Finns have been developing their own living environments for 20 years using Leader work. Leader funding began to be distributed in 1996, following Finland's EU membership. In 20 years, a well-established approach has been established around development funding, which has given rural residents the tools to make changes that improve their quality of life.
– Leader work is exactly the kind of low-threshold activity that is easy for today's people to get involved in, says the Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, who himself was involved in Leader work. Kimmo Tiilikainen thanks. The Leader method is spreading to urban areas, which partly indicates its usability. In the reform of regional and local government, municipalities' own development is being reorganized.
– The social capital and networks accumulated over 20 years of Leader work will be hard currency in the future, Tiilikainen predicts.
The first Leader groups signed their agreements on September 2, 1996. That is why the 20th anniversary will be celebrated in Hämeenlinna on September 2. The celebration seminar will consider how to operate at the grassroots level in the future.
Leader Week will be celebrated from 26 August to 4 September. During this time, different parts of Finland will be able to take a look at what local activity can achieve. For example, in South Ostrobothnia, four tours will be organised around the province, visiting companies, villages and other places of interest that have received support. Liiverin Road Trip will be held on Wednesday, August 31st with the theme: "Old is better than new."
– Leader has brought practical improvements to people's everyday lives and work. The effects are directly visible in new jobs, in the operations of companies, new services and better infrastructure, the Chief Rural Inspector Laura Rabbit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2007–2013, Leader funding created over 2,000 new jobs and over 800 new businesses received start-up support. There were 8,000 projects, large and small, aimed at practical improvements.
Leader groups are development associations that bring together municipalities, organizations, companies and local residents at the local level to develop their own area. Leader groups help find ways to implement grassroots development needs. The groups allocate money from the EU Rural Development Fund for rural development projects and business support. During the 2014–2020 funding period, a total of 300 million euros will be channeled through the groups to micro and small enterprises and communities. The funding consists of EU, state and municipal funds. In addition to public money, Leader work brings together a significant amount of private money and volunteer work.
More information:
Laura Jänis, Chief Rural Inspector, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
tel. 0295 162 090, firstname.lastname@mmm.fi
For more information about South Ostrobothnia Road Trips, visit www.uhoo.fi/roadtrip or contact spokesperson Sonja Pitkäjärvi, South Ostrobothnia Leader Groups, 050 530 1854, sonja.pitkajarvi(at)liiveri.net