Ilvesjoki Toimela is still quiet, the muffled coffee maker can be heard from the kitchen, when the chairman of the Ilvesjoki village association Marianne Hongisto prepares the meals for the May meeting. For more than a decade, the villages of Jalasjärvi have worked closely together to develop the villages and maintain their vitality. The cooperation group of the villages, which was originally created as a result of the project, has, over the years, developed into an informal but important meeting where representatives of the villages share information, support and ideas with each other.
The cooperation group is open to everyone, but mainly chairmen and secretaries of village associations participate. The villages often nominate their own representative to the group, and meetings are held every two months, when the villages' affiliations are exchanged and current information is shared.
Peer support and information exchange - the group's best gift
The cooperation group facilitates communication between villages. In the joint WhatsApp group, information about the events organized in the villages will be announced immediately, in order to avoid duplication. The group can be used to ask kökkäväk or manage other information sharing.
- The WhatsApp group has been really good, that there are not, for example, theater performances in every village at the same time, he states Riitta Prinkkilä, chairman of the Ylivalli youth club.
This is especially important because in small villages, residents want to participate in several local events without having to choose between two overlapping events. When each village knows each other's plans, schedules can be coordinated better and ensure that as many people as possible can participate in all interesting events.
The activities of the cooperation group have also brought other benefits to the villages.
- Perhaps the group's best gift is the peer support you get from others. From the group, you can get support for your own activities in your own village. In addition, through the group it is of course nice to see people and discuss issues that affect all villages, such as the maintenance of village halls, Hongisto reflects.
Prinkkilä continues by telling how tips and experiences are shared in the group.
- In addition, we discuss applications, for example grant applications or project applications, where others have applied and what they have applied for, that way you get advice, ideas and tips.
In addition to other villagers, cooperation is also done with different operators. At almost every meeting, someone from a cooperation organization is coming up with ideas, discussing or presenting something. At the May meeting, for example, there was a representative from the South Ostrobothnia youth association Marja Palo presenting activities and activating villages.
Encouragement for other localities
The cooperation group of the villages has been a new operating model in the region. The group members also encourage other municipalities to establish similar cooperation groups.
- In a joint group, information flows between villages and we get new ideas from each other, in addition, we share experiences of what has worked and what hasn't, Mari Mäki-Karvia summarizes the benefits of the group.
The cooperation group of the villages of Jalasjärvi is an exemplary model of how villages can together strengthen their sense of community, share resources and learn from each other. This cooperation model can serve as inspiration for other localities that want to promote cooperation and vitality between villages.
History of cooperation
The cooperation group of the villages started in the form of a project whose goal was to promote cooperation, community and housing between the villages. In the project, a village representative was hired, joint marketing was developed and each village had its own website. The development of the villages continued with the Kylätaloutta nine villages - go to the village project. After the completion of the projects, the cooperation group has continued its activities as an informal gathering more than ten years after its establishment.
Jalasjärvi villages development project
Total funding
111 032 €
Public funding
99 928 €
Support percentage:
90,00 %
Village economy with the power of nine villages - Go to the village
Total funding
63 245 €
Public funding
56 920 €
Support percentage:
90,00 %