Advance planning visit 2.-3.6.2016 in Lahti

The first mobility in our project took place in the beginning of June when Laura (Ireland), Annika (Sweden) and David (Slovenia) came to Lahti! We had two days full of conversations and success. We also had an amazing weather, days were heat all day and night long :)

The purpose of the advance planning visit is as the name says; plan together with all the partners and discuss about the coming activities, get to know how each organization is arranging practicalities like accommodation for volunteers, do joint operating agreements and go throw the financial side as well. All hard work but interesting and exciting to think about the awesome experiences what volunteers can have through this project.

From Lahti we had several people, workers and youngsters along these two days.

So that our visitors would know what their volunteers are doing to do in our workshops, we had a tour! Our youngster, Mikko, was our tour guide when we visited the catering, arts and crafts, car and metal and carpentry workshops. Oh yeah, Mikko is also chosen to do his period in Slovenia at the beginning of September :) So you will hear more about him later on.

But our hard work in the morning going throw the project and presenting our organizations to each other’s for a reminder, we had to have lunch before the tour! Youngsters in cafeteria had translated the menu to us.

Pictures from to workshop tour:

After the tour we went to Ohjaamo Lahti where volunteer from Sweden will be working at the end of this year. Ohjaamo is only a walking distance away from Sammonkatu, so we met up with Juuso who is doing his period in Ireland and walked there together. Laura and Juuso got to talk about their coming teamwork. Laura told Juuso what kind of volunteer work Juuso is going to do and Juuso got to tell about himself to Laura.

At the end of the day we visited Niemi youth club where the volunteers are staying in Lahti and rest of the day we spend working in the harbor, discussing how each organization is arranging practicalities.

In Finland we even have moving Sauna’s :DD

The second day was also full of work!

We discussed around topics; roles of different people in the project, agreements about project management etc. The day was full of conversations and result was for example updated risks assessment and we shared good practises about trainings.

This blog and how we are going to use it in this project was also on discussion. So that you will know what we decided you should stay tuned! ;)

Vesa for media workshop was helping us with the blog

So that the hole day wouldn’t just been sitting around we had again lunch in cafeteria workshop. After that we continued the workshop tour. We visited media, interior decoration and environment workshops. During the tour Laura met up with Allu, who is our other volunteer leaving to Ireland :)

Vesa and Saija from the media workshop

One workshop is still missing from the tour! So that’s why we went to see Drama workshops show in Ohjaamo Lahti later on that evening. Although the show “Tunto”, “feeling”, was performed in Finnish, our visitors got the hang of it and liked it! As well we all :)

Reason why we got to know the workshops in Lahti was because now by seeing their own eyes Laura, Annika and David can tell their youngsters and show pictures what’s the place and people about :) For anyone who’s going to a new place, you know that it’s easier and nicer to come when you know something before :) The same thing when Juuso and Allu met up with Laura!

We were all pleased about the two days working together. Now the project continues on, we will make use of all the information that we gained from the APV and will start sending and hosting volunteers, do what this project is about!

Terhi
Finland's coordinator