On 18 March, the City of Helsinki and the Armas festival hosted the ‘Elämän nälkä’ (Hunger for Life) event, focusing on the mental wellbeing of pensioners. Nearly one thousand people attended this first-ever senior event at the Cable Factory.
The event offered a diverse programme, including interviews, a mini fair, dance sessions, and workshops where visitors could explore new hobbies. Journalist Peter Nyman hosted discussions on the main stage.
“Mental health is often viewed through the lens of problems. We wanted to create a festival-style event for pensioners to highlight mental health as a positive resource,” says Project Manager Maarit Ajalin, who was involved in planning the event.
The enthusiastic turnout demonstrated a clear demand for events aimed at seniors. Feedback from visitors was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the warm atmosphere, engaging programme, and opportunities to connect with City of Helsinki employees and fellow attendees.
Alongside entertainment and activities, the event also addressed ageing and mental wellbeing. One of the highlights was a discussion between psychologist Pirkko Lahti and pensioner Marsa Bäck, who explored how to find meaning in retirement. The lecture hall was packed with attentive listeners, underscoring the relevance of the topic.
“Retirement is a major life transition that calls for special attention to mental wellbeing. Taking care of both mental and physical health is crucial, as they significantly impact overall quality of life,” Ajalin explains.
Visitors also shared personal reflections on ageing.
Eliisa Ihatsu, for example, was particularly inspired by photographer Ripsu Hongisto-Salmi, who spoke about how people can continue reinventing themselves at any age. The discussion reinforced Eliisa’s belief that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams. She also stressed the importance of raising awareness of mental health services and appreciated how the event encouraged social interaction – something often lacking in the daily lives of lonely pensioners.
Good friends Anne Hermansen and Anja Englund attended the event together. Anja had seen an ad for the event and asked Anne to come along.
Anja, a lifelong dancer, was particularly drawn to the dance opportunities. Anne, who also enjoys dancing, was still undecided about joining the event’s grand finale: the traditional open-air dance.
“A very successful event,” the two friends agreed.
Recordings of all ‘Elämän nälkä’ event interviews are available on the Helsinki Channel(Link leads to external service) (in Finnish). For futher insights into the mental wellbeing of pensioners, you can also listen to the Käänteentekevää puhetta(Link leads to external service) podcast (in Finnish).
You can find photos capturing the atmosphere of the event below.
Mental health support services for the elderly has been carried out in the Sustainable Growth Project, which aims to strengthen well-being and prevent problems. The project is part of the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland, for which funding comes from the European Union Recovery Instrument (Next Generation EU). The programme is coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and implemented in all of Finland’s wellbeing services counties and in Helsinki.
