Rural residents, communities and municipalities have been developing their own areas with the support of EU rural funding and Leader activities for 30 years this year. Community-led local development, or Leader, is the most influential in the EU in Finland. The anniversary is being celebrated on social media channels and at various events.
After Finland joined the EU in 1995, preparations for Leader programmes began in various parts of the country. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry selected the first 22 Leader groups in early September 1996, and the activities were mainstreamed through various EU funding channels to cover the whole country. The community-based activities now cover over 2 million inhabitants and 99 percent of Finland's area, i.e. all areas except the centres of the largest cities.
At the heart of Leader activities is the idea of developing one's own community together with the residents. This is implemented by financing development projects and micro-enterprises of the area's residents and advising on their implementation. Leader groups also offer expert support and financing for changes in ownership of rural businesses.
In the current funding period from 2023, over 1,200 businesses have already been created, over 2,100 different recreational, sports and camping sites have been renovated and created, and over one hundred thousand hours of volunteer work have been done annually. Leader activities respond to local needs, strengthen local communities and increase people's ability to influence. It also brings the EU closer to citizens, as 1,000 Leader governments are EU decision-makers in their own regions when making decisions on funded projects.
– The anniversary is being celebrated with well-deserved enthusiasm and joy! The results show that the significance of Leader activities for people, communities and companies is great. Finland's Leader activities are also the most influential in the EU,” says MMM's special expert Laura Jänis.
The anniversary baton is circulating on social media – a look into the future
Finland's 53 Leader groups will each publish social media updates in honor of the anniversary and organize their own anniversary event in their region. In addition, a celebratory publication will be produced that brings together the messages.
The Leader groups' baton will travel around Lapland starting this week and will end in mid-October in week 41 in Uusimaa.
The message goes around as follows:
• Lapland weeks 5–7
• Northern Ostrobothnia weeks 7–9
• Ostrobothnia weeks 10–11
• Southern Ostrobothnia weeks 11–13
• Central Finland weeks 13, 16–17
• Northern Savo weeks 17–18
• Kainuu week 19
• North Karelia weeks 20, 22
• South Savo weeks 22–23
• Southeast Finland weeks 23–24 and 32
• SUMMER BREAK
• Häme weeks 32–33
• Pirkanmaa weeks 34–35
• Satakunta weeks 36–37
• Southwest Finland weeks 38–39
• Åland week 39
• Uusimaa weeks 40–41
– Leader groups are committed to the long-term development of their own area and are also looking to the future. The cross-administrative working group on community-based local development, which brings together various actors, sees that it would be possible to develop and utilize the method more widely than it is now. It sends a strong message and shows that the results of Leader work are also valued outside the field of rural development, says Laura Jänis happily.
Leader groups invite everyone to celebrate Finnish Leader activities and to join Leader activities in the future!
Keep track of Leader's anniversary On Instagram and On Facebook:
Statement of the YPK working group on community-based local development
Original announcement on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The photo was taken by Jyrki Vesa.