The separate grant for regional cultural hobby activities is a new type of grant with the objective of strengthening trust in the future, personal skills and opportunities to make a difference among children and young people through artistic and cultural hobby activities. With this grant, the City aims to offer hobby opportunities that are easy to join. The hope is that the subsidised operations could help identify different obstacles to hobby activities and offer solutions to these. The grant can also be applied for by other than cultural operators. Cooperation with different organisations and community operators is considered an advantage, as are joint projects with several operators.
The eligible operations should mainly be targeted at 9–18-year-old children and adolescents. The projects must be targeted at the suburban regeneration areas of Malminkartano, Kannelmäki, Malmi, Meri-Rastila and Mellunkylä or at other areas where children’s and young people’s participation in hobby activities is lower than the average elsewhere in Helsinki. Special attention must be paid to accessibility, the experience of safety, and children and young people who do not have role models or support at home when it comes to hobby activities. The hopes and wishes of the children and adolescents themselves should also be heard when organising the activities.
“The City of Helsinki is investing more and more in the wellbeing of children and youth. This year, the close cooperation between culture, sports and youth services will take us closer to an important goal – the prevention of segregation and the equitability of opportunities for all young people. In addition to the culture grants, the City’s sports and youth services support this common goal, because wellbeing and equal opportunities belong to everyone,” says service manager Veikko Kunnas.
The separate grant for regional cultural hobby activities can be awarded to registered associations, societies and other registered organisations that have operated in Helsinki for at least one year. The appropriation reserved for 2025 is EUR 300,000. It will be granted to three-year projects, and the granted sum will primarily remain the same every year. Each year, the period of use of the grant is from August to July of the following year.
The grant’s application period is 22 April–21 May 2025. The Culture and Library Sub-committee will decide on the projects to be funded at its meeting in August 2025.
The Cultural Services and Support Partnership Unit will hold a public Teams briefing session about the separate grant for regional cultural hobby activities on Thursday, 24 April, at 10.30–11.30. No advance registration is required for the event. The link to the event will be added to the website of this grant type closer to the event.
