Association
“Vidusdaugavas NGO center”
Reg.Nr. 40008108696
Brīvības iela 45, Jēkabpils, LV-5201, Latvia
Account nr.: LV14PARX0013118530001
Organization “Vidusdaugavas NGO center” was established in 2006. Now it unites 42 different profile NGO`s and individuals.
“Vidusdaugavas NGO center” operates in various fields. Significant part of the job is done voluntarily by members and administration of association although we raise funds through submited and approved project applications, grants, donations and membership fees.
Former chairmans of the board are:
Agita Pleiko (2010-2018)
Gita Cankale (2006-2010)
Roberts Aišpurs, Aleksandrs Kalniņš, Līga Midzene, Inita Zarkeviča and Lilija Ražinska are well known citizens of Jekabpils who were members of the board.
“Vidusdaugavas NGO center” is member organization of “Civic Alliance - Latvia” (CAL) and member of “The Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia” (SEAL)
“Vidusdaugavas NGO center” has joined Memorandum of Cooperation between the Cabinet of Ministers and NGO, and signed it on February 1st, 2013 (No.252)
Today 436 NGOs has joined Memorandum of Cooperation. More information is available here: https://www.mk.gov.lv/content/informacija-par-nvo-un-ministru-kabineta-sadarbibas-memorandu
Work with socially vulnerable groups
Association “Vidusdaugavas NGO center” has created unit “Social rehabilitation day center “To be together””, which has been registered at register of social service providers on 2018. Center provides social rehabilitation for pensioners, families with children and people subjected to risk of social exclusion.
Cooperation with the public sector
- Since 2012 association has actively cooperated with National Employment Agency (NEA) Jēkabpils regional unit, expanding over the years. Cooperation began when we provided young people with program “Support for youth volunteering” within various NGO projects. Many of them during and after this program have found permanent job, but the best of them are still with us and work with other projects.
Cooperating with NEA, association has created a subsidized workplace for people with disabilities.
After the adoption and entry into force of the Voluntary Labor Law in January 2016, NEA created site www.brivpratigie.lv and began cooperate with its coordinators in regions of Latvia. “Vidusdaugavas NGO center’’ was one of the first to conclude a cooperation agreement on site administration in Jēkabpils and surrounding counties.
Association has participated in another NEA programs, for example, trained a tutor of interest group in active employment measure “Training at the employer”, which was funded by European Social Fund (ESF) in project “Support for the education of the unemployed”, and collaborated in other ways.
- In 2018, representative of association Agita Pleiko was a member of Latvian State NGO Fund Strategic Planning Committee
- Association has initiated several NGO support cases and more successful mutual cooperation initiatives in Jēkabpils municipality, for example, elaboration and conclusion of mutual cooperation agreement in 2011, which was signed by approximately 40 associations in Jekabpils and renegotiation of the contract in 2016, transfer of premises to non-governmental organizations for use free of charge, setting a more timely deadline for announcing projects etc.
As far as possible member organizations are being consulted for raising funds as well as advising those interested in establishing a new association, also cooperation of Jekabpils NGOs with the municipality is encouraged as much as possible.
- Members of the board of the association and representatives work on the development of documents important for the city of Jēkabpils, such as the development plan for the next planning period and the development of the city marketing, including the Jēkabpils youth work strategy. Using its expertise to establish good cooperation with the media (TV, radio, newspapers), which successfully promotes the activities of the non-governmental sector and mobilizes additional resources by training member organizations to use public relations for their own benefit.
Charities and fundraising in partnership with local businesses
We have realized:
- knitted socks donation campaign for Jēkabpils Regional Hospital maternity and children's wards and nursing home “Jaunāmuiža” in 2017 and 2018;
- support for strengthening young people's civic initiatives through folk dance activities, raising around € 10,000 in 2017;
- addressing businesses and residents to donate to create chapels and chaplaincy internships at Jēkabpils Regional Hospital;
- organizing a charity fundraising campaign and a charity auction to support two oncologically ill girls;
- organizing donations collection in Jēkabpils shops and talking to Jēkabpils entrepreneurs to donate to poor people in Jekabpils for the creation of food packages in the campaign "Give a hand, Jekabpils!" in 2011, raising Ls 700;
- organizing a support campaign for people with disabilities, signed a donation agreement with the entrepreneur to create food packages for this target group and to support creative activities for people with disabilities;
- organized annual clothing, footwear, furniture and household goods donation campaign, including book and magazine donation table activity;
- in 2015/2016 association established cooperation with the foundation “Ziedot.lv” to support more than 100 babies under two years of age from needy families not only in Jēkabpils but also in surrounding counties. Within two years milk formulas and diapers were distributes initially in Jēkabpils, later in a wider support circle in cooperation with Social Services and NGOs in the surrounding regions.
Participation in the implementation of local initiatives
- among the projects implemented in previous years are lifelong learning and community integration projects relevant to the local community: “Calling along”, establishment of a woodworking workshop in the structural unit of the association, “increasing the capacity of NGOs in the Jēkabpils district to attract more finance”, “Jēkabpils NGO fellowship days”, “Accounting and the Internet - necessary, important and current”, “Learning from positive examples in Latvia”, “Three good things”, “Resource center threshold with environmental accessibility value” etc.
- association also seize the opportunity to support other types of citizens initiatives by raising funding. For example, in 2011 associations Initiative Group participated in the public benefit association "Good Works" project competition and received Ls 1820 support for the purchase of more modern swimming equipment for swimming pool training groups in Sala. Attracting co-financing from the municipality, this project was supplemented with the purchase of sportswear for the Jēkabpils team swimmers.