O4O Policy Retreat 7 - 8 September 2010

Nairn, Scotland

FINLAND - NORTH KARELIAArja Jämsén

NORTH KARELIA FINLAND

166 000 inhabitants 14 municipalities

Three sub-regionsCentral KareliaJoensuuPielinen Karelia

Three O4O municipalities Lieksa (12 700) Nurmes (8 500)Valtimo (2 500)

BACKGROUND

• North Karelia is ageing faster than the rest of Finland

• Living the reality that is the future of the rest of Finland and Europe

• “laboratory of ageing”

Activities inTwo main pilots

Place of Friendship, Nurmes

Vuonislahti Village, Lieksa

Two sub pilots

Koli Village, Lieksa

Valtimo Municipality

O4O AIMS

• New, positive prospects for ageing North Karelia region• New ways of working with people in ageing communities• New ways of cooperation in municipalities• Volunteering, social enterprises, time-bank• Sustainability – on the basis of Nordic welfare state

O4O FOCUS

- sustainable volunteering; learning from NPP-partners

- innovative co-operation in villages; regional development

- awareness, positive attitude towards the ageing society; young people, decision makers, professionals, older people

PLACE OF FRIENDSHIP Nurmes a social meeting place and

activity centre for (elderly) citizens

Sustainable volunteering:

1) How to get volunteers

2) How to keep them

3) How to find the lonely elderly

4) How to cooperate with local authorities

Outcomes – Ystävänpysäkki

• Training program and

handbook for volunteers• Campaign for volunteers• Interviews, reports by student • Happy Together Party tradition

Outcomes - Vuonislahti

• Interviews about old people´s needs, hopes and resources

• Draft for a peer-support programme • Campaign and training for volunteers • Stronger role for Village Centre Kukko as a

resource centre

SUMMARY

1) Awareness of the ageing society • Ageing in all regional strategies • Positive ageing in media publicity• Involvement of many young people

2) New networking and linking

• NKUAS - North Karelian University of Applied Sciences: ageing & rural areas

• Role of NGOs stronger • New future care models in discussion; Green

Care, family care; social firms etc. • NPP cooperation

No progress in

• Time-banking• Social enterprises • Social firms

Why?• O4O ”too early” in terms

of Finnish legislation • Finnish welfare state &

strict rules and roles between the public, private and NGOs

• Tension between the private sector, NGOs, volunteers and the public sector

Finnish conclusions • Rethinking ageing society and rural communities• Changes in legislation • Welfare mix in service strategies• Structure for cooperation between the public, private and

third sector in the region• Coordination and support for local activities, not

bureaucracy• Learning from others

• Empowering older people & involving the younger

Thank you

for your attention!

arja.jamsen@jns.fi