Prameet Schools – Youth Leader theme call open until the end of January 2026!
Do you feel like your school could be more welcoming and more student-friendly? The Prameet Schools theme call gives you the opportunity to develop school facilities, yards and leisure activities together with your friends. Now is the time to make school a community place where it is nice to be outside of class too! What is Prameet Schools? Prameet Schools is a Youth Leader theme call that supports projects conceived by young people to make schools more welcoming and […]
What can I do to improve the safety and preparedness of my own village?
Villages can establish a village security team from among themselves. The village security team is the village’s own, voluntary preparation for crises. With the village security team, help is close to the residents and the team also helps the authorities’ help reach the destination faster. The team’s important task is to communicate situational information between the rescue service and the village in the event of accidents and disturbances. The team needs different skills, so it can include, depending on the village’s own needs and resources, for example, hunters, […]
Recycling and composting reduce costs
In village communities and associations, developing waste management can seem like a big deal, but the most important thing is to start. Along the way, recycling and composting can always be developed further. According to environmental advisor Aana Vainio, developing sorting can also bring savings to the association if sorting can reduce the need for waste management. By planning to control waste, Aana feels that the waste hierarchy begins even before waste is created. Even before […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
See the list of those who received funding
We will publish the funding received when the ELY Centre has made an official decision on them. The decisions made by the ELY Centre from 14 August to 20 October 2025 are listed below. Project grants Investments in the development of the rural operating environment Ilmajoki Workers' Association - Development/painting of the workers' house Peräseinäjoki Hunting Association - Renovation of the roof of the PSJMS yacht lodge Lakeuden Koiraurheilukeskus Oy - Expansion of the dog sports centre Public benefit climate investment Jalasjärven Itäinen Hunting Association - Lahtivaja refrigeration equipment […]
Five energy saving tips just for you
Small actions matter. Anna-Sofia Laurila, an intern in Liiver's Eco-Acts Together project, compiled five tips to help you save energy in your own everyday life. Adjust the room temperature lower. Even a one-degree reduction saves 5 % in heating costs. At the same time, the strain on the environment is also lower. Reduce water consumption by investing in water-saving taps, shower heads and toilets. Heating water requires a lot of energy, so […]