P4 Skilled and socially inclusive region
4.1. More people benefiting from stronger Central Baltic communities
Central Baltic
01.12.2017 - 30.11.2019
€264 760
€198 570
The ARC project aims at engaging immigrants with refugee background in meaningful activities and interaction with the local community through providing them with systematic guidance in practical activities like building and farming, opportunities to cultural interaction and practicing language skills. This helps to prevent the negative effects of polarization and marginalisation.
Immigrants living in Finland and Sweden participate in the project to share their personal challenges and success stories via regular video blog, and thus also enable the local community to better understand the immigrants and their individual journeys. Interaction between Finnish and Swedish immigrants will provide them peer support and strengthen their sense of dignity and belonging. The project organizes study visits as well as develops joint recommendations on cost efficient methods for improving job creation skills of immigrants and integrating them into the society. The recommendations will be disseminated to local public sector and NGOs working with immigrants by local workshops and a joint seminar.
Pirkanmaan Martat ry
Country: FI
Partner budget: 84.349 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 63.262 EUR ERDF
Pirkanmaan muotoilu- ja taideteollisuusyhdistys Modus ry
Country: FI
Partner budget: 102.354 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 76.765 EUR ERDF
Institute of Swedish Safety & Security
Country: SE
Partner budget: 230 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 173 EUR ERDF
ISSS Resilience Centre
Country: SE
Partner budget: 77.827 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 58.370 EUR ERDF
Tampereen kaupunki
Country: FI
Sopimusvuorisäätiö sr
Country: FI
Arbetsförmedlingen Norra Västmanland Heby
Country: SE
Achieved results
ARC - Engaging refugees in meaningful activities
ARC improved social inclusion of immigrants with a refugee background. During its implementation, the project found new and cost-effective methods to create meaningful activities for their target group.
The project implemented a variety of activities that included mostly gardening but also other type activities such as building small greenhouses, participation in running a radio station and language classes. Some of the activities provided participants with study credits, thus advancing their position in getting a degree and improving their chances on the labour market.
Feedback from participants was positive; they found meaningful activities in their local neighbourhood, got to know new people, and learnt Finnish and Swedish at the same time. Two participants were also hired via project activities.
In total, the project involved approximately 500 immigrants, thus exceeding its original goal of 100 with flying colours. The exact number may vary as some participants were involved more than one time.
- Meaningful activities for immigrants with a refugee background
- Involvement of 500 immigrants
Internet presence
Other media visibility
Hiedanrantaan on rakentumassa kaikille avoin puisto ja viljelyalue (2018)
Kaupunkiviljely yhdistää jälleen Hiedanrannassa
Active Refugees in the Community project creates new practical activating methods for immigrants