A walk into the future through the eyes of a young person
“On Thursday, November 13, 2025, we gathered in the Seurala yard in Pojanluoma for a future walk. At the beginning of the event, we toured the yard of the Seurala village hall and discussed its possibilities and various development ideas. Due to the windy and drizzly weather, we quickly moved indoors to take a closer look at what needs to be taken into account when designing the yard, and how the project can be implemented sustainably. My thoughts were directed directly towards how to make the yard more comfortable for children and young people. […]
Sustainable use of peatlands opens up new opportunities for villages
Peatland restoration goals are significant in Finland, and villages can play a surprisingly large role in their implementation. Peatlands offer village communities diverse opportunities, especially for the development of nature tourism and recreational use. For example, fire basins built in peat areas can be part of the villages’ preparedness and safety, which emphasizes the multifunctionality of the areas. According to Jaakko Liinamaa of the Forest Centre, small actors in villages – such as village clubs, associations and other active communities – […]
A sewing machine for a young entrepreneur, an art evening for the village's youth, a new billiard table... See what Youth Leader support was awarded for in November!
A sewing machine for a young entrepreneur, an art evening for the village's youth, a new pool table... See what Youth Leader support was awarded for in November! We publish the recipients of Youth Leader support four times a year. This list includes those who received decisions in November 2025: Young entrepreneurs • Levy's jeans – Purchase of a sewing machine • Aamun kotiapu – Purchase of a computer • Josefiina lashes – UVLED training and purchase of UV light • Julia Lauhaluoma – Purchase of imaging equipment […]
Small streams create a large flow – combating invasive species is possible together
Maria Kylmäluoma, who works in the green area services of the City of Lapua, and Miska Rossinen-Kaihlamäki, an activist of the Kurikka Nature Association, say that alien species cause considerable harm to the local species and landscape. The most common and familiar species to many are, for example, the lupine, the giant balsam and the dog rose. Alien plants spread quickly and take over the area from traditional native species, many of which are already endangered. Control work is complicated by extensive occurrences and seed banks, which is why […]
Gyrrrä has outages at the turn of the year
The state regional administration will be reformed at the turn of the year, when the tasks of rural development and agriculture and food economy will be transferred from the ELY centres to the vitality centres. The Finnish Food Authority will implement the changes required by the regional administration reform to the Hyrrä information system, which will cause an outage in rural development support services from 1 to 7 January 2026. During the outage, support applicants will not be able to submit support and payment applications, and authorities and Leader groups will not be able to process them. Support applicants should take this into account when planning their schedules for the turn of the year. For more information on the effects of the regional administration reform […]
When the village store disappears and is reborn – the self-service model offers a new opportunity
The decline of village shops has affected many rural communities, but new self-service solutions and community-based projects bring hope for maintaining vitality. Risto Kortetjärvi (Fiksukyläkaupat Oy) is a full-time village shopkeeper who owns several village shops operating on a self-service model. Kortetjärvi says that his career has gone from being an automation engineer to being a full-time village shopkeeper. – We moved to the country, and there was no shop there. We decided to start it ourselves, and since we couldn’t […]
Sustainable events are born from planning, collaboration and a positive attitude
Village and association events play an important role in building community, but they are increasingly seen as places to promote environmental responsibility. Sustainable event production does not only mean sorting waste, but a holistic way of thinking that takes into account ecological, social and cultural perspectives. Currently, the Seinäjoki District is focusing on improving the ecology of the area and special attention is paid to environmental friendliness when organizing events. The themes are related to the ongoing District […]
Hire a young developer – apply for funding!
Liiveri's Pay a Young Developer funding encourages associations to hire a young developer – and at the same time offer the young person a valuable job opportunity from their own home region. A young developer could be, for example, a restaurant student who brings new flavors and trends to the association's food offering. He or she could be a communications expert who raises the association's visibility to a new level with the help of videos, games and social media. Liiveri grants associations 80 % […]
September newsletter – autumn news
October newsletter topics: Green village gate event 26.11.2025 in Seinäjoki Village goods rental shops on display! Buyers receive support to prepare for a corporate acquisition See the list of those who received funding – 19 new recipients of support Making the village look like young people! Youth Leader theme search ongoing until the end of October Upcoming board meetings New website offers up-to-date information on the sustainable use of peatlands Save time, improve economy – Micro-enterprise digital leap information dissemination project starts The Culture Bank invites […]
New website provides up-to-date information on the sustainable use of peatlands
The Sustainable Peatland Use Expertise Cluster consists of regional and national actors who want to promote the sustainable and equitable use of peatlands. The cluster shares information, develops practical solutions, and strengthens expertise and inclusion so that peatlands can be utilized in a balanced way, taking into account all dimensions of sustainability. Various communities are also important actors when considering the sustainable use of peatlands. The cluster encourages communities to consider their opportunities to participate in, for example, restoration activities, […]