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Description
Compared to the current demographic situation, the city will lose one third of its inhabitants in the next 30 years. Empty quarters, closed schools, problems with the budget, no investments, no manpower - the main problem of Starachowice to which the project responds is the shrinkage of the city and the low attractiveness of settlement.
The most important activities of the project:
- Preparations for the creation of an Eco-School in place of Primary School No. 11,
- Reconstruction of the historic and dilapidated building into the "Little Palace" Creativity Center;
- Improvement of the quality of educational services in the city;
- Activation of non-governmental organizations and civil society as well as the activation of social activity of the city''s inhabitants;
- Adaptation of the city to climate change and increasing the environmental awareness of the inhabitants;
- New housing policy and preparation to accept new residents from outside Poland and creating conditions for their better adaptation in the city (new housing strategy, technical documentation for new ecological buildings);
- Building the city''s brand and promotion strategy;
- Increasing the competences of local administration
The aim of the project is to improve the quality of life of residents through the implementation of comprehensive social, educational, environmental and economic programs and projects, and to strengthen the institutional potential of the Leader and partner organizations. T
The partnership brings together institutions and organizations with various ranges of activity, activity profiles and potentials.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was the improvement of the quality of life of local residents through the implementation of comprehensive social, educational, environmental, economic and institutional programmes and projects.Starachowice is a strong industrial centre and the 3rd largest city in the Świętokrzyskie province, which has painfully experienced the period of transformation - intra-city development disproportions in the social, functional-spatial and environmental spheres are still visible today. The city''s biggest problem is depopulation. Compared to 2013, over 4,000 people have died. According to data from the Central Statistical Office, in 2050 the city will be inhabited by 34,413 people (a 30% decrease).
The causes of depopulation should be sought in the negative migration balance and in the natural increase and aging of society. These are nationwide processes, but looking at data from the Local Development Monitor (LDM) and comparing them to 23 cities with similar conditions, the situation of Starachowice is dramatic. Low quality of life was indicated as one of the main problems in the Municipal Revitalization Program (GPR) - according to research among the local community and quantitative data, the quality of life is influenced by:
- degraded public spaces, poverty enclaves
- deteriorating condition of the environment
- low quality of public services in the field of education, housing, poor condition of municipal premises lack of comprehensive, coordinated programs activating and supporting socially excluded people
The main development goals of the City were:
- improving the quality of the environment and adapting to climate change
- improving the quality and accessibility of education at all levels
- improving housing, social welfare, cooperation with NGOs, supporting the senior and youth-related policies
- improving the sense of security about the quality of health services
- professionalisation of the local administration and boosting city''s branding and promotion through the means of the new Visual Identity System
- stopping the negative demographic trends
- catering for the development of local businesses
Key activities in the project focused on several topics involving: environment, housing, youth policy, institutional development, entrepreneurship, increasing competences of residents.
One of the main activity focused on the “Eco School”, i.e. preparing Primary School No. 11 for the creation of a specific Ecological Education Center for youth and residents, including the development of documentation, renovation, purchase of equipment and the development of educational courses. The entire preparatory process - from the idea to the start of the construction works - took 3 years. The concept of the facility and its final shape was developed in a participatory formula with the engagement of students, teachers, parents, young people, senior citizens and residents, and the support of experts and specialists. As a result, the ECOSCHOOL was created - a place for innovative and interesting education, where children and young people - but also local residents - will have the opportunity to learn to care for their natural environment. New green spaces for learning, integration and leisure activities for students, teachers and residents were created there. The innovativeness of the project should be regarded in two dimensions – the institutional - through the creation of a modern, ecological space in the educational institution where the environmental education programme will be implemented and the social - through raising ecological awareness of the local community of Starachowice.
The second key investment in the project was the modernisation of the historic Little Palace building and, in a wider perspective. The Norway funds provided an opportunity to give a new shine to this unique place on the map of Starachowice. The building was included as a basic project in the Municipal Revitalisation Programme for 2016- 2025, and the first idea came in 2015 from the young generation of residents who realised that they did not have a proper meeting space in the city. After years of public consultations, technical documentation and the plan of works was prepared, and thanks to the funding from the Norwegian project, work began in October 2022. The new venue was planned as a meeting hub for representatives of business, youth and non-governmental organisations, with regular local events and exhibitions to be held there. This space has great potential to develop as a centre for cooperation, integration, exchange of experiences, and mutual learning, with the ultimate goal being the growth of both the city of Starachowice and the inhabitants of the municipality. The building was extended with a new wing located on the north-east side, connected to the existing building by a communication corridor. The new wing will hold a modern conference room with all the facilities, a hub for the Starachowice Youth Council, a co-working space, a podcast room and a creative zone for meetings and integrating. One of the objectives of the Little Palace will be to initiate and implement actions to accelerate the development of the local economy by creating attractive conditions for the development of entrepreneurship with particular emphasis on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. They will be given wide access to the developed tools for support and development of entrepreneurship, which will be assisted by experts from many fields and institutions during meetings organised in the Little Palace spaces.
The city also prepared technical documentation, strategic documents and concepts of activities that will be used to implement projects in the field of housing, environmental protection, education and institutional development. The social and participatory component was also very important. That is why a community centre and a Social Activity Centre were established in the Wzgórze Housing Estate. Project funds were used to finance substantive activities, staff remuneration, catering and necessary equipment. An interesting offer of a community centre with activities for children and residents was created, and industry consulting was also provided, including a psychologist and a family coach. In addition, training courses, workshops and social campaigns were organised for various social groups, including seniors, youth, non-governmental organisations, teachers, local government employees and people with disabilities.
One of the most valuable initiatives in activating children and young people, in terms of environmental education and engagement in the life of the city and their community, was the Green Participatory School Budget (Eco Budget) targeting pupils from the city’s 8 primary schools. Starachowice Youth City Council, together with experts and local government officials, worked on the model, the concept and terms and conditions of the budget. School Participatory Budgets have been organised in Poland before, however, the Starachowice edition was unique in that it concerned endeavours supporting pro-environmental activities, and each school was awarded more than PLN 5,000 to implement their ideas. The Eco Budget was a process in which the allocation of money was voted by the school community. Pupils came up with ideas, created projects and then selected the ones they thought were most attractive and needed. The Eco Budget is also about learning how a participatory society works in practice, tailored to the needs and requirements of young people. In this way, from an early age, children and young people learn that each of them carries responsibility for the place where they live, study or work.
The project also included:
- Education Development Strategy in Starachowice
- Healthcare Development Strategy in Starachowice
- Municipal Adaptation Plan for Climate Change
- Housing Strategy in Starachowice
- Future Competences training program
- documentation for green gardens at schools and kindergartens
- Starachowice Communal Garden for seniors
- documentation of two ecological residential buildings
- documentation of a model housing estate, which is planned on the site of the old hospital
ECO SCHOOL – established on the premises of today’s Primary School No. 11, it is an accessible place that serves as a kind of social activity centre that educates students and, at the same time, provides an opportunity to spend free time for all residents of the city. Due to the ageing population (and the exceptionally high number of senior residents in the north-eastern part of the city, where the ECOSCHOOL is located), the organisation of green and friendly public spaces will make it easier for the senior citizens to access green recreation areas. In addition, the ECOSCHOOL will be an educational institution whose offer and mission is to attract children from the surrounding areas. It is to be a green brand of the city, which will set the tone for its ecological development. Target groups: pupils, teachers, local residents, youth.
CREATIVITY CENTER LITTLE PALACE - One of the objectives of the Little Palace will be to initiate and implement actions to accelerate the development of the local economy by creating attractive conditions for the development of entrepreneurship with particular emphasis on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. They will be given wide access to the developed tools for support and development of entrepreneurship, which will be assisted by experts from many fields and institutions during meetings organised in the Little Palace spaces. Target groups: youth, SME, non governmental organisations.
SOCIAL ACTIVITY CENTER - Another important achievement of the Project was the establishment of a new day-care facility called the Community Activity Centre in “Wzgórze” housing estate - a site that is the centre of revitalisation. The facility is run by the local Centre for Social Services and it houses: a day-care centre for children and adolescents created in what used to be storage compartments, as well as four council flats located on the first floor of the building. Target groups: local resident, kids, youth, seniors
STRENGHTENING OF YOUTH CITY COUNIL OF STARACHOWICE – through many workshops, trainings, programms, school participatory budget, festivals, consultations, study visits, conferences – Youth City Council build their competences and skills and empower social activities and city development .
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT – new website, new logo and visual identification, accessability aspects, trainings and study visits for municipality staff,
STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION – about education, health, housing, youth, acessability, foreigners, nonformal education.
SENIOR ECO GARDEN made by University of Third Age in Starachowice for seniors
Summary of bilateral results
The cooperation agreement was signed at the Starachowice City Hall in 2022 by the Mayor of Starachowice Marek Materek together with Vincent Mrimba, the Director of the Cultural Agency within the Department of Culture, Equality and Diversity of the City of Bergen. Bilateral cooperation focused on several areas: environment and ecology, housing policy, accessibility, formal and informal education, youth policy, institutional development and city management, culture, social activation, senior citizen policy. Case study visits, counselling support, workshops, training, youth exchanges, site visits, jobshadowing - these were the activities we have carried out together over the course of the project. The bilateral cooperation with the City of Bergen, with expert support, inspiration and solutions taken directly from Norway, had an invaluable impact on the final shape of: ECOSCHOOL; The Little Palace Creativity Centre; strategic documents on housing policy, education, environment, accessibility; the development of youth policy and of young people themselves taking part in international activities; Institutional development of the city. On the other hand, partners from Bergen have copied good practices from Starachowice, including the implementation of senior citizen policy, youth policy, social revitalisation of the city, cultural and sporting activities.