'Talentenbank’ - the 'talent bank' - is a LEADER project in Aarschot, in rural Flanders (Belgium) which matches local talents with needs in the community. The initiative has boomed during the COVID-19 crisis, fostering community solidarity.
The talent bank has been working since 2012. It was further developed during the pandemic, creating new functionalities to improve online activities and integration with online apps. For the municipality, the project was already well-known and widely used and has in these times of crisis it has helped maintain social contacts virtually.
Thanks to the ‘Talentenbank’, Aarschot was one of the first cities to set up solidarity initaitives in the COVID-19 crisis, engaging 700 volunteers. Aarschot has 30 000 inhabitants.