ESC: International Countryside Nivala

LAG Keskipiste-Leader is a rural development organisation, implementing Leader approach under EAFRD. We operate in 8 municipalities in Northern Finland. Our aim is to activate and encourage local citizens, organisations and other local actors to develop their activities by funding their projects. We also give investment funds for local SME’s . Our aim is to keep rural areas lively and wealthy trough different projects and funds. One of our main topics is youth and international activities. We are not only the funder but we also implement our own projects by using different funding tools, mainly EAFRD and ERASMUS+ / ESC. Also we have large networks in the area with different stakeholders and we co-operate actively with them; municipalities, villages, youth organisations, cultural and sport section, development companies, schools etc. We work actively also with young people at age of 13-20 years old from our area. We fund young people’s own projects and initiatives, and also their business trials or mini companies. Fund is max 500 €. Also we give young people possibilities to have international experiences trough ERASMUS+ /ESC -programmes and other projects. Young people can also be part of the decision making in their own working group / action group. At the moment we have about 20 young members on the group.