This year, we have visited various settlement organizations and discussed current and future opportunities for cooperation.
– Cooperation with settlement organizations is valuable, as local settlement organizations possess the best knowledge of the area’s specific characteristics and solid professional expertise in settlement work. Settlement organizations strengthen the community spirit of our buildings with their strong expertise. This is a definite competitive advantage for us, says Suvi Tuomala, CEO of Setlementtiasunnot.
The visits began early this year at Tampere Settlement organizations and continued in Turku at the end of January.
– The meetings at Aurala Settlement and Turku Settlement were fruitful.
– For example, with Aurala, we have a highly popular neighborhood living room that meets weekly in our building. Residents from outside the building are also welcome. This is the core of settlement work – communal, inclusive work among people, Tuomala explains.
New cooperation opportunities are welcome
During our visit to Tampere, we also considered new opportunities for cooperation.
– Tampere has a wide range of settlement activities, including children’s and youth work, courses, community cafés, rehabilitative work activities, and crisis services.
Online courses and other digital platform-based settlement activities enable new forms of cooperation, even with settlement organizations in areas where Setlementtiasunnot does not have buildings.
Meetings with settlement organizations continue.
– We are constantly seeking new cooperation opportunities with settlement organizations. So please contact us if you have new ideas for activities, Tuomala reminds.
Top photo: One of the Turku visit destinations was Aurala Settlement. Pictured are Sannaleena Härkönen, Executive Director-Principal of Aurala Settlement, Essi Leikas, Jaana Peippo, and Päivi Suominen, who conduct community work in the Iltaolkkari and Aurala living room activities, Laura Siniranta, who teaches Finnish language and basic skills, and Suvi Tuomala, CEO of Setlementtiasunnot.
