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Description
As part of the project, we will activate the community of citizens from Chełm neighborhood in Gdańsk. According to the diagnosis of citizen needs conducted in the city of Gdańsk, the neighborhood of our choice is confronted by issues such as poverty, high crime rates, higher-than-average unemployment, significant percentage of students held back at school, and a significant population of seniors. Our analysis suggests that an insufficient civic infrastructure, lack of culture centers and meeting places for the community is an additional challenge in the neighborhood. We would like to address these issues by creating a Neighborly Energy Incubator – a local spot for the civic engagement. In collaboration with the neighborhood community, we will organize a series of activities, meetings, workshops and events. Additionally, we will engage local leaders to run classes, during which members of the community will be able to organize meetings and share their knowledge with others. We will also support grassroots initiatives – ideas from the local citizens that we will support and help organize and sometimes even fund. What is more, we will open an information and advisory hub where members of Chełm community will be able to share their problems and learn about available support. One of our partners will be Fremtenkt AS organizations from Norway that engages in similar activities at home. We will organize two working visits – in Poland and in Norway – to exchange experiences and best practices for working with a local community. Two remaining partners will be: Chełm Neighborhood Council and Wzgórza Radości Seniors Club. Collaborating with these organizations will allows us to create a network of support for civic engagement in the neighborhood and increase the longevity of our actions. It will also help us reach a broader population and enrich the offer of our center.
Summary of project results
According to a diagnosis of the needs of the residents, carried out in Gdansk, the neighbourhood in which we carried out our activities struggled with problems such as poverty, a high crime rate, a higher percentage of unemployed people than the city average, a high percentage of students not being promoted to the next grade, and a significant number of elderly people. Our analysis showed that an additional problem was the insufficient social infrastructure in the area - a lack of cultural and educational institutions, meeting places or leisure activities.
We responded to these problems by creating the Chelm Neighbourhood Club - a local place for social activity. In collaboration with people living in the neighbourhood, we organised a series of classes, meetings, workshops and events. We engaged local leaders to run 38 neighbourhood classes, where people living in the neighbourhood were able to organise meetings themselves and share their own knowledge with others. We supported grassroots initiatives - residents were able to come up with their own ideas for activities concerning their neighbourhood, which we supported organisationally and in some cases financially. We opened an information and advice point, where people from the neighbourhood could share their problems and find out about possible support. At the end of the project, a closing meeting was held and, as it was just before Christmas, the senior citizens prepared a Nativity play. Adults and children from the Ukraine were also invited to this meeting.
One of the project partners was the organisation Fremtenkt AS from Norway, which is involved in similar activities. We organised two study visits - to Poland and Norway - to exchange experiences and practices of working with the local community. Two other partners were the Chelm District Council and the Wzgórze Radości Senior Club. By working with them, we have created a better social activity support network in the neighbourhood, increased the sustainability of our activities, reached more people and enriched our centre''s offer.
From the evaluation, we know that residents of Chelm have become more active and are more willing to get involved in new activities and initiatives concerning their place of residence. In addition, we have made contact with Asane Kulturhus from Norway, who brings together a senior theatre group. We already have further meetings planned with him in the future, where we exchange our experiences.
Summary of bilateral results
Having a bilateral partner made a substantial difference by enabling a cross-cultural exchange of ideas and best practices, including the future literacy concept. This collaboration allowed us to learn new methods for community activation and event organization, which were previously unfamiliar to us. It also facilitated partnerships, such as the one with Asane Kulturhus, which would not have been possible without this bilateral connection.It was crucial to have a donor project partner because they provided expertise that were vital for the project''s success. Their guidance helped us navigate new challenges and implement more effective community engagement strategies, including the integration of future literacy concepts. This support was essential in achieving our project goals and ensuring a broader impact on the community.The main results at a bilateral level included the successful knowledge and experiences exchange and also formation of a senior theatre group in collaboration with Asane Kulturhus and the organization of a joint event in Norway in 2023 (under the Erasmus+ donation). This event facilitated an exchange of experiences between senior groups from both countries, enhancing cultural understanding and community ties. Additionally, the partnership led to an improved understanding of community engagement strategies, including future literacy, and increased our capacity to organize external events