Description (brief history)
We, a small group of people began working in order to establish LAG Folkungaland in the summer 2006. The initiative was initially taken by a small local development group in the Village of Normlosa and as we made progress the initiative started to attract the interest of the surrounding businesses and non profit associations and gradually also engaged the surrounding municipalities.
The first important decisions were taken in at the Bjälbo meeting early January 2007 when a working group was established and the 29th of January a second meeting was held in Klockrike when the association Leader Folkungaland officially was formed and an interim board was appointed.
After these byt for us very important steps followed a time of numerous meetings in almost every community centre throughout the area. At these open meetings the representatives from the official, non profit associations, companies and individuals participated and we discussed what could be done to revitalize the rural areas in our community. At these meetings the participants gave us feedback and information that later turned up as a local SWOT analysis in the Folkungaland Strategy.
So it is fair to say that the Folkungaland Leader Strategy is the result of hard work from the bottom up and only later the municipalities started to support the idea of establishing a LAG Folkungaland.
Organisation Rules
The LAG of Leader Folkungaland have documented organization rules according to what is considered fair and normal in the perspective of being a non for profit organization.
Aims & Objectives
Ideas and project proposals are delivered to the Managing director who is the head administrator at the Leader office. The Leader officials prepare the case in close contact and dialogue with the project owner. For example, it's the Managing directors task to find out if other forms of assitance than Leader are eligible. After processing the application the Leader administration leaves the matter to the LAGs panel that drafts proposals for decision. The entire LAG group meets about six times a year to decide which projects should get financial support from LAG Folkungaland, all LAG decisions are taken in consensus. After this the application is to be forwarded for review in the County Administrative Board.
LAG Folkungaland is considered as the local development partnership of the area, each of the four participating municipalities, Motala, Mjölby, Linköping and Norrköping have a member elected 3-partnership representation in the LAG, official, private and nonprofit.
LAG's role is not only to act as a decision making body, its function is also to participate in marketing the Leader method in the area and the LAG is also represented in the process of project development ans so on.
LAG Folkungaland basic idea is that by paying and supporting local and collective initiatives we can give people control over their future and their own situation in order to create commitment and involvement. By providing financial support for local initiatives in order to improve conditions for businesses and residence in rural areas the goal we can achieve is a progressively increase in the population of the area.
The local business environment should be strengthened, by stimulating the formation of enterpreneurial networks. Improved communications in the north-south direction and upgrading the area's telecommunications in order to strengthen the local business environment. The improved business environment is expected to lead to more job opportunities through collaborative projects so that the local cohesion is strengthened to the benefit and enjoyment for everyone in the community.
Sectors of renewable energy, tourism and small scale food benefits in project prioritization in order to increase agricultural and forestry competitiveness, but also service providers and technology companies that may be located in rural areas identified in project prioritization.