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.
“At first, it might have seemed that the village association needed to write a strategy, which in words does not sound very appealing to village actors who are used to practical matters. However, when working on the village strategy, it was soon discovered that it contains issues that are essential for the village community when considering the village community’s activities in the coming years. The challenge was to ensure that the strategy did not become too paper-like, which people would not have the time to read. It would therefore also be important to communicate the strategy openly in the village and make it known. However, the intention is that it would provoke thoughts and inspire us all to act,” said a member of the village council who was actively involved in the workshop. 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.
At the Village Calls event, Henna Paananen and Juha-Matti Mäntykoski presented Honkakylä's strategy.