Linnaseutu ry

Linnaseutu ry

Hämeenlinnan seudun Leader-toimintaryhmä

Hämeenlinna Area Association for Rural Development

Local Action Group (LAG) in Hämeenlinna sub-region

Linnaseutu - Hämeenlinna Area Association for Rural Development

Linnaseutu association is a Finnish LAG and non-governmental organization which aims at the development of community-based village activities in Häme area.

The name "Linnaseutu" ("Castle Region") refers to the area in which the association operates: Häme area surrounding its capital, the city of Hämeenlinna. The old castle of Häme is located at the heart of Hämeenlinna and next to the beautiful Vanajavesi lake. Linnaseutu ry was founded in 2001 by individuals and communities interested in developing activities within the rural areas of Häme.

The purpose of Linnaseutu ry is to develop rural areas through the promotion of local initiatives, cooperation between rural and urban areas and networking of the different actors in Finland and internationally. The association operates for the promotion and development of services and employment within Häme.

Linnaseutu ry as a LAG finances projects initiated and implemented by people living in the rural areas. In this way, Linnaseutu helps to create new activities and models of operation which attract more people to work together for their communities. The community-based projects are financed by the EU, government and municipalities of Finland.

The goals of Linnaseutu ry’s activities are:

implementing the community based development program
developing village activity in Linnaseutu sub-region
raising awareness of the association and the community-based activity
strengthening the association’s role as a developer within the Linnaseutu sub-region
promoting interaction between the rural and urban areas
developing the association’s own evaluation methods
participating discussions on rural policies in Finland