WE*GENERATE Podcast #9 – Gerry Proctor & Ulla Svenningsen Lund

Creating Community Beyond Events: How Aarhus and Liverpool Do It?

How can DMOs and volunteer groups collaborate to create a sense of community that goes beyond temporary events? In this episode of WEGENERATE: COMMUNITY*, we speak with Ulla Lund of Visit Aarhus’ ReThinkers programme and Gerry Proctor of Engage Liverpool about the power volunteers can have in cities. Aarhus’ ReThinkers initiative proves that when residents become volunteers, they can play a crucial role in making the city welcoming and alive. Meanwhile, Engage Liverpool’s resident-led approach shows the impact that community-driven action can have in shaping a city’s initiatives. We explore whether programmes like ReThinkers could thrive in other cities and what makes volunteers an essential part of a city’s DNA.

Takeaways

• The ReThinkers initiative in Aarhus, led by Visit Aarhus, allows residents to engage in daily activities from welcoming cruise ship visitors with local traditions to assisting in opera houses, ReThinkers showcase Aarhus’ local culture. Meanwhile, Engage Liverpool is a grassroots initiative driven by local residents, aiming to shape city policy through resident-led activism.
• Could Aarhus’ ReThinkers programme work in another city, like Liverpool? Gerry believes that the key ingredients – engaged, communicative residents – are already present. However, to create a more consistent volunteer presence, the city would need to develop a year-round volunteer framework like Aarhus, where residents feel motivated to contribute to the city’s daily life, not just its large-scale events.
• AI chatbots may provide recommendations, but they cannot replace the warmth and authenticity of human volunteers. Ulla and Gerry believe that local volunteers have an irreplaceable value in engaging visitors in a heartfelt conversation about the city, sharing hidden gems, and offering a personal recommendation that makes a visitor’s experience truly unique. Ulla emphasised that this human-to-human connection is deeply rooted in the volunteer’s pride and love for their city.
• Both Ulla and Gerry stress that successful volunteer programs require careful organisation and flexibility. Aarhus’ programme allows volunteers to participate in a variety of tasks, offering the freedom to choose when and how to engage. This flexible structure ensures that volunteers remain enthusiastic and committed. At the same time, the programme’s structure is robust enough to maintain consistency and professionalism, avoiding the common pitfall of uncoordinated efforts.

The WE*GENERATE podcast series interviews destinations across Europe to find out what it really means to generate together, regenerative tourism futures. WE*GENERATE invites you into candid conversations to learn about the pursuits of really dedicated people: from CityDNA members and urbanists to community leaders, creatives from arts and culture, and volunteers. Collective action and collaboration are essential in addressing the complex challenges of our time, and Welcoming Wegeneration* is a manifest of collective responsibility.

If you have any comments of questions about the podcast, please contact host Sarah Frosh.

*Read more here about the Welcoming Wegeneration strategy