A voluntary bank

Volunteer organisations and associations need all the support they can get, including professional assistance.

It is what we are offering through the Pro-ACT (PROviders and Communities Together) initiative whereby professionals, companies, students and others can donate a number of hours to the volunteering sector.

The setting up of this voluntary bank will serve as the ideal platform for volunteers to tap specialised skills, advice, and professional assessments they may require for projects they plan to undertake. In this way, we try to make it as easy as possible for volunteer organisations registered with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, to find the ideal sources with whom they can form a strong relationship.

The Pro-ACT bank of donators will be available on the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) portal volunteers.mt

It will include a blend of professional people and companies willing to contribute in a significant way to Maltese society as part of their corporate social responsibility. This means voluntary organisations and associations will have the alluring opportunity of using the services of lawyers, notaries, architects and teachers, as well as expert advice and direct professional help in various fields, among them marketing, accounts, web development, manual works on their premises, and other services.

In the same process, the MCVS will develop a parallel system that collates information about the necessities of voluntary organisations. This will help create a working system of collaboration between the volunteers and their donators within agreed time schedules.

We were only too happy during the Public Service Expo Village 2025 to meet and discuss the initiative with professionals in various fields, company and NGO representatives, as well as members of the public.

One needs to emphasise the fact that the ProACT Bank is not merely and strictly an initiative within the voluntary sector, but it also lays down a solid platform for further social transformation based on the values of social justice, inclusivity, and solidarity at both community and national levels. Volunteers and donators, tackling everyday challenges and new projects in harmony will ensure Maltese society stands to benefit.

Social inclusion is one of the pillars of Vision 2050, unveiled by the government earlier this year. We are zealously committed to this vision and we look forward to a transparent Maltese society open to all and wherein community spirit is an essential part of our national identity. It means paving the way for a fair, united, and healthy society that future generations will inherit with pride.

The Chief Executive of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, Mauro Pace Parascandalo, pointed out the realities that volunteer organisations and associations, particularly the smaller ones, have to face, including the use of funds on professional services. At the Public Service Expo, he rightly indicated that professional donations of voluntary time will, through an efficient and centralised structure, first reach those organisations and associations that need them most.

Malta is lucky to have such an impressive array of volunteer organisations and associations devotedly working in an incredible variety of fields. The ProACT initiative is, after all, the kind of infusion volunteers in Malta and Gozo have long been needing to enhance their dedicated contribution to society.