November 2022

THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

The quarterly consortium meeting of the 4IM project took place in Miskolc on 22 November. Andrea Varga, Deputy Mayor of Miskolc, responsible for human matters, welcomed the participants, stressing that the project contains a number of positive development opportunities, which can be applied in a systematic way. To find the best methods, one needs to keep answering the following questions. How to think ahead? Which solution works best? What needs to be changed? Finding the answers requires the consortium partners to work together and pool their experience. Representing Abaújrakezdés, Balázs Dernei emphasized the importance of mapping the partnership circle, the development of outreach points, the importance of action groups and community programmes set up with the help of community coaches. In the coming year, the two new staff members working in the field will provide tangible support in the use and application of the service packages. On behalf of AEIDL (European Association for Innovation in Local Development), Patricia Martinez listed the achievements of the past months and their work. The organisation is responsible for compiling a knowledge base, producing video interviews, films, sharing their experiences on social inclusion, community support, increasing the effectiveness of communication work, and providing international information on the project. Annamária Nagy-Kórodi, project manager of HÁRFA Foundation, reported that they contribute to the organisation of workshops, capacity building, the completion of development-communication, the work of the communication working group, the development of the partner map, the evaluation of the project, the preparation of dissemination materials, the organisation of meetings, and project management. Kinga Szabó-Tóth, Head of the Institute of Applied Social Sciences of the University of Miskolc, presented the main experiences of the analysis of the household surveys conducted in the two project areas, Bábonyibérc and Tetemvár during the summer, and drew attention to the fact that the summary of the results will be made available to the consortium members. Norbert Képes, Head of the Resource Centre, emphasised the importance of building partnerships in his report, as only through these can long-term solutions be developed. It was important to learn about the everyday lives of local people and the obstacles they face, as these matters were highlighted during community discussions. As he underlined, Community Action Groups should become the driving force for project implementation, and they will continue to broaden the range of partnerships that can be involved in project implementation. The primary objective is to improve the opportunities for people living in the project area through the use of service packages, by building a self-help community of project participants with their own goals. The model, developed in a complex way, will be a model to promote the catching-up of deprived neighbourhoods, he added. Viktória Holdiné Varga, the financial manager of the Municipality of Miskolc said that financial deliveries are made on time as the project progresses. The funds are used to the extent and within the limits provided. MAYOR OF MISKOLC: WE PUT SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE SUCCESS OF THE 4IM PROJECT Mayor of Miskolc Pál Veres received the leaders of the 4IM Bábonyibérc project groups on 16 November at the Town Hall. Pál Veres said that he is paying special attention to the development of the project, which is why he has initiated a personal meeting. The leaders of the Bábonyiérc and Tetemvár groups briefly described the difficulties of organising and activating the community, the results achieved and the goals that the municipality can help to achieve. The people of Bábonyiérc spoke of their renovation of the municipal building as a clear success, which now serves as the Bábonyiérc community centre, welcoming people in the project area for various programmes. A weed-cleared garden attached to the house will be used to create a vegetable garden and composting plots. The mayor assured the participants of his support, and in the spring he will carry out site visits in Tetemvár and Bábonyibérc to see the impact of the project's achievements. COMMUNITY WORK MAKES WONDERS TO COMPLETE A COMMUNITY HOUSE The 4IM project's Bábonyiérc action team renovated a building to create a new home for the community, clearing the garden of weeds and the surrounding public spaces of litter. From November on, the 4IM project's Bábonyiérc Action Group may continue its community organising work in a renovated building. The community's "new home" was created thanks to the work of a group of self-starters. During the first days of November, the members of the action group painted the inside and the outside of the house provided by the municipality as an access point to the project area. The building has also had its doors and windows renewed, benches and tables installed in the room, and the entrance has been fitted with solar lights - all of which have made it fully fit for community events. The value of home building is not just the renovated building, but the grassroots, self-organising initiative itself. The municipality is not in a position to provide financial support, and there are no funds for investment in the project. The community volunteered to take on this task because they felt it was important for the group to function and remain active. In effect, they have created a community centre in a part of the city where there was no cultural, meeting or community point. Thanks to the 4IM project, the local population's need for the creation and operation of a community space was raised, which was voluntarily undertaken and implemented by the Bábonyibérc Self-Help Community. The action group has already organised several community projects this year: they have repaired stairs, picked up rubbish, cleaned ditches and planted flowers in public spaces. The fence and the area around the building were cleared of weeds in the summer, and in September waste was collected from the public areas around the community centre. The renovation of the house was their biggest undertaking to date, the renovated building will provide a long-term space for the 4IM project's community events.