Armagh-Leuven Links was a Gruntvig Senior Volunteering project that supported volunteering projects between organisations located in two different countries. It enabled senior volunteers (aged 50 and above) to work for an organisation in another European country for any kind of non-profit activity on any topic e.g. history, language, arts and culture etc. Thre intention was that by doing so the organisations which sent or hosted volunteers would create lasting European co-operation through the project.
Grundtvig is part of the European Commission’s new Lifelong Learning Programme that aims to strengthen the European dimension in adult education and lifelong learning across Europe through increasing participation and by making it more equitable. The Programme seeks to respond to a key educational challenge faced in Europe – namely an ageing population.
The participants in Armagh-Leuven Links were the Federation for Ulster Local Studies and The Archives of the City of Leuven. It was a two-year project running from 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2013. In addition to preparation activities and regular communications between participants each group spent a period of three weeks in the other's country participating in a number of hands-on activities.
This website reported progress with the project, recorded outomes and provided a photographic record. Although officially it was to remain accessible for a period of five years, it was archived on the Federation's website and remains available in perpetuity.
