Projects

LAG Riverside Partners has been active in international cooperation during the two previous EU programming periods. Below you find information on the projects that we accomplished during the 2007-2013 period. Both projects were our own projects, but we hope that during the ongoing programming period some of our local actors would start an international project of their own.

We are especially interested in starting projects in which local actors can get in contact with each other. For example different leisure activity projects are natural way to get people from different countries to get to know each other. We aim also to get micro enterprises to find out about business cultures in different countries and start networking with companies abroad.

Previous international projects

FENIX – Riverside youth goes international (2010-2013)

FENIX-project was aimed at youth in the regions of each project partner. In addition to LAG Riverside partners the other project partners  were LAG Peräpohjolan kehitys and 4H- Kemin seutu Youth association from Finland,  LAG Jögevamaa from Estonia and LAG Leader Sjuhärad from Sweden.

One of the main targets in Fenix-project was that young people would get to know their own village better and learn what the local village community and local municipality provide to youngsters. One way of making young people to know their living environment was to make to introduce their village to young people from other participating Leader-areas. introductions were made by means of oreoaring presentations, videos and short movies of their area to be presented in transnational events events in each country.

The program and contents of the transnational events were planned in cooperation with LAGs and youth groups in forehand by using Facebook and other social media. Each youth group created ideas and gave suggestions of contents for the events. The events consisted of workshops (making of films, handicrafts, etc.), visits to the local youth attractions and meetings with the local youth. In each events there were a social evening with joint entertainment, music and dance.

As making short movies was a very important part of the project, you can find some examples of them below. All short movies are in YouTube.

Kodittomat – Homeless short movie was the first made in FENIX-project. It tells about life of a local rock band. The band performed also in the Swedish joint FENIX event.

Riverside Road Film is presentation of the area of LAG Riverside Partners – as young people see it.

Short movie  ”Peräpohjolan neito” – The pride of Lapland” was made in a workshop during the Fenix-project meeting in Marttila Kylämäki Horsefarm in summer 2011.

In each joint FENIX event a short movie was made about the different activities of the events. This short movie was put together in Fenix-meeting in Borås, Sweden in 2010.Workshops and the joint festival in Loimaa, Finland is presented in this short movie. Lapland workshops and the joint festival in Rovaniemi, Finland is presented in this short movie. Fenix youth meeting and workshops in Jögevamaa, Estonia is presented in this short movie.

The results of FEXIX project were very good, as the youngsters who participated in the project were very keen in getting aqcuainted with youngsters from other countries and they still keep in touch. many youngsters have continued internatinal cooperation in new projects. Workshops helped youngsters both understand life in different countries and also get them to know their own living environment better. Very important part in success of the project was that the project activities were attractive to youngsters and that youngsters from participating countries were made to work together.

 

LOCAL FOOD  (2012–2014)

LOCAL FOOD-project was aimed at entrepreneurs who produce and sell local food products in the countryside. In addition to LAG Riverside Partners the other project partners  were LAG Leader Sjuhärad from Sweden and LAG Derbyshire from United Kingdom.

The general objective of the project was togive boost for developing the business activities of participating enterprises. Local food entrepreneurs created connections to other entrepreneurs in their own area and in other participating countries. An important target was also that the local people from countryside could better get familiar with the local food products of their own village and learn what the local food entrepreneurs provide to customers.

The joint activities of the project included excursions in each project partner’s area. During the excursions entrepreneurs visited each others companies. The excursions included also “networking by doing” for example in the form of cooking lessons, where entrepreneurs prepared local dishes with the local professional chef.

As result of the project, new partnerships were created between different local food actors in the participating areas. The Finnish project participants have founded a cooperative which has a small local food shop in the center of Loimaa. The project also increased understanding and appreciation of local products among the local people.

 

Use of Natural Material for Energy and construction

LAG Riverside Partners co-financed transnational Straw project. The project partners were LAG Pyhäjärviseutu, LAG Karhuseutu and LAG Jokivarsikumppanit from Finland; LAG Tartumaa Arendusselts and LAG Võrtsjärve Ühendus from Estonia and German Strawbale Building Research Results of FASBA, Germany. The organisation that executed the project actions was ProAgria Western Finland. The objective of the Straw project was to use more local resources for energy and construction in a sustainable way. Joint actions between the partners during the project were study trips, transnational seminars and sharing of information by using social media and videos. During the project a demonstration of  building of straw house was organised ( see video ).