be involved in activities such as; Events support/ organisation, digital media work, leadership opportunities, training support/ attendance, promotions, community development and youth work as well as having the opportunity to bring in their own ideas and work on personal projects where appropriate.Alongside their project work, the volunteers will also attend Common Days each month where they can share their experiences and work on a common project. This will promote active citizenship and will help to foster engagement in the local community whilst bringing to light both global and local issues. Volunteers will be encouraged to bring ideas and opinions from their countries of residence to the UK to share with other, to break down international barriers, as well as take new ideas back to input into their society, thereby creating a wider European Community.