Over the past couple of years, Honkakylä has been considering and writing down the future of Honkakylä. The question of what Honkakylä will be like in 2030 was addressed using the village's values, characteristics and goals. A plan to achieve the goals, or village strategy, was written down.
”Aluksi saattoi tuntua, että onko kyläseuralla tarpeen kirjoittaa strategiaa, joka ei sanana kuulosta kovin houkuttelevalta käytännön asioihin tottuneille kylätoimijoille. Kylästrategiaa työstettäessä havaittiin kuitenkin varsin pian, että se sisältää kyläyhteisön kannalta oleellisia asioita, kun mietitään kyläyhteisön toimintaa tuleville vuosille. Haasteena olikin, ettei strategiasta tulisi liian paperinmakuinen, jota ei jakseta lukea. Tärkeää olisi siksi myös viestiä strategiasta kylällä avoimesti ja tehdä sitä tunnetuksi. Tarkoitus on kuitenkin, että se herättäisi ajatuksia ja innostaisi meitä kaikkia toimimaan”, työpajassa aktiivisesti mukana ollut Tarmo Vuorenmaa states.
Diverse development for the common good
The summary of the strategy shows that Honkakylä has considered the issue in a variety of ways and that the village has a desire to develop purposefully towards the set goal. “The aim of the strategy is to strengthen the vitality of the village, increase community spirit and ensure that the village remains a safe, pleasant and attractive place to live. Honkakylä’s village strategy emphasises family-orientation, a natural environment, active village activities and cooperation with the municipality and other actors.
The key priorities are increasing the attractiveness of the village, developing housing opportunities, developing services, improving the landscape and environment, strengthening safety, and effective and open communication. The strategy guides the village association’s activities, projects, and decision-making so that all measures support a shared vision of a good everyday life and a sustainable future. In summary, the strategy acts as a compass for the village: it helps to make choices that benefit the entire community and build the village’s future in the long term.”
Values provide direction and a foundation for work
“The strategy has many important content points. I especially want to highlight the values. I didn’t consider them very important before, but through the strategy work I have come to understand that they are a central part of the strategy. I believe that the values agreed upon together strengthen the villagers’ actions and provide a clear direction and “foundation” for the annual action plans. The village’s future work is also important: from time to time it is good to consider where the surrounding world is heading and how it can affect the village. In short: the strategy is the will of the village,” Vuorenmaa states.
Honkakylä has participated as a pilot village in the Village of the Future 2.0 project. As part of the strategy work, the village is planning actions to promote the village's amenity and community spirit.
Kylä kutsuu -tapahtumassa Honkakylän strategiaa esittelivät Henna Paananen ja Juha-Matti Mäntykoski.