VOL Pomoc s dluhy: A New Project Helping People Escape the Debt Trap
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
On 1 March 2026, we launched the project VOL Pomoc s dluhy (reg. no. CZ.03.02.01/00/25_106/0006025), supported under the Employment Plus Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus. The project will run for 28 months – until 30 June 2028 – and will be implemented in two locations: Karviná and Ostrava.
Why Karviná and Ostrava? Both cities face an above-average rate of over-indebtedness among their residents. In Karviná, over 11% of inhabitants are subject to enforcement proceedings; in Ostrava, the figure is nearly 10%. But these are not just statistics – behind each one is a person whose difficult social situation is fundamentally shaped by debt. Both cities are committed to actively addressing this issue, and the project was developed in close cooperation with both: Karviná and Ostrava expressed their support and involvement before the project even began.
Who does the project target? The project works with two target groups.
The primary group is people at risk of over-indebtedness from Karviná and Ostrava – individuals whose difficult social situation is caused or significantly worsened by debt. This includes clients of the Probation and Mediation Service, people serving prison sentences at the Karviná and Ostrava Heřmanice correctional facilities, as well as members of the general public who reach out through our debt counselling service. In total, we plan to support 330 people over the 28-month period.
The second target group is staff of partner organisations – in particular social workers from the Probation and Mediation Service, prisons, and municipal social departments – who will have the opportunity to attend accredited training in debt-related issues.
What do we offer? Each client's debt counsellor also acts as a case manager. They guide the client through the entire process: from the initial mapping of their debt situation, through communication with creditors, enforcement officers and courts, to drawing up a household budget and, where appropriate, preparing and filing an insolvency petition. The team also includes lawyers and mediators.
VOLONTÉ is an accredited provider of debt relief services (AO-012-2019) and we handle all insolvency petitions entirely in-house.
What is the project built on? This is not starting from scratch. VOLONTÉ has been working with over-indebted individuals since 2014. Over that time, we have supported more than 8,000 clients through debt counselling, filed 193 insolvency petitions in 2024 alone, and currently run debt counselling services in 31 prisons across the Czech Republic. VOL Pomoc s dluhy builds on this experience and brings it to regions where capacity for addressing debt-related issues remains insufficient.
Follow us – we will keep you updated on the project's progress.
The project VOL Pomoc s dluhy (reg. no. CZ.03.02.01/00/25_106/0006025) is implemented through the Employment Plus Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic. The project is co-financed by the European Union.
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