Volunteer and Youth Forum “Youth Under the Chestnuts” Brought Together Over 140 Participants from 65 Organisations!
On 11–12 October in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Red Cross, in partnership with the Kyiv City Youth Council, hosted a forum that became a vibrant space for experience sharing, networking, and building cooperation in the fields of youth policy and volunteerism.
The event served as a strong example of effective collaboration between the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) and the youth civil society sector in the capital. The initiative to organise this unifying event, “Youth Under the Chestnuts”, came from Daryna Zharykova, Lead Specialist in Volunteer Development at URC, and from the Kyiv City Youth Council – Dmytro Kyrychenko, Chair of the Council, and Vadym Bratchykov, Adviser to the Chair of the National Youth Council of Ukraine on Regional Development.
The organising team included representatives from both the URC and the Kyiv City Youth Council. Among them was Yelyzaveta Matsehora, Lead Specialist in Youth Development, who was responsible for the youth component on behalf of the URC, as well as dedicated volunteer teams from both organisations who supported participants and led interactive activities throughout the forum.
The opening session featured welcoming remarks from Oleksandr Korniienko, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Roman Hryshchuk, Member of Parliament, Dmytro Kyrychenko, Chair of the Kyiv City Youth Council, Oleksii Cherednichenko, Head of the Volunteer and Youth Development Unit at the URC, and Vadym Petrunin, CEO of iHUB.
The forum gathered representatives of civic, youth, and volunteer organisations, as well as young changemakers committed to making a positive impact in their communities.
Among the participating organisations were Let’s Do It Ukraine, Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law, the National Organisation of the Scouts of Ukraine, YMCA Kyiv, SaveUkraine, Union of Proactive Youth (SIM), National Youth Council of Ukraine, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and many others.
The programme included: presentations of opportunities from URC and the Kyiv City Youth Council, a panel discussion on youth engagement in community transformation, a Sprint session, interactive discussions on motivation and international cooperation, and a vibrant Civic Initiatives Fair, featuring 17 organisations showcasing their work in an engaging format.
The forum became a space where new ideas were born, partnerships were strengthened, and the community of active youth continued to grow.
A heartfelt thank you to our partners — the Kyiv City Youth Council — for their commitment, support, and inspiration in making this event a success!
