Volunteering in Girona

From Guide to Girona

This is a summary of volunteering opportunities in Girona. Click on each one for more information.

Name What they do Language(s)
Brigada Activista del Salabret Environmental cleanups in Girona's green spaces Catalan, Spanish
Girona Time Bank Exchange services (e.g. tutoring, massage, repairs) using time instead of money Catalan, Spanish
Càritas Girona Social aid and support for people in vulnerable situations Catalan, Spanish
Acompanyament Hospitalari (Dipsalut) Volunteer visits to patients who are alone in hospital Catalan
Creu Roja (Red Cross) Offers a wide range of social and emergency aid volunteering; may require longer commitment Catalan, Spanish
Banc dels Aliments Distributes food to people in need Catalan, Spanish
Casal dels Infants Works with children in vulnerable situations Catalan, Spanish
GiroGats Cares for street cats in Girona (feeding, trapping for sterilization) Catalan, Spanish
Som Amics dels Animals Animal shelter based in Salt, looking for volunteers Catalan, Spanish
Tossa Dog Shelter Dog rescue shelter in Tossa de Mar, volunteers can walk dogs Spanish
Tiendanimal Volunteering Initiative Animal welfare initiative started by Tiendanimal, supported by volunteers Spanish
Girona Buddies Volunteering Group Organizes occasional litter cleanups English
Girona Buddies language groups Need native speakers for their language meetups Catalan, Spanish, English, German, French

Brigada Activista del Salabret[edit]

Brigada activista del salabret (2025)

Brigada Activista del Salabret is a volunteer group that meets every Sunday to pick up litter from in and around rivers. Their motto is “No és la nostra brossa, però sí el nostre planeta” ("It’s not our trash, but it is our planet").[1]

If you want to join, they put the date and details of their upcoming cleanups on Instagram at @brigadaactivistadelsalabret. They also sometimes post to Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076137530456. They can provide bags, gloves, and litter picking sticks.

Joan Olivet started the group in 2017[2]. He started picking up litter on his own, after noticing how much trash was accumulating in natural areas like forests, rivers, and beaches.[1] Over time, others joined him, and it grew into a structured volunteer group called the Brigada Activista del Salabret.[1]

They organize weekly cleanups (Saturdays in l’Escala and Sundays around Girona).[1] Each session lasts around two hours, during which they can collect over 160kg of waste.[1]

The Brigada also gives educational talks and cleanup activities to schools and youth groups. So far, over 2,300 children have participated.[1]

The Brigada has earned numerous awards, including the Maria Figueras i Mercè Bañeras Social Action Prize and the Agenda Llatinoamericana Degrowth Award.[1]

  • 🔗 Instagram: @brigada.salabret
  • 🗓️ Cleanups: Saturdays (l’Escala), Sundays (Girona area)*
  • 🗣️ Language: Catalan, Spanish
  • 📍 Volunteer level: Open to all
Brigada activista del salabret (2024)

Girona Time Bank[edit]

Screenshot of the Girona Time Bank website

Banc del Temps Pont del Dimoni is a time bank in Girona. What is a time bank? Is it like a normal bank, except the vaults are filled with clocks and hourglasses instead of money? And if you trip an alarm, all the time runs backwards, sending you flying up into the air while your head shrinks into a baby's head? A time bank is actually a system for exchanging skills and services where time is the currency, not money. Members earn "time credits" for helping others, which they can then "spend" to receive services from other members.

It was started by a man called Pablo Lidoy on 15 December 2010.[3] He still runs it today.

Pont del Dimoni literally means "Demon's bridge", and is the name of bridge nearby.

To sign up:

  1. Sign up at https://www.timeoverflow.org
    1. Sign up as a new user
    2. Search for Girona and click "Apply to join"
    3. "Apply to join" will become "Pending", wait for an email from Banc del Temps Pont del Dimoni
  2. Email bdtpontdeldimoni@gmail.com to book an in-person interview.[4]

Girona Buddies volunteering group[edit]

Some of the members of the Girona Buddies volunteering group

Girona Buddies has a volunteering group that occasionally organises litter pickups. Join the WhatsApp group at https://gironabuddies.com/volunteeringjoin or go to https://gironabuddies.com/volunteering for more information.

Girona Buddies language groups[edit]

Girona Buddies has subgroups for different languages. If you’re a native speaker, you can help by chatting with learners and giving them a chance to practice.

Creu Roja (Red Cross)[edit]

The Creu Roja (Red Cross) offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities across Catalonia. While they often look for long-term volunteers, in Girona they sometimes accept help for short-term or one-off events.

  • 🗣️ Languages: Catalan, Spanish
  • 🔗 Website: https://www2.cruzroja.es/
  • 📍 Note: May require a basic level of Spanish or Catalan and sometimes a background check.

Banc dels Aliments[edit]

Banc dels Aliments

Banc dels Aliments distributes food to struggling individuals and families. Volunteers assist with food collection, packing food parcels, and distributing food.

If you'd like to help, go to https://bancdelsalimentsgirona.org/inscripcio/ and tell them your available days and times (e.g., “Mondays and Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m.”) and if you have experience or interest in a specific area (like admin, logistics, warehouse, or communication)[5]

Types of volunteers:[6]

  • Regular – Help 2–3 days a week.
  • Occasional – Help during food drives or special events.
  • Specialists – Offer specific skills or expertise.

Info:

Casal dels Infants[edit]

Casal dels Infants supports children, teenagers, and families in vulnerable situations through educational and social programs.

Volunteers help with:

  • Homework support and mentoring
  • Organizing games and activities
  • Language support

GiroGats[edit]

Girogats logo

GiroGats is a group that cares for feral and stray cats in Girona. Volunteers can help by:

  • Foster a cat – Give a cat love and care until GiroCats find it a permanent home.
  • Trap cats – Help safely catch stray cats for sterilization.
  • Drive cats – If you have a car, help transport cats or deliver adopted ones to their new homes.
  • Donate items – GiroCats need cat food, carriers, scratchers, toys, blankets, etc.
  • DIY help – If you're handy, GiroCats sometimes need small repair or craft jobs.[7]

Info

You don’t need experience to help—just a willingness to support the wellbeing of street cats.

Som Amics dels Animals (Salt)[edit]

Girogats logo

Som Amics dels Animals is a non-profit[8] based in Salt, next to Girona. They were founded in 2012.[8] They promote cats and dogs for fostering or adoption and organize the Salt Animal Welfare Fair.[8]

  • 🗣️ Languages: Catalan, Spanish
  • 📍 Location: Salt, Girona

Contact info:

Tossa Dog Shelter[edit]

There is a small dog rescue shelter in Tossa de Mar that welcomes volunteers to walk dogs and help with basic care.

  • 🗣️ Languages: Spanish
  • 📍 Location: Tossa de Mar
  • 📅 Great for occasional or one-off volunteering—especially if you're visiting the coast

Tiendanimal Volunteering Initiative[edit]

Tiendanimal, a pet store chain, sponsors volunteer initiatives across Spain that involve caring for animals, raising awareness, and supporting animal welfare causes.

While it's unclear if they have an official branch in Girona, some volunteers support their initiatives locally.

English on Wheels[edit]

English on Wheels (Catalan: Anglès Sobre Rodes) is a project where local teenagers in Girona practice English with English-speaking volunteers.[11] The initiative was launched in January 2024 by the Fundació Resilis.[11] The original idea was to recruit English-speaking volunteers from Girona's cycling community, hence the name "English on Wheels".[12] But from the start, most volunteers were not cyclists, and you don't need to be a cyclist to participate.[12] Volunteers meet for two hours a week with a teenager from Institut Santa Eugenia to have a conversation in English. The ages of the teenagers range from ESO (ages 12 to 16) to Grau Superior (ages 18 to 20). The project is aimed especially at teenagers who can't afford to study English as a private language school. At the moment the project is limited to Institut Santa Eugenia but Fundació Resilis plans to expand the initiative to more schools in Girona as more volunteers and students join.[11] Volunteers receive specific training to support learners effectively, and the program aims to make English learning more meaningful and community-based.[11]

Associació La Sorellona[edit]

Sorrellona is a group that organizes volunteering activities.

Other volunteering opportunities[edit]

  • Every year Temps de Flors needs volunteers. Email amicsdelesflorsdegirona@gmail.com
  • Age in Spain is a national charity that helps English-speakers living in Spain to plan ahead and live later life to the full. Many of its volunteering opportunities are virtual, so you can volunteer from home. It has three core services: Friendline (make a friendly phone call once a week to someone who wants to chat), Infoline (telephone and email information service plus an extensive range of Info guides online to help you navigate your life admin) and a Support and Advocacy service, including help for veterans. Services are free. Volunteering opportunities include frontline one to one work, research and admin, communications and fundraising, web support, https://ageinspain.org/volunteer
  • XCN (xarxa per a la conservació de la natura) https://xcn.cat/ might do litter picking?
  • Spogomi Cleanup Competition: Annual litter-picking competition in Girona. Requires teams of three, including at least two Spanish speakers. Only takes place once a year.
  • FreeAdvenTour: Organized a past cleanup at Gola de Ter. Contact Alex. (no current plans for another event).

Volunteering resources[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Issue 345 of La Revista de Girona (March/April 2025) https://www.ddgi.cat/revistadegirona/recursos/2025/0349_022.pdf
  2. ↑ Girona Buddies member Ruth Hensley on 2025-04-27
  3. ↑ Message posted in the Banc del Temps WhatsApp group on 15 Dec 2025: "Avui es exactament el 15è aniversari del Banc del Temps".
  4. ↑ https://bdtpontdeldimoni.wordpress.com/2024/09/21/guia-de-alta-de-usuario-a-en-time-overflow
  5. ↑ https://bancdelsalimentsgirona.org/presentacio/voluntaris/
  6. ↑ https://bancdelsalimentsgirona.org/presentacio/voluntaris/
  7. ↑ https://girogats.org/informacio/vull-col%c2%b7laborar-que-puc-fer/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Associació creada el 2012, amb la finalitat d'ajudar a protectores de gossos i colonies de gats amb alimentació, medicaments i material necessari. Fem difusió de gats i gossos i els hi busquem acollida o adopció. Organitzem la Fira Animalista de Salt." https://www.teaming.net/somamicsdelsanimals-cat
  9. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/somamicsdelsanimals.cat/
  10. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/somamicsdelsanimals.cat/
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 https://www.resilis.org/el-projecte-angles-sobre-rodes-comenca-a-caminar
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Conversation via Instagram on October 10th 2025, with Carla (@carla.sf9), the coordinator of English on Wheels.
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