Ilmajoki Könni is the South Ostrobothnian Village of the Year 2017. The village association received the award at the autumn meeting of the South Ostrobothnian Villages Association in Kauhava. The justification states that Könni is a strong basic village that is being developed comprehensively. Cooperation is carried out both with other organizations operating in the village and with parties outside the village and among nearby villages.
The village hall is the former Harjumäki School, which the village association purchased in 2003. Since then, the over 100-year-old school building has served as the center of activities for three villages, Könnin, Kiikerinkylä and Harjunmäki.
The village does a lot of voluntary fundraising, with over 50 people in the community security teams. The funds raised through volunteer work are used especially for the benefit of the village's young people. Young people are offered summer work at the kiosk and mowing lawns.
Intergenerational cooperation takes place in many ways. Village cycling, celebrations, Easter bonfires and other events bring villagers together. The villagers' well-being is promoted through exercise and cycling groups, and in winter, a network of cross-country ski trails is maintained.
At the autumn meeting of the Southern Pohjois Villages Association held on November 11, 2017, Lotta Airila, chairwoman of the Könnin Village Society, and Mervi Mäenpää, member of the Liiveri board of directors, from the Ylistaro Asemanseudu area in Seinäjoki, were elected as new representatives to the association's board.
Read more about the award-winning village and the annual meeting of the EP Villages Association.