About us

ec.europa.eu/esf	www.strukturnifondovi.hr	www.ljudskipotencijali.hr	www.asoo.hr
Projekt je financiran sredstvima Europske unije iz Europskog socijalnog fonda. Ulaganje u budućnost Integracija skupina u nepovoljnom položaju u redoviti obrazovni sustav Projekt provodi Udruga "Srce" u partnerstvu: Centar za socijalnu skrb S.I.Zelina, DV Proljeće, DV Tintilinić, Osnovna škola Dragutina Domjanića, Osnovna škola Ksavera Šandora Đalskog, Osnovna škola Bedenica i Srednja škola Dragutina Stražimira.

VISION - Establishing a support system in the local community that allows children with development disabilities and disabled people to develop their potentials in all aspects of life, including medical, social, emotional and occupational dimension, and full participation in all aspects of community life.
MISSION - Promoting and protecting the rights of children with development disabilities and disabled people, their quality and equal participation in all aspects of society, and working directly with customers.
The Srce Association was founded in June 2005.
The Association was founded by a few enthusiastic parents, who were faced with many obstacles and social inertia to their children needs. They wanted to create a different and better environment for the life of their children and all other children, and also adults with disabilities.
The Association was founded after several joint meetings, which were organized by the pastor Ivan Sestak, and with the generous support of activists and president of the Caritas Parish Ms. Vera Kos, who helped in the forming of the Association, drafting legal documents and finding sites for the meetings.
The Srce Association is the first and only association in the Town of St. Ivan Zelina, the surrounding villages and Bedenica municipality, which brings children with disabilities and disabled persons together in order to enable the realization of their potential, their interests and rights.
By our constitution, we are unique, because we include members with all kinds of difficulties and disabilities, motor and mental disorders, learning disabilities, speech and language difficulties, behavioral disorders, Down syndrome, hearing and vision difficulties.

•  The first activities were held on the premises of the primary school Dragutin Domjanic in St. Ivan Zelina. At that point, the Association used a multipurpose hall once a week and afterwards two times a week.
•  In February 2007, the Association rented a space that was 70 square meters, located in the Donja Topličica Community Center, which is accessible with rather adequate approach. The location was used three times a week and afterwards five times a week, to carry out creative and educational workshops.
• In March 2008, 'Zagreb Holding' donated a van with a custom ramp for disabled persons to the Srce Association. Since then, the Association provides transportation of members to the Association's activities, therefore the arrival of members increased and their involvement in all of the segments of the Association as well.
• In 2010, the Association rented space that was 33.7 square meters in St. Ivan Zelina, Ante Starcevic Square 12/a for the purpose of individual therapies (physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and learning assistance), administrative tasks, and sales of decorative and other products produced in creative workshops.

The work of the Association has been accepted and highly valued both by the users themselves and in the local community.

• In October 2008, we launched the project "Key to heart" - collecting funds to build our own center.
• The Town of St. Ivan Zelina donated a land to the Srce Association and provided funds to build and equip this significant facility for the Association.

We had various humanitarian activities, some of them worth mentioning are:

• HRT's Charity Week "With us you are not alone"
• Harp Concert in KD Lisinski
• Charity Football match in which Croatian President Ivo Josipovic participated
• Charity Concert "Key to Heart" and "Let's Open Heart"
• Paintings Auctions

Zagreb County donations, the Town of St. Ivan Zelina donations, and The Humanitarian Association RTL Helping Children and other citizens, entrepreneurs and businesses' donations.

In September 2012, we moved into our own space, Support House Srčeko
on Petra Preradovića 3 Street in St. Ivan Zelina, size 390 square meters, which consists of two rooms, rooms for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, a speech therapy cabinet, a room for creative workshops, a kitchen, an office, restrooms and a storage.
Take a look at the Support House Srčeko video - the Srce Association St. Ivan Zelina

In properly designed facilities, workshops and activities of the Association became even better and more extensive, and therefore users are very satisfied and whose number is growing every day.

•  In early 2013, we purchased a car for transportation, supply and carrying out different chores, funded by Kuehne NAGEL donation.

The Srce Association, through its activities, motivated public to give its selfless contribution and to gain a new experience through volunteering. We are proud that a significant number of volunteers are included in the Association's activities, like high school students attending "Dragutin Stražimir" school, who decided to spare their time helping in workshops and other activities.

• In April 2013, a local volunteer center was established as a part of the Srce Association, with the aim of supporting potential volunteers and organizers of volunteering by giving immediate assistance.
•  In 2013, the Town of St. Ivan Zelina gave us the land of 1384 square meters in size for the long term use, which is located right next to our house, for planting fruit trees, ornamental shrubs and flowers.
• Around the house, there is a children's playground; funded by Podravka donations and Nato Charity Bazaar.

Considering the large membership growth and appropriate programs and activities of the Association for them, a certain amount of financial resources is provided by our own involvement: by selling unique products created in our workshops, ticket sales for humanitarian events once or twice a year and selling scrap paper.

•  In February 2013, as a part of the St. Ivan Zelina Tourist Office, the Souvenir Shop opened where the Srce Association sells their work, and their work is also available in 'Srčekova škrinjica' - sales office in the Support House Srčeko.
•  In order to expand the sources of self-financing and self-sustainability, we signed a contract for the purchase of electricity from the Croatian Energy Operator Ltd. for a period of 14 years. The contract regulates the purchase of electricity that will be produced at the plant "Solar Power Plant Srce" located on the roof of our house and on the south side of the fence, opened in November 2013.
• On the initiative of the Srce Association, in November 2013 the Sports Association of Physically Disabled Persons 'Srce' St. Ivan Zelina was established; the abbreviation: SDOTI 'Srce' Sveti Ivan Zelina.

Participation

As we would like to show in practice that diversity enriches us, we strive to include children and young people from the regular population to join our activities.We organize creative workshops, excursions and themed events, and we encourage socializing and joint outings.

EVENTS

Programs and projects carried out by the Association are financed by:

• tenders and support of the Ministry of Social Policy and Youth; Ministry of Science, Education and Sports;
• IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance)
• donations from Zagreb County, Town of St. I. Zelina, various institutions;
• humanitarian organization RTL Helping Children, Rotary Club, Regional Foundation for Local Development "Zamah", the National Foundation for Civil Society Development
• donations from private citizens, tradesmen, businesses

Since 2008, the Srce Association continuously carries out various projects and programs aimed at the target group: children with disabilities and the young with disabilities; among those the most important ones are:

• Program: Srce Club
• Program: Personal Assistant
• Program: Institutional support for associations of persons with disabilities
• EU Project: Community support - IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance

Informing

• From the very beginning of the Association, we publish information on all important events and activities of the Association in ''Prigorski Glasnik'' (Prigorje Gazette)
• Since 2006, we have our own website that is regularly updated
• In May 2010, the local radio station 'Radio Zelina' begins broadcasting radio show “Heartbeat” and once a week the anchor is the Association member
• Since February 2013, the Association publishes a journal 'Srčeko Story' and the publication “The Srce Association Guide”

The Srce Association is the winner of several awards and letters of thanks in 2012:

• Annual Awards of the Town of St. Ivan Zelina for special contribution and commitment to humanitarian activities
• Zagreb County Charter for exceptional achievements in the field of social and humanitarian life of importance to the county
• First placed Office for Cooperation with NGOs Award for the best Doors Open Day organized by the Association