The WELCOMMON HOSTEL is a new 7floor Hostel in the center of Athens and also a social experiment. We are combining different aims: sustainable tourism in Athens with social inclusion, art, social enterpreneurship. It is based on the idea of “community”, ecological & inclusive growth for all, run by the social cooperative ANEMOS ANANEOSIS/ WIND OF RENEWAL. We are part of the social change we want to see happen.
This project combines commercial goals (sustainable tourism) with visions, values, philosophy for win-win solutions. Our moto is “special people, values, places”, we are part of the European LE MAT Network of social enterprises in tourism and HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL.
5 floors of the WELCOMMON HOSTEL are dedicated for sustainable tourism. Accomodation: We offer a variety of options for accommodation in 5 floors; a cheaper or a little more expensive room, 4- or 8-beds dormitory, 5-,4-3-, 2-beds rooms, with en suite or shared bathroom, with or without balcony. Regardless of what the guests select, all rooms are comfortable, clean and attractive. A lot has been artistically designed with reused items, always with the comfort of our clients in mind.
Two floors of the seven are dedicated for art, intercultural dialogue, eco and social innovation, social inclusion, , for social inclusion, social and green entrepreneurship activities, intercultural dialogue and art work, job integration activities, environmental awareness, energy and eco-transition.
Social activities and impact: Two floors of the seven are dedicated for art, intercultural dialogue, eco and social innovation, social inclusion, , for social inclusion, social and green entrepreneurship activities, intercultural dialogue and art work, job integration activities, environmental awareness, energy and eco-transition.
We offer, with the support of many volunteers and experienced educators, social-psychological support, empowerment, language (English, German, Greek), painting, music, theater, dancing and cooking lessons for refugees and migrants (adults, women and children). We develop a number of projects with art therapy, gender issues, the different social policy models, energy transition, reuse, recycling, fire prevention. We are planning non-formal vocational schools for locals and new comers, based on a dual education system: theory, practice, empowerment/social inclusion.
Our new project, the WELCOMMON Hostel, which started in June 2018, addresses the degradation of the urban fabric as a result of the different options of the crisis, the collapse of social infrastructure, social exclusion, the existing gap between the needs and behavior of tourists from one side and the needs of local people and communities, from the other side. It is also a center for intercommunication between tourists, volunteers, refugees and social groups.
The WELCOMMON Hostel highlights the positive impact that cooperatives and social enterprises could have on communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, making bridges between communities, social groups, newcomers and local people. We are very interesting in cooperation with Universities, schools, social groups, social enterprises and cooperatives which plan to visit Athens. If they decide to stay in our hostel, they can feel the history of Welcommon and they support
- our social work
- the sustainability of our projects
- the creation of new jobs for young greek, migrants and refugees, employees from different backgrounds/experiences
- our work for climate protection, energy transition, energy poverty.
But also very important, we can organise activitiesall together . Our guests can participate in workshops, art exhibitions, activities, networking, youth meetings, youth exchanges like Erasmus projects. We can support our guests to discover the creative side of the city of Athens. We strive to connect our guests with the social and cultural life of the city, the social entrepreneurship, the environmental activities, we host such activities in WELCOMMON HOSTEL, we co-organize events for promoting win-win solutions for all (guests, locals, volunteers, active citizens, unemployed, refugees, Youth etc).
Many groups, students, schools and individuales have already booked with us and we have organised together many activities. Networking and exchange of experiences is one of our priorities.
Anemos Ananeosis/Wind of Renewal has a strong commitment to building a better world through social and green innovation and the cooperative business model. We want to influence the direction of our society to become more sustainable and ecologically and socially fair. Wind of Renewal / Anemos Ananeosis Anemos has been awarded with
- the European Citizen’s Prize 2018
- the “Special Mention” award of the REVES Excellence Award 2017
and was selected as
- one of the 3 best examples of projects for refugees contributing to the dialogue between the cultures in the Euro-med area (2017 Euro-Med Dialogue Award) by the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Fondazione Mediterraneo, and as
- a “good example of social inclusion in Euro-Med area”
Contact us: info@welcommonhostel.gr or windofrenewal@gmail.com
If you want to support our social activities with a donation, our bank account is
ANEMOS ANANEOSIS / WIND OF RENEWAL
Piraeus Bank
IBAN: GR83 0172 0180 0050 1807 7868 253
Piraeus’s BIC code is PIRBGRAA
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