Today we had a successful closing and start-up conference in Knivsta with the participants in Inclusive Upplandsbygd, led by Emma Mattila. The purpose of the day was both to close the project Inclusive Upplandsbygd and to start the continuation – Community-building investments. The participants were from four organizations that all work in different ways to reach out to and include more groups in society: Rasbo IK, the social enterprise Helpers, FUB-gården and Eda camp. The pleasant company and the good food at Särsta Wärdshus made the time go by quickly.
During the day, participants shared experiences from the previous project, challenges they face and what is the next step towards their visions for 2030. They spent the afternoon outlining their new sub-projects in Community Investments, which included everything from accessible communication and a website, to building a carpentry workshop and involving young people in the work. It was clear that many organizations share challenges, such as getting new members to their board or finding funding for major investments in building maintenance. Other challenges were more about reaching new groups, such as people with disabilities, newcomers and young people, and finding creative ways to meet their needs. The participants had a lot to learn from each other, tipped each other off to opportunities, found collaborations and developed their project ideas.
In short, a really nice day with committed people. Together we have the power to change!