A selection of Leader+ best practices.
Date: 2017-10-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, development policy, regional aid, rural development

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A selec tion of Leader+ best prac tices

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Intro duc tion . .. .. . .. . . . ... . .... .. ... ... ... . 2 

Austria .. .. . .. . .. . . .. .... . .... . ... .. . .. ... ... .. 5

•
The Almo culinary region: Almenland 
  restaurants and regional (beef) marketing
•
Young people create their own spaces 

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B e lgium  . .. .. . .. . . . ... . .... .. ... . .. . .. .. ... .. 13

Socio-economic development of the stone 

•
  sector in rural areas 

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De nmark  . .. . .. . .. . .. . ... .. .... . ... . . . .. ... .. 17

•

Local community planning 

Finland . .. . .. . .. . .. . ... .. .... . ... . . . .. ... ...   20

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Pro Oulujärvi/Pro Lake Oulu 

France ... .. . .. . . . ... . .... .. ... . .. . .. . . . .. ... .   23

Business creation and business takeover 

•
  competition
•

The colours of the north 

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G e rmany . .. .. . .. . . . ... . .... .. ... . .. . .. ... ..   30

Transfer of know-how related to new media
Pedagogical cooperation and extension of a 

•
•
  variety of leisure activities 

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Ire land .. ... ... ... ... ..... .. ... ... ... ........  4 0

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Schola transnational project 

I t aly .. ... ... ... .... ..... ..... ... ... . ... .......  4 4

Social and environmental responsibility
Valorisation of typical products in local 

•
•
  restaurants 

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Lu xe mbourg  .. ... ... ... .... ..... ..........  50

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‘Wonderful hiking in Müllerthal’ and ‘Mills’ 
inventory, excursion and regional route’ 

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The N ethe rlands  .. ... ... ... ... .........  54

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Drenthe grassroots planning 

Por tugal .. ... ... ... .... ..... ..... ... ........  57

Starting from the beginning: training in 

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  theatrical activities in rural areas 

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Spain .. ... ... ... .... ..... ..... ... ... . ........  6 0

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•

Regional quality brand
Nature reserve of Las Loras 

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Swe de n  .. ... ... ... .... ..... ..... ... .........  6 6

Pre-study for the development of the 

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  Svartådalen rural area 

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G re e ce  . .. .. . .. . . . ... . .... .. ... . .. . .. . . .... ..   36

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Unite d  K ingdom  .. ... ... ... .... .........  69 

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Honey processing and standardisation unit 

•
•

Communities on the edge (COTE)
Cumbria’s cooking 

This  European  Commission  publication  seeks  to  promote  access  to  information  about  the  Leader+  Community 
initiative.  Our  goal  is  to  provide  accurate  and  up-to-date  information.  If  errors  are  brought  to  our  attention,  we 
will try to correct them. However, the Commission accepts no responsibility for the information contained in this 
publication, especially regarding financial data on the projects described, and, in particular, on the eligibility of 
expenditure. Readers should therefore take all necessary precautions before using this data, which they do entirely 
at their own risk.

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Introduc tion

What is Leader+?

Why best practices?

Leader+  is  a  European  Community  initiative  for  assisting 
rural  communities  in  improving  the  quality  of  life  and 
economic prosperity of their local area, and is co-financed 
by  the  Guidance  Section  of  the  European  Agricultural 
Guidance  and  Guarantee  Fund  (EAGGF).  Leader+  was 
preceded by Leader I and II.  

This publication complements the Leader+ magazine as a 
means of highlighting the most successful implementation 
of Leader+ funded local development strategies.

Best practice in Leader+ has logically to be measured by 
the successful implementation of the ‘Leader approach’.

The  Leader+  programme  runs  within  the  Structural 
Funds period from 2000 to 2006 (but  allows for projects 
to be carried out until the end of 2008), and its aim is to 
encourage  and  support  rural  actors  to  think  about  the 
longer-term potential of their areas. It seeks to encourage 
the  implementation  of  integrated,  high-quality,  original 
strategies  for  sustainable  development  designed  to 
encourage experimentation with new ways of:
•
•

enhancing the natural and cultural heritage; 
reinforcing and diversifying the economic environment, 
in order to contribute to job creation; 
improving the organisation abilities of the community.

•

There were 893 Leader+ local action groups (LAGs) in Europe 
prior  to  the  enlargement  of  2004.  In  some  of  the  Member 
States which joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, LAGs 
are already working under a Leader-type measure.

Seven criteria make up 
the Leader approach:

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1.   Area - base d  approach

This  entails  defining  a  development  policy  on  the  basis 
of  an  area’s  own  particular  situation,  strengths  and 
weaknesses.  In  Leader,  this  area  is  a  fairly  homogeneous 
local rural unit, characterised by internal social cohesion, 
shared history and traditions, a sense of common identity, 
etc.  Awareness  of  the  area-based  approach  has  been 
growing, with ‘prime movers’ in the local area recognising 
the important role of endogenous resources in achieving 
sustainable  development.  At  LAG  level,  the  area-based 
approach has contributed to a better identification of rural 
actors within the territory.

Leader+ was designed around four predominant themes:
1.  making the best use of natural and cultural resources, 

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2 .  B ot tom - up  approach

including enhancing the value of sites; 
improving the quality of life in rural areas; 

2. 
3.  adding  value  to  local  products, 

in  particular  by 
facilitating access to markets for small production units 
via collective actions; 

4.  the  use  of  new  know-how  and  new  technologies 
to  make  products  and  services  in  rural  areas  more 
competitive.

See:  http://ec.europa.eu/leaderplus  for  more  informa-
tion regarding the legal basis and the budget allocated to 
Leader+.

This  aims  to  encourage  participatory  decision-making 
at  local  level  for  all  development  policy  aspects.  Its 
objective  is  the  involvement  of  local  players,  including 
the community as a whole, economic and social interest 
groups,  and  representatives  of  public  and  private 
institutions.  The  bottom-up  approach  relies  on  two 
major  activities  —  ‘animation’  (facilitation  of  activities) 
and training of local communities — and comes into play 
at different stages of the programme. At project level, it 
is  important  that  the  project  is  initiated  by  local  actors 
and that the public concerned with the action has been 
consulted.

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3.  Par tne r ship approach and   

the local ac tion  group (L AG)

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6.  N et work ing  and  coop e ration   

b et we e n  areas

By facilitating the exchange and circulation of information 
on rural development policies and the dissemination and 
transfer  of  good  practice  and  innovative  strategies  and 
actions, the Leader network aims to limit the isolation of 
LAGs  and  to  create  a  source  of  information  and  analysis 
of  the  actions.  To  complement  existing  European  and 
national  networking,  some  LAGs  have  spontaneously 
organised themselves into informal networks.

Another  core  part  of  Leader  is  the  cooperation  between 
rural areas. Cooperation between areas can be transnational 
but  may  equally  take  place  between  areas  within  the 
same Member State (interterritorial). In Leader+, a specific 
budget is allocated for cooperation projects (Action 2).

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7.  Lo cal  f inancing  and      
  manage me nt

Delegating  a  large  proportion  of  the  decision-making 
responsibilities for funding and management to the LAG is 
another key element of the Leader approach. However, the 
LAGs’ degree of autonomy varies considerably depending 
on the Member State’s specific mode of organisation and 
institutional context.

Consequently,  this  criterion  is  considered  on  a  case-by-
case basis, in the various administrative contexts.

The LAG is a body of public and private actors, united in 
a  partnership  that  identifies  a  joint  strategy  and  a  local 
action  plan  for  developing  a  Leader+  area.  The  LAG  is 
one  of  the  most  original  and  strategic  features  of  the 
Leader  approach.  Endowed  with  a  team  of  practitioners, 
decision-making  powers  and  a  fairly  large  budget,  the 
LAG  represents  a  new  model  of  organisation  that  can 
considerably 
institutional  and  political 
balance of the area concerned.

influence  the 

The  LAGs  have  provided  appropriate  mechanisms  for 
participation, awareness raising and organisation of local 
actors in favour of rural development. The allocation of tasks 
and  responsibilities  between  the  partners  (programme 
authorities,  LAGs,  members  of  the  LAGs)  should  be  clear 
and transparent.

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4. 

Innovation

In addition to the Leader concept and its implementation 
in the field which in itself is innovative, the initiative also 
demands  that  the  actions  are  innovative.  They  may  be: 
actions  to  promote  local  resources  in  new  ways;  actions 
that are of interest to local development but not covered 
by  other  development  policies;  actions  providing  new 
answers  to  the  weaknesses  and  problems  of  rural  areas; 
or actions which create a new product, new process, new 
forms of organisation, or a new market.

is  also  embodied 

Innovation 
in  the  programme’s 
pedagogical and networking components: disseminating 
information  to  other  groups  of  players  wishing  to  gain 
inspiration  from  achievements  elsewhere  or  to  carry  out 
joint projects.

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5. 

Inte grate d approach

The actions and projects contained in the local action plan 
are linked and coordinated as a coherent whole. Integration 
may concern actions conducted within a single sector, all 
programme actions or specific groups of actions, or, most 
importantly, links between the different economic, social, 
cultural, environmental actors and sectors involved in the 
area.

Leader+ best practices

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Methodology of collection 
and selection of good and best 
practices

In  an  annual  exercise,  and  with  the  help  of  the  national 
network units (NNUs), the Leader+ Contact Point assisted 
by  experts,  collects  good  practices  among  the  Leader 
projects in the EU, and selects some of them to be included 
in  the  good  practices  database  on  the  Leader+  website: 
http://ec.europa.eu/leaderplus

In  order  to  reinforce  the  visibility  of  the  work  done  in 
Leader+, the Leader+ Observatory decided to complement 
the information given in this database by editing a specific 
publication entitled A selection of Leader+ best practices.

of good practice. The main partners in the Member States 
for  this  exercise  were  the  national  network  units.  The 
result of this analysis was that the criteria for finding good 
practices  were  everywhere  closely  linked  to  the  seven 
Leader+  criteria.  The  Leader+  Observatory  added  two 
further  European  criteria  which  underline  the  European 
aspect of Leader+: transferability and sustainability.

The Leader+ Contact Point then began to collect examples 
from  the  Member  States.  In  order  to  achieve  a  ‘fair  result’, 
an  approach  was  taken  which  would  respect  the  thematic 
diversity,  type  of  project  and  geographical  balance,  in 
addition to the content-related criteria linked to the Leader 
approach. The selection of the present 21 best practices from 
the 56 selected 2006 good practices also took into account a 
conceptual, thematic and geographical balance.

The following method was used: firstly, the Contact Point 
carried  out  a  SWOT  analysis  (strengths,  weaknesses, 
obstacles and threats) in the Member States on the situation 

Of  course,  this  first  selection  is  not  intended  to  be 
exhaustive, since it is an annual exercise and consequently 
further examples will be published in the future.

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A U S T R I A

The Almo  culinar y re gion:
Almenland  restaurant s  and regional (b eef ) marketing 

Facts about the territory 
(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 1 24 8 i n h a b i t a nt s

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Su r f a ce a r e a: 3 42 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 4 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 12

Project context

Almenland is an idyllic region in central Austria, standing 
at an altitude of 1 200 to 1 700 metres above sea level. It 
is a region which has some of the most traditional Alpine 
pasture, namely ‘Teichalm’ and ‘Sommeralm’, and it is this 
cultural landscape that attracts a steady influx of tourists 
during  holiday  periods.  Farming  is  the  region’s  primary 
source of income.

The  area  frequently  attracts  holidaymakers  from  the 
nearby  Austrian  town  of  Graz;  however,  much  of  the 
accommodation in the region needs upgrading. The area 
provides  limited  higher-educational  opportunities  and 
has a low number of high-tech businesses.

Farmers  are  often  isolated,  and  have  to  work  their  farms 
single-handedly  as  well  as  producing  and  selling  their 
meat; other businesses also struggle to market their own 
products. It was recognised that the local economy could 
be improved and developed if businesses started to work 
together. This project provides such an example — by local 
farmers and businesses cooperating to produce, process, 
and market ‘Almo’ the mountain oxen meat.

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success  of  Almo  meat  have  led  to  a  knock-on  effect 
and  improvement  for  other  business  in  the  area  such  as 
tourism, golf, fishing, cycling and woodland products.

is  now 

recognised  among 

The project will be transferable in the future as Almenland 
branding 
the  Austrian 
population as being a unique high-quality product; other 
customers are now buying into the label. Consumers have 
become more aware of where their food is coming from, 
and there has been greater interest in ‘buying local’; Almo 
meat has certainly benefited from this change in attitude 
and the market suggests that the trend in buying local will 
continue to rise. 

There is optimism about the project’s sustainability since 
the  Almenland  marketing  company  has  created  a  long-
term organisational structure for the region. A number of 
full-time and part-time jobs have been created along with 
high revenue generation which has brought added value 
to  the  region.  The  project  has  already  looked  at  ways  to 
expand business, such as by developing a dairy business 
and  producing  quality  cheeses  from  the  region,  thus 
sustaining the economy in the future.

Why is this project good practice? 

This  project  presents  an  example  of  good  practice  as 
it  has  linked  into  the  area-based  approach  with  a  clear 
connection between farming and the landscape. The high-
quality Almo meat has evolved from the unique mountain 
environment  in  the  Almenland  region.  The  project  has 
specifically made use of the area’s local resources.

The project has been implemented in true bottom-up style 
with  farmers,  tourist  operators  and  regional  providers 
engaging  with  the  local  people  in  planning,  decision- 
implementing  the  development  of  the 
making  and 
area. The LAG consists of 12 municipalities in the region, 
agricultural and tourist bodies, the Almenland marketing 
company, the Almo farmers’ association and members of 
the region’s cultural association. The LAG has successfully 
linked key actors to plan jointly, share resources, address 
problems  and  help  the  development  and  promotion  of 
the area. 

The  project  has  created  local  partnerships  and  the 
cooperation between Almenland farmers and the regional 
producer  Schirnhofer  has  been  a  particular  asset  in  the 
project.  It  has  generated  a  regional  economic  cycle  as 
farmers are benefiting from the professional marketing of 
Schirnhofer. 

The  project  has  formed  an  integrated  and  multisectoral 
development  network.  The  promotion  of  the  region 
through  the  Almenland  marketing  company  and  the 

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Project description

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1.  Brief histor y  of  the  proje c t

The Almenland mountainous region has an environment 
rich  in  nutrients  offering  favourable  grazing  conditions 
for sheep, cattle and horses. This, in turn, produces high-
quality meat over the spring to autumn months when the 
animals are free to roam the countryside. A typical farmer 
in this area owns approximately 5 000 oxen which graze 
over an area of 3 600 hectares. 

Farmers,  local  food  producers  and  tourism  organisations 
in  Almenland  have  been  working  closely  together  since 
1995  under  Leader  II  where  they  founded  the  regional 
‘Almenland initiative’. The main idea of this was to develop 
the market position of the region by promoting it as the 
‘Genussregion’ or the ‘region of pleasure’ for tourists and 
to be the origin of a series of high-quality products. 

initiative  has  developed 

More  recently,  through  the  Leader+  programme,  the 
Almenland 
its  strategy  of 
determining how to produce and sell good-quality ‘meat’ 
products.  As  a  result,  the  Leader+  project  ‘Die  Almo 
Genussregion’  meaning  ‘The  Almo  culinary  region’  was 
developed  where  local  farmers  and  Schirnhofer,  a  food 
producer  offering  fine  meat  delicacies,  cooperate  with 
the aim of producing and selling high-quality oxen meat 
derived from the mountain pastures. 

■

2 .  M ain ac tivities

There  have  been  two  main  parts  to  this  project.  Firstly, 
Schirnhofer  has  successfully  established  links  to  sell 
and  promote  its  meat  to  a  cluster  of  good-quality  local 
restaurants called the ‘Almenlandwirt’. The Almenlandwirt 
consists  of  a  network  of  25  regional  restaurants,  inns 
and  hotels  that  have  joint  branding  and  offer  a  range  of 
services to tourists; in addition, they have a reputation for 
offering first-class food. Schirnhofer also successfully sells 
local meat to the supermarket chain Zielpunkt which has 
250 stores throughout Austria. This has raised the profile of 
the Almenland region and its products at a national level.

Secondly, Almenland beef has been branded as a registered 
trade mark which has led to the formation of Almenland 
Marketing, an organisation founded in close cooperation 
with Schirnhofer. This is a limited company which is now 
in  charge  of  all  professional  marketing  in  the  Almenland 
region.  It  has  played  a  large  part  in  the  production  and 
marketing chain of Almo meat.

■

3.  Concrete  output s  and  result s

During  the  early  stages  of  the  project,  training  was 
offered to farmers to provide guidance in rearing quality 
cattle.  Further  support  from  tourist  operators  helped  to 
implement  the  official  certification  of  Almenland  beef. 
This led to a key step in the development and success of 
the project: cooperation with the producer Schirnhofer.

Now  approximately  550  Almenland  farmers  are 
in 
partnership  with  Schirnhofer  which  has  created  an  ideal 

combination — farmers guarantee a steady flow of good-
quality meat and then Schirnhofer feeds it into two main 
marketing  channels:  the  Almenlandwirt,  and  display 
stands at the supermarket. Almenlandwirt members have 
also  agreed  on  standards,  with  restaurant  staff  receiving 
training  in  terms  of  basic  understanding  of  the  product 
cycle,  the  synergies  between  traditional  forms  of  cattle 
raising and preservation of the landscape.

The  Almenland  marketing  company  constitutes  a 
major  milestone  and  output  of  the  project.  It  has  three 
stakeholders:  the  LAG,  Schirnhofer  and  the  tourism 
association.  All  decisions  must  be  taken  by  a  majority  of 
two thirds of the stakeholders and the company provides 
an annual budget of around EUR 360 000 for marketing in 
the region (such as flyers about Almenland in supermarkets 
and press releases to the media). The stakeholders in the 
company have become famous for their dedication to the 

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region’s development, and their continuous commitment 
to  the  project  has  played  a  crucial  role  in  the  project’s 
success.

The project has generated regional income and provided 
additional  added  value  to  its  local  products.  Since  the 
Almenland initiative was founded under Leader II in 1995, 
55  projects  have  been  implemented  contributing  to  an 
investment  of  EUR  19.5  million.  The  12  municipalities 
have  part-funded  the  ‘Almenland  institution’,  which  has 
amounted to EUR 40 000 per year, and have shown interest 
in investment for the future. This has exceeded the LAG’s 
expectations  and  has  been  paramount  to  the  project’s 
success.

In all, 80 full-time jobs and 180 part-time jobs have been 
created  with  600  farmers  safeguarding  their  incomes 
through  cattle  breeding.  A  staggering  900  economic 
entities  have  benefited  from  the  income  generated  in 
the  area  and,  during  2005,  there  was  a  10 %  increase  in 
tourists.

■

4.  Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

Throughout the development stages of the project, some 
key challenges were faced. As this was a new initiative in 
the Almenland region, there was widespread scepticism in 
the region and promoters quickly learnt that by informing 
local  people  of  the  development  process,  holding 
awareness-raising  events,  festivals  and  discussions,  it  led 
to the project’s acceptance amongst local people. 

Another  potential  hurdle  was  to  persuade  municipalities 
that  investment  in  a  joint  cooperation  project  would  be 
beneficial  to  the  area  and  lead  to  increased  economic 
benefits. Municipalities were convinced of this partnership 
by  the  perfect  combination  of  farmers  and  the  large 
regional  producer  Schirnhofer  which  safeguards  the 
farmers’ supplies of beef. 

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

The project highlights the importance of networking and 
joint cooperation between the LAG and other businesses. 
It is not common practice for businesses to cooperate as 
they  do  in  this  project;  therefore,  Leader+  has  allowed 
for  collective  actions  to  bring  qualitative  change  to  the 
area’s  economy  of  scale,  since  small  producers  are  now 
successfully working together for shared benefits. 

Leader+ has not only been involved in building networks, 
but  also  in  the  promotional  activity  of  the  local  Almo 
product. Almenland Marketing has successfully advertised 
and  differentiated  its  Almo  meat  as  a  unique  product 
at  a  national  level  (through  vending  and  marketing  in 
supermarkets  and  through  the  Almenlandwirt).  This 
has  subsequently  led  to  other  beneficial  factors  such 
as  publicising  the  important  message  of  ‘buying  local’, 
putting the Almenland region on the map, and creating a 
link between the markets for local food and tourism. 

■

6.  D uration

The  project  was  implemented  in  September  2002  and 
continued until the end of December 2006. 

■

7.   Budget

The total cost of the project was EUR 1 900 000, of which 
EUR  591 000  was  from  the  EAGGF,  EUR  252 000  from 
national  public  funding  and  EUR  1  057  000  from  private 
funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : R e g i o n a l e 
G e m e i n s c h af t s i n i t i ati ve Al m e n l a n d 
Te i c h a l m –S o m m e r a l m

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: J a ko b W i l d

Ad d r e ss:  Fl a d n i t z / Te i c h a l m  10 0 , A - 816 0 
Fl a d n i t z

Te l . (43 -3179) 230 0 0 15

Fa x (43 -3179)  230  0 0  2 0

E - m a i l:  J a ko b.W i l d @a l m e n l a n d . at

We b s i te: w w w. a l m e n l a n d . at

Illustrations provided by the LAG Regionale 
Gemeinschaftsinitiative Almenland Teichalm–
Sommeralm

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A U S T R I A

Young pe ople create their own  fre e  spaces

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The  LAG  is  situated  in  a  region  that  is  part  of  the  Alpine 
foothills bordering (in the south-east) the industrial centre 
Linz-Wels  and  (in  the  north)  the  region  of  Bohemia.  The 
Danube  area  is  considered  a  popular  regional  recreation 
area.  The  small  town  of  Eferding  is  mentioned  in  the 
Nibelungenlied and has several old churches, including the 
late Gothic parish church, and the Starhembergs castle. 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 32 227 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 26 8 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 12 0 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 12

The main focus of the territorial development programme 
is  to  improve  the  quality  of  life  by  giving  young  people 
the  chance  to  contribute  greatly  to  village  or  local 
development by using their creative ideas. The project has 
helped  to  integrate  them  into  the  decision-making  and 
policy-making processes at local level. It has also helped 
to achieve the proactive involvement of young people in 
policymaking and local development, and to overcome the 
lack of focus on the needs of teenagers. A better quality of 
life ranks among the key assets to prevent young people 
from  migrating  to  other  areas  or  to  encourage  them  to 
return at later stages of their lives.

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                  Y o u n g   p e o p l e   c r e a t e   t h e i r   o w n   f r e e   s p a c e s

Y o u n g   p e o p l e   c r e a t e   t h e i r   o w n   f r e e   s p a c e s

Why is this project good practice? 

The  project  has  had  a  bottom-up  approach,  since  the 
key promoters, as well as the institutions responsible  for 
the  implementation  of  the  concrete  revitalisation  and 
upgrading of the sites, were the municipalities which are 
also  the  key  stakeholders  of  the  LAG  Eferding.  The  local 
teenagers  were  encouraged  to  develop  plans  for  their 
friends  and  contemporaries,  and  as  the  crucial  reward 
for  their  active  involvement  they  could  see  their  ideas 
being turned into reality. The teenagers had the positive 
experience that participation makes sense and, moreover, 
that  it  may  even  bring  about  changes  in  the  local 
environment.

The project has followed a strong partnership approach. In 
the inception phase of the project, a broader partnership 
with  the  schools  and  youth  associations  in  the  region 
was  set  up.  This  was  the  main  forum  to  reach  the  target 
group, explain the purpose and method of the approach 
and  encourage  the  teenagers  to  participate.  At  the  final 
stage  (i.e.  when  it  came  to  concrete  construction  and 
works), the local and regional construction firms were very 
cooperative in terms of sponsoring the refurbishment of 
the sites and playgrounds. At the same time, discussions 
between the different partners meant that ideas remained 
realistic and met the basic goals, not only in terms of use, 
but also in terms of cost.

The project has had two particularly innovative elements. 
Firstly, the participatory approach targeting teenagers was 
unprecedented in this region and is in fact rarely done in 
rural municipalities. Previously, this method had only been 
applied in urban municipalities, and its transfer to smaller 
rural  municipalities  has  been  a  new  approach.  Secondly, 
it established a bridge between two groups, which often 
face  serious  difficulties  in  entering  into  a  structured 
dialogue:  teenagers  and  local  politicians.  Teenagers  are 
often labelled as being ‘difficult to reach’ or even as being 
not at all interested. Thus, the whole process was also an 
important experience for the local decision-makers. 

The action’s general approach, i.e. the ‘teens’ open-space 
method’,  is  transferable  and  has  been  implemented  in 
several  urban  municipalities  in  Austria,  and  also  in  other 
countries,  such  as  Slovakia.  Thus  a  proven  method  as 
well as the reasonable additional budgets required from 
the  local  level  indicate  that  this  type  of  action  could  be 
easily transferred to other areas. The major precondition 
for a successful transfer is an atmosphere of mutual trust 
between  all  parties  involved,  since  the  initial  scepticism 

among  local  decision-makers  might  be  a  widespread 
phenomenon  across  Europe.  In  addition,  the  overall 
coordination and management necessitate a very sensitive 
and socially attentive attitude.

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

Four  municipalities  of  the  LAG  had  expressed  the  need 
to define and design attractive meeting points and open 
spaces  for  teenagers.  The  final  impetus  for  this  project 
came from a workshop on youth and rural development 
run  by  the  Austrian  Leader  national  network  unit.  In 
the  course  of  the  workshop,  two  landscape  designers, 
Karin  Standler  and  Eva  Schwab,  presented  a  report  on  a 
scheme  entitled  ‘Teens’  open  space’.  The  scheme,  which 
can be considered as a method for participatory planning, 
demonstrated how young people could be involved in the 
planning of open spaces in municipalities. The chairman of 
the LAG Eferding, Franz Tauber, and its manager, Gerlinde 
Grubauer,  were  so  impressed  with  the  presentation  that 
they invited the two landscape designers to take part in a 
workshop organised in the region. As a result, the executive 
committee  of  the  LAG  and  10  municipalities  decided  to 
lend  support  to  the  project,  and  to  involve  teenagers  in 
project  implementation  through  an  experimental  and 
participatory approach.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The  project  entitled  ‘Young  people  create  their  own 
free  spaces’  began  in  April  2005  with  an  information 
campaign in order to generate enthusiasm for the project 
among  young  people.  This  involved  an  information 
event,  where  youth  management  officers  of  regional 

10

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                  Y o u n g   p e o p l e   c r e a t e   t h e i r   o w n   f r e e   s p a c e s

Y o u n g   p e o p l e   c r e a t e   t h e i r   o w n   f r e e   s p a c e s

associations,  youth  advisers  from  the  municipalities, 
teachers, and representatives of youth organisations were 
invited. The project has been presented through a series 
of  presentations  to  approximately  500  teenagers.  The 
teenagers  had  the  opportunity  to  make  direct  contact 
with  the  project  managers  and  get  an  understanding  of 
the  project’s  working  methods.  In  addition,  reports  on 
the planned youth project were published in the regional 
media  and  the  municipal  newsletters.  The  result  of  this 
information  campaign  was  that,  in  the  10  municipalities 
involved, around 150 young people between the ages of 
13 and 19 decided to take part in the project.

■

3. Concrete output s   and  result s

The following are some of the outputs of the project.
•

Young people in each of the 10 municipalities agreed 
with the planners upon suitable locations for meeting 
places  and  evaluated  their  ‘chosen  spots’  with  the 
support  of  the  landscape  designers.  The  evaluation 
was carried out on the basis of a set of criteria such as 
the  place’s  atmosphere,  possible  utilisation,  positive 
(pleasant) and negative features, ideas that can improve 
the use of the space, etc. 
These  ideas  were  further  discussed  during  a  series  of 
(two-day) planning workshops.
The young people developed drafts and construction 
models  for  their  chosen  places  in  collaboration  with 
three architects and five landscape designers.
A public debate called ‘City-line’ was organised where 
young people presented their ‘models’ for discussion 
with  local  government  officials,  teachers,  parents, 
friends  and  other  interested  parties.  The  meeting 
resulted in permission being granted by the municipal 
representatives.
In  the  last  planning  stage,  the  planners  drew  up 
detailed technical plans, including planned costs and 
required  materials,  in  order  to  have  everything  ready 
for the refurbishment work.
By  autumn  2005,  with  the  support  of  the  landscape 
designers,  architects,  the  respective  municipality  and 
local  companies,  Eferding’s  teenagers  had  managed 
to  put  their  models  into  practice.  In  9  of  the  10 
municipalities,  local  government  has  financed  the 
refurbishment of the chosen site.
Adjustable  benches,  chairs  and  tables  in  a  modern 
design  have  been  installed  and  roof  constructions 
offering protection against the rain and sun, viewing 
platforms  and  sun  decks,  a  barbeque  area  and  an 
open-air  film  theatre  on  a  football  field  have  been 
built.
The municipalities received additional advice on how 

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

to  improve  the  use  of  public  space  according  to  the 
needs of their young people.

longer-term  result  of  the  project  has  been  that 
A 
the 
communication  between  young  people  and 
representatives of the municipality has clearly improved, 
and that a much better understanding of their needs and 
requirements has been created. The teenagers themselves 
have learnt how to influence the development of their own 
community,  and  also  contribute  to  the  improvement  of 
their own quality of life. The project has contributed to the 
strengthening of regional identity. Teenagers coming from 
different backgrounds have learnt how to work together 
during workshops and during the realisation of the works. 
Thus,  communication  and  contacts  among  teenagers  in 
the region have improved.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

Initially,  many  municipal  representatives  and  officials 
representing  the  region’s  youth  were  sceptical  about 
the participation of young people in the project and had 
doubts about their motivation and competence. Nor were 
the  young  people  considered  capable  of  implementing 
projects  or  indeed  of  dealing  with  the  selected  meeting 
places  responsibly.  However,  only  1  in  10  municipalities 
failed to find a sufficiently strong core group of teenagers.

Some municipalities did not get sufficiently involved in the 
project  implementation.  In  several  cases,  the  mayor  had 
nominated a responsible person at local level who did not 
actually cooperate in the preparation of the process and the 
implementation (in these cases, it was the mayor who had a 
stronger commitment towards the project). For teenagers, 
it was important to establish direct contact with persons 
from the municipality who were neither representatives of 
political parties nor of religious communities. 

The  timing  of  the  project  was  an  additional  challenge. 
According to the initial plan, the work should have taken 
place  in  the  last  week  of  the  summer  holidays  but  due 
to  delays  this  did  not  materialise.  This  was  an  additional 
risk  since  the  process  lost  its  momentum  and  had  to  be 
‘revived’ in several cases.

■

5.   The ‘ Leade r+ adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

Without  the  LAG  as  an  institution  at  regional  level 
which  provides  professional  management  support,  as 
well  as  neutral,  politically  independent  mediation,  this 

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A u s t r i a :   Y o u n g   p e o p l e   c r e a t e   t h e i r   o w n   f r e e   s p a c e s

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

Contact details of the LAG

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : E f e r d i n g

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: G e r l i n d e  G r u b au e r

Ad d r e ss:  St a d t p l at z 31,  A - 4 070 E f e r d i n g

Te l . (43 -7272) 555  51  63

Fa x (43 -7272)  555 51 61

E - m a i l:  r e g e f@ e f e r d i n g . o o e . g v. at 

We b s i te: w w w. r e g e f. at

Illustrations provided by the LAG Eferding

experimental youth project could never have been realised 
in several smaller rural municipalities. The open character 
of  Leader+  enabled  the  promoters  to  gain  professional 
support in terms of process management, facilitation and 
results which would otherwise not have been feasible.

The  support  from  Leader+  made  it  possible  to  launch  a 
broad  initiative  with  highly  professional  support.  This 
type  of  participatory  approach  has  to  be  considered  as 
an  experiment.  Such  an  initiative  can  only  be  launched 
in an atmosphere of mutual trust between the key actors 
involved.  This  is  one  of  the  clear  benefits  of  the  joint 
discussions and partnership development processes which 
had taken place in previous years. In addition, the process 
is part of a longer-term perspective within the framework 
of the LAG development strategy.

Also,  the  explicit  focus  on  youth  in  rural  areas,  which  is 
stated in the guidelines for Leader+, encouraged the local 
Leader+  community  to  develop  and  adapt  innovative 
approaches targeting teenagers.

■

6. D uration

The project’s duration was 13 months. It started on 1 March 
2005 and ran until 31 March 2006. 

■

7. Budget

The total budget for the project was EUR 64 800, of which 
EUR 32 400 was from the EAGGF, EUR 18 792 from national 
public funding and EUR 13 608 from private funding.

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

B E L G I U M

Socio - economic  development   
of the  stone sec tor  in  rural areas

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 19 5 45  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 4 4 8 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 42  i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 4

The  four  municipalities  covered  by  the  LAG  Au  Fil  de  la 
Pierre  are  Bertrix,  Herbeumont,  Libin  and  Saint-Hubert, 
which  are  all  rural  areas  characterised  by  extensive 
woodlands, and are located in the middle of the Ardennes. 
This area is very much favoured by tourists because of its 
natural sites and walks in the valleys of the Rivers Semois, 
Lesse  and  Lhomme.  Together,  the  four  municipalities 
have rich natural resources that are very important for the 
region’s development.

Now,  as  in  the  past,  the  mineral  resources  are  utilised 
in  a  wide  range  of  ways  by  local  communities.  The  use 
of  stone  has  always  had  an  important  impact  on  the 
socio-economic and cultural development of the region. 
Cultural and artistic activities have been developed on the 
basis  of  the  stone  industry  and  have  largely  contributed 
to  employment  creation  and  the  enhancement  of  the 
attractiveness of the region. Stone resources include schist 
in Bertrix and Herbeumont, kaolin (Cornish stone) in Libin, 
and sandstone and limestone in Saint-Hubert.

The  local  strategy  builds  on  the  collective  historical 
traditions  centred  on  the  stone  industry.  The  strategy 
includes  promotional  and  pedagogical  activities  on  the 
basis  of  the  geological  heritage,  the  history  of  stone,  its 
exploitation and transformation, the development of the 
utilisation of stone for urban and architectural purposes, 
and the promotion of the use of stone in the construction 
and tourism industries.

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S o c i o - e c o n o m i c   d e v e l o p m e n t   o f   t h e   s t o n e   s e c t o r

Why is this project good practice?

The  project  has  a  strong  area-based  approach,  since  it 
builds  on  the  stone  industry  that  has  a  long  tradition  in 
the  rural  area.  The  mineral  resources  have  been  utilised 
in several ways in the four municipalities covered by this 
project  (Bertrix,  Herbeumont,  Libin  and  Saint-Hubert) 
both  in  the  past  and  also  today.  The  types  of  minerals 
always  depend  on  the  changing  conditions  of  the  rich 
underground nature of the area. The extraction and use of 
the wide range of stones have always had a considerable 
four  municipalities’  socio-economic 
impact  on  the 
and  cultural  development.  This  project  aims  to  create 
employment  through  promoting  activities  in  the  stone 
industry, which is an integral part of the rich cultural and 
historical heritage of the region.

The  four  pilot  municipalities  in  close  cooperation  with 
private  partners  of  the  LAG  are  testing  a  new  rural 
development  concept  that  has  been  developed  on  the 
basis  of  natural,  cultural  and  historical  strengths  and 
opportunities. The project follows an integrated approach, 
since it brings together various stakeholders, entrepreneurs 
and  artists  within  the  stone  industry,  involving  several 
stakeholders  in  the  promotion  of  the  area.  As  a  result,  it 
stimulates the creation of new activities in the region and 
creates new job opportunities.

The  strategy  followed  by  the  LAG  Au  Fil  de  la  Pierre  has 
several  transferable  elements.  The  four  participating 
municipalities  are  representatives  of  a  wider  group  of 
Wallonian  municipalities  that  are  working  with  stone 
materials.  The  activities  developed  by  the  project  are 
transferable  not  only  at  an  interterritorial  level,  but  also 
transnationally. The methodology of the project is flexible 
and  builds  on  synergies  between  local  actors  acting  in 
different fields. The methodology is based on the specific 
needs of the sector and strongly relies on the natural and 

cultural  resources  of  the  rural  area.  The  transferability  of 
the  project  approach  is  demonstrated  through  the  links 
that  are  currently  being  developed  with  the  LAGs  Botte 
du  Hainaut  and  Sources  et  Vallées  (Picardy,  France).  A 
cooperation project entitled ‘Éclats de pierre et de marbre’ 
(‘The  sparkle  of  stone  and  marble’)  is  currently  being 
developed by the partner LAGs with the aim of exchanging 
experience and knowledge about practices in the sector, 
and of adding value to the occupations and organisations 
working in the stone industry.

The  stone  (i.e.  the  main  natural  resource)  has  great 
potential  to  contribute  to  the  sustainable  and  integrated 
development of the rural area. The project carried out by 
Valbois RN and the LAG Au Fil de la Pierre has two major 
strengths:
•

on the one hand, it creates synergies of competences 
between the internal and external human and financial 
resources of the rural area;
on  the  other  hand,  through  the  development  and 
promotion of stone, the project improves knowledge 
of  the  material  and  its  use,  and  improves  creativity 
resulting  in  the  development  of  new  ways  of  using 
stone and the creation of new stone products.

•

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

The  main  purpose  of  this  project  is  to  generate  new  job 
opportunities  in  the  local  area,  through  the  creation  of 
arts  and  crafts  activities  and  the  improvement  of  local 
services.  In  addition  to  the  local  crafts  industry,  small 
and  medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs)  play  an  important 
role in local economic development. SMEs in the area are 
mostly  one-person  enterprises  or  self-employed  people 

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                  S o c i o - e c o n o m i c   d e v e l o p m e n t   o f   t h e   s t o n e   s e c t o r

S o c i o - e c o n o m i c   d e v e l o p m e n t   o f   t h e   s t o n e   s e c t o r

who  are  managing  individual  projects  independently 
of  one  another,  resulting  in  a  lack  of  links  and  synergies 
between  their  activities.  SMEs  generally  do  not  have 
access to specialised information or professional training, 
do not communicate with one another and do not carry 
out  joint  promotional  activities.  At  the  same  time,  these 
dynamic  SMEs  have  the  potential  to  create  employment 
opportunities in the local area.

Therefore,  this  project  aims  to  develop  the  local  socio-
economic situation, through:
•

the  creation  of  synergies,  links  and  exchange  of 
information  and  experience  among  the  professionals 
of the stone industry and other socio-economic actors 
in the region;
the  development  of  entrepreneurship  in  the  stone 
industry, which is of importance in the local area;
the setting-up of an ‘integration network’ in the stone 
industry  (through  provision  of  training,  improvement 
of  existing  activities,  socio-professional  reintegration, 
etc.).

•

•

■

2 .   M ain  ac tivities

The main activities of the project include:
•

providing  entrepreneurial 
tools  and  knowledge, 
assisting  existing  and  new  enterprises  in  improving/
developing  their  production  through  access  to 
specialised information; diversification; developing new 
skills in order to create new projects and products, and 
creating a favourable environment for the promotion 
of  new  job  opportunities  for  local  people  (including 
women and young people):
–

for this purpose, a range of conferences and thematic 
debates  are  organised,  and  personalised  services 
are  provided  to  enterprises,  and  specific  training 
modules  are  developed  with  the  participation  of 
IPES (Institut Provincial d´Enseignement Secondaire), 

•

•

•

•

employer organisations, the unemployed, workers 
and employees of SMEs;

promotional activities about the stone (highlighting its 
utilisation, knowledge and skills of enterprises and local 
artists of the industry), the development of a directory, 
which  presents  the  products  of  local  enterprises, 
various stone products and materials and their variable 
use; participation at fairs and exhibitions;
organisation of training visits and information meetings 
for builders, architects, etc. on the materials and their 
main  characteristics,  their  assets,  and  their  technical 
and architectural features;
setting up a stone industry network in order to identify 
complementarities among the various local activities;
offering specialised training responding to the specific 
training needs of the enterprises, in line with the special 
characteristics of the local market and area.

■

3.  Concrete output s and  result s

As a result of the project, local enterprises will be provided 
with  tools  to  improve  their  competitiveness.  The  project 
is expected:
•

to  create  a  favourable  environment  for  maintaining 
and  creating  new  job  opportunities  in  the  region, 
consolidating existing employment opportunities, and 
creating  new  opportunities  for  the  target  groups,  in 
particular for women and young people;
to 
developing new activities and products;
to increase the number of enterprises.

increase  the  turnover  of 

local  enterprises  by 

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

•

•

■

The project has not encountered any major difficulties. The 
activities are in line with the needs and expectations of the 
industry and the various socio-economic actors in the area. 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Au Fi l  d e l a Pi e r r e

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: Fr a n ço i s e G o d e n i r  a n d 
M a r i e - C a r o l i n e D e t r oz

Ad d r e ss:  R u e d e  l a Co nve r s e r i e  4 4 , B - 6 870 
S a i nt- H u b e r t

Te l . (32- 61) 29 30 81

Fa x (32- 61) 61  27 32

E - m a i l:  f. g o d e n i r@v a l b o i s . o r g 

(cid:31)
  m c . d e t r oz @v a l b o i s . o r g

(cid:31)

We b s i te: w w w.v a l b o i s . o r g

Illustrations provided by Valbois RN

However, there have been some difficulties in mobilising 
the  relevant  stakeholders,  and  their  participation  at 
the  various  events,  despite  the  relevance  of  the  topics 
selected for the needs expressed, has not been sufficient. 
Individual coaching seems to respond better to the needs 
of  the  sector,  because  it  addresses  the  specific  needs  of 
the SMEs in the sector. Therefore, in the future, more focus 
will be on the coaching method, and the event topics will 
be rationalised and directed more towards promotion of 
technical and qualitative use of the stone material.

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   

 of the  proje c t

The main objective of this project is to improve the local 
economic situation through the implementation of a highly 
integrated concept (i.e. development of new opportunities 
in the stone industry) in the four pilot municipalities. The 
main added value of Leader+ is in the methods proposed 
for achieving this objective. These methods combine the 
use  of  local  human,  natural  and  financial  resources  with 
the  use  of  external  expertise  in  order  to  improve  skills 
and knowledge of the local communities. These methods 
contribute to the improvement of local entrepreneurship 
through the development of socio-economic enterprises 
in the stone industry, which is the most important sector 
in the rural area.

■

6.  D uration

The project started on 1 January 2004 and will end on 31 
December 2007.

■

7.  Budget

The total budget for the project is EUR 495 600, of which 
EUR 223 200 is from the EAGGF, EUR 223 200 from public 
resources and EUR 49 560 from private resources.

16

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                  S o c i o - e c o n o m i c   d e v e l o p m e n t   o f   t h e   s t o n e   s e c t o r

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

D E N M A R K

Local  communit y planning

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 79  0 0 4  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1  8 81 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 42  i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 8

The  LAG  area  is  characterised  by  varied  landscapes  and 
rich natural resources, such as dunes, moorland, hills, river 
valleys,  forests,  coastal  areas  to  the  North  Sea  and  the 
‘Limfjord’.  Some  60 %  of  the  land  is  used  for  agriculture 
and  12 %  is  covered  by  forests.  Agriculture  and  fishing 
dominate  the  local  industry;  however,  trade  and  related 
services  remain  below  the  average  for  Denmark.  The 
main industries are wood, metal and crafts, such as SMEs 
working in carpentry.

The  educational  and  income  levels  are  also  below  the 
national average. The area is facing demographic problems, 
in particular as a result of the outflow of local people. 

Local communities and networks are supported within the 
framework of local development strategies. The main focus 
is on improvement of the quality of life and job creation, 
in  particular  in  the  fields  of  agricultural  innovation  and 
tourism.

Leader+ best practices

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                  L o c a l   c o m m u n i t y   p l a n n i n g

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

Why is this project good practice?

The  project  has  demonstrated  a  strong  partnership 
approach. The project content has been developed through 
the partnership of local governments and other key local 
stakeholders,  such  as  associations  and  businesses.  The 
project has involved a wide range of local stakeholders in 
the shaping of the future of their own local areas through 
discussions, joint strategic planning and implementation 
of action plans.

The project has been implemented through cooperation 
of  the  Danish  LAG  Limfjordsgruppen  with  the  Swedish 
LAG  Smålandsgruppen.  One  of  the  main  purposes  of 
the  project  has  been  to  promote  exchange  of  ideas 
and  experience,  not  only  among  the  participant  LAGs 
themselves,  but  also  among  the  key  stakeholders  of  the 
two LAG areas. So far, three transnational meetings have 
been organised in order to outline cooperation structures 
and processes, exchange experience about key challenges 
and problems, and design and implement strategic local 
action plans in response to local needs.

The project has followed an integrated approach through 
the involvement of local stakeholders from various sectors, 
such  as  tourism,  business  and  education.  The  project 
participants have worked with decision-makers from local 
government and community levels.

Innovative aspects of the project are particularly relevant 
in the local context. New methods have been established 
that give local governments and LAGs a stronger focus on 
development and realisation of integrated local strategies. 
Key  factors  of  local  development  have  been  identified, 
such as the role of citizens in shaping local development in 
Denmark, as compared with the role of local governments 
in  Sweden.  Innovation  is  created  through  the  mutual 
learning  process  between  the  Swedish  and  the  Danish 
partners.

Project description

■

1.  Brief  histor y of the  proje c t

The main purpose of this project was to develop a suitable 
‘portfolio of rural development activities’ in the local area. 
In  addition,  the  project  aimed  to  identify  and  develop 
cooperation with a suitable transnational partner that has 
similar development objectives in order to exchange ideas 

•

•

and experiences. Through transnational cooperation, the 
LAGs from Denmark and Sweden will also develop regional 
rural action plans for the programming period 2007–13. 

The local development strategy is implemented with the 
active  participation  of  local  stakeholders,  including  local 
governments,  local  businesses  and  tourism  associations. 
The  project  has  strengthened  local  development  by 
identifying  new  challenges  and  opportunities  and 
improving  local  working  tools  and  processes  with  the 
active  participation  of  local  people  and  interest  groups. 
Direct  contacts  have  been  developed  between  the 
relevant  stakeholders  of  the  two  partner  LAGs,  which 
further  strengthen  the  project  implementation  process 
and results.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The project was implemented in three main phases.
•

During  the  first  phase,  the  key  elements  and 
implementation structure of the project were outlined. 
The  most  suitable  cooperation  actions  and  models 
were  selected  (from  a  wide  range  of  proposals)  that 
created a common reference framework for partners.
During the second phase, action plans were developed 
for  local  governments.  At  the  various  meetings  and 
discussions,  Danish  and  Swedish  local  governments 
identified  the  main  elements  of  cooperation,  the 
allocation of resources, the priorities, and intervention 
areas.  As  a  result  of  the  transnational  exchange 
of  experience,  a  model  was  developed  for  the 
identification of local problems and possible solutions.
During  the  third  phase,  the  action  plans  were 
implemented  and 
reports  were  prepared.  The 
review  and  discussion  of  the  action  plan  results  have 
inspired local actors and created new ideas for further 
development.

•

•

Three transnational project meetings were also organised 
as follows.
•

The  first  meeting  presented 
research  findings, 
discussed  main  problems  and  challenges  in  the  two 
Leader+  areas  and  identified  ways  to  influence  local 
governments and other main local actors.
The second meeting discussed how challenges can be 
met by local governments, what the main intervention 
areas  and  actions  are,  and  how  the  activities  can  be 
organised.
The  third  meeting  presented 
developed by local governments.

local  action  plans 

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                  L o c a l   c o m m u n i t y   p l a n n i n g

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

D e n m a r k :   L o c a l   c o m m u n i t y   p l a n n i n g

■

3.  Concrete output s  and result s

As  a  result  of  the  project,  new  strategies  and  tools  have 
been developed that have contributed to integrated local 
development  in  rural  areas.  These  new  strategies  cover 
business  development  and  related  policy  issues  at  local 
government level. Strategies were implemented through 
action  plans,  which  covered  activities  and  initiatives 
in  smaller  rural  districts.  At  the  same  time,  the  project 
encouraged  the  active  involvement  and  cooperation  of 
local  governments  and  other  local  stakeholders  from  a 
wide range of sectors. The project also positively influenced 
the co-financing level of local development projects. Local 
associations and businesses are now taking a more active 
part  in  forming  local  development,  and  provide  more 
financial and human resources for local projects.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

The  project  has  addressed  key  problems  of  the  local 
area,  such  as  depopulation  and  the  closing-down  of 
local businesses. It has contributed to local development 
through  the  realisation  of  strategic  local  planning.  It  has 
also  managed  to  address  successfully  the  difficulty  of 
mobilising local resources for the implementation of local 
projects.

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of  the proje c t

The  project  has  largely  contributed  to  strategic  and 
integrated local planning and the coordinated actions of 
local  stakeholders,  which  would  not  have  been  possible 
without  Leader+  funding.  The  project  has  also  achieved 
the  realisation  of  concrete  local  actions  (such  as  the 
implementation of the micro-project entitled ‘Possibilities 
with hardwood’).

One of the major added values of the Leader+ programme 
is that it has created a strong networking and cooperation 
structure and ensured the exchange of experience among 
local  governments  and  key  stakeholders  from  a  wide 
range of local sectors.

■

6.   D uration

The  project’s  duration  was  almost  two-and-a-half  years. 
It  started  on  24  June  2003  and  was  completed  on  17 
November 2005.

■

7.   Budget

The total cost of the project was EUR 56 000, of which EUR 
28 000 was from the EAGGF and EUR 28 000 from national 
public funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Li m f j o r d s g r u p p e n

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: K nu d L a r s e n

Ad d r e ss: V i b o r g Co u nt y, S ko t te n b o r g 26 ,   
D K- 8 8 0 0 V i b o r g

Te l .  (45) 87 27 17 0 0 

Fa x (45) 8 6 62 6 8 62

E - m a i l: c r b mj @v i b a mt . d k

We b s i te: w w w. l e a d e r.v i b o r g a mt . d k

Illustrations provided by the LAG Limfjordsgruppen

Leader+ best practices

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

P r o   O u l u j ä r v i / P r o   L a k e   O u l u

F I N L A N D

Pro O ulujär vi/Pro  L ake  O ulu

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The  Oulujärvi  Leader  Ry  LAG  has  been  working  in  the 
rural development sector in Finland since 1996. The LAG is 
situated in an idyllic and remote region, which contains the 
fourth largest lake in Finland, Lake Oulu. The four seasons 
bring large differences in temperature ranging from warm 
summers up to 25 °C to – 30 °C in the winter.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 97 0 0 0  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 7 70 0 k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 5 

The LAG implements the Leader+ Community initiative in 
the area of Lake Oulu in Kainuu. The main theme of the LAG 
is to add value to local resources and to facilitate access to 
markets for small production units via collective actions. 
One  of  the  main  priorities  for  the  LAG  is  to  develop  and 
promote  local  tourism.  The  LAG  also  has  an  objective  to 
cooperate and raise competence between entrepreneurs 
in the programme.

Why is this project good practice? 
The  Lake  Oulu  project  has  successfully  rebranded  the 
region  and  has  addressed  the  area-based  approach.  By 
creating a common brand and marketing strategy for the 
region, and by getting local entrepreneurs to learn about 
one another’s products, the whole concept of Lake Oulu 
has been recreated.

Entrepreneurs  have  been  involved  in  the  planning  and 
decision-making  processes  from  the  start  of  the  project. 
Local  tourism  entrepreneurs  together  with  the  LAG 
initiated  the  project,  which  has  clearly  demonstrated  a 
bottom-up approach. All tourism enterprises in the region 
(about  30)  took  part  in  the  project  and  their  needs  for 
cooperation  and  development  were  clarified;  planning 
was carried out in accordance with the needs of the local 
entrepreneurs. 

tourism 

Promoting 
is 
local 
one  of  the  three  priorities  of 
the  development  programme 
of  the  LAG.  The  partnership 
approach  has  been  one  of  the 
main triumphs of the project as 
it has involved all local tourism 
enterprises in working together 
to  develop  common  actions 
for  the  region;  this  was  not 
noticeable  before  the  project. 
This has also been closely linked 
to  the  integrated  approach  as 
entrepreneurs  have  jointly  developed  visual  brands  and 
marketing activities to effectively promote the region at a 
larger national scale.

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

P r o   O u l u j ä r v i / P r o   L a k e   O u l u

The project has shown clear signs of transferability, since, 
during  the  project,  11  spin-off  projects  were  developed. 
The experiences of the project can easily be used in areas 
with similar characteristics, i.e. where small entrepreneurs 
want  to  join  forces  to  create  overall  common  economic 
benefits. 

Aspects  of  sustainability  were  already  visible  before  the 
project  finished.  A  Leader  project  began  in  November 
2005  in  the  municipality  of  Paltamo  to  further  improve 
tourism  networks.  The  networking  organisation  for 
tourism  enterprises  (Giants  of  Lake  Oulu)  continues  to 
cooperate within the region and it is intended that these 
enterprises  will  take  more  and  more  responsibility  for 
future marketing actions.

Project description

■

1.   Brief  histor y  of  the  proje c t

Lake Oulu is the fourth largest lake in Finland and tourism 
in  the  region  has  not  reached  its  potential.  This  project 
aimed  to  improve  cooperation  and  networking  within 
small tourism-related enterprises across four municipalities 
(Kajaani, Paltamo, Vaala and Vuolijoki) all surrounding Lake 
Oulu. 

Between  November  and  December  2003,  Kajaani 
University and the University of Oulu were involved in the 
project with a preliminary survey ‘uusia mahdollisuuksia’ 
(meaning ‘new opportunities’), which aimed to study the 
needs  of  local  tourism  enterprises  in  order  to  increase 
their  cooperation  and  networking  abilities.  As  a  result 
of the study, the development project Pro Oulujärvi (Pro 
Lake  Oulu)  was  created  in  order  to  address  the  needs  of 
local tourism enterprises. The objective of the project was 
to lay the groundwork for increasing the business volume 
of tourism enterprises in Oulujärvi via education, training 
and cooperation.

The  project  covered  a  number  of  measures,  including 
design  and  education  in  relation  to  the  brand  ‘Lake 
Oulu’,  marketing  development  of  the  Lake  Oulu  region, 
and  development  of  cooperation,  competence  and 
foundations of operations.

■

2 .   M ain  ac tivities

In order to make the region of Lake Oulu more attractive to 
tourists and to raise awareness of the region, enterprises 

created a common marketing brand for the Lake Oulu area 
for use in their marketing activities. By using this universal 
brand, it was easier to raise awareness of the region.

Throughout  the  project,  contacts  were  established  with 
international  tourist  agencies.  Articles  on  Lake  Oulu 
highlighting the region as a place to visit and enjoy were 
published at national and local levels in newspapers and 
promotional  magazines.  All  enterprises  were  willing  to 
raise  their  business  skills,  therefore  training  in  tourism 
and  marketing  issues  was  organised  for  entrepreneurs 
according to their needs. 

In order to improve travel links and develop local business 
travel in the area, the project organised joint meetings and 
training  opportunities  for  travel  entrepreneurs,  initiated 
projects  based  on  entrepreneurs’  ideas  (e.g.  local  area 
guides,  business-specific  investment  projects),  formed 
cooperation  groups,  and  created  a  universal  Oulujärvi 
website (www.oulujarvi.fi).

■

3.   Concrete output s and  result s

There  have  been  a  number  of  outputs  from  the  project, 
including the following.
•

A  joint  organisation  for  tourism  enterprises  (Giants 
of  Lake  Oulu)  was  developed.  This  was  organised  in 
such a way as to facilitate common activities after the 
completion of the project.
A  total  of  11  spin-off  projects  were  created  during  the 
timescale  of  the  project  according  to  the  needs  of  the 
entrepreneurs (e.g. guidebooks, information points, etc.).
The tourist region of Oulujärvi became better known 
in the main marketing arenas.
The  number  of  overnight  stays  and  level  of  tourism 
enterprises  in  the  region  increased  by  10 %  between 
2004 and 2005.

•

•

•

Leader+ best practices

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                  P r o   O u l u j ä r v i / P r o   L a k e   O u l u

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

•

•

•

Over  120  professionals  in  the  field  of  tourism  in  the 
Lake  Oulu  area  as  well  as  representatives  of  tourism 
agencies  visited  the  area  throughout  the  lifetime  of 
the project.
In all, 10 tourism articles on Lake Oulu were published 
in national newsletters and magazines.
A website and online booking system were launched 
in 2006.

‘Pro  Sea  of  Kainuu’  was 
Another  Leader+  project 
implemented in the region of Paltamo and builds on the 
foundations laid by ‘Pro Lake Oulu’. The aim of the project 
is to strengthen the facilities for common marketing in the 
region  of  Lake  Oulu  and  to  support  the  development  of 
enterprises that have limited facilities and experience.

■

4.  Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

The importance of engaging entrepreneurs to participate 
from the very early stages of the project was apparent; this 
gave them a sense of ownership of the project.
As  the  project  has  followed  a  bottom-up  approach, 
there  are  many  different  needs  and  requirements  of 
entrepreneurs;  more  resources  were  needed  to  really 
just  their 
benefit  these  entrepreneurs  rather  than 
involvement as project managers.

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

The idea to focus on common enterprises originated from 
the  local  action  group.  The  project  has  really  valued  the 
participation  of  entrepreneurs  from  the  outset  and  thus 
was  able  to  address  their  particular  needs  and  engaged 
their willingness to contribute.

The  preliminary  study  that  the  universities  carried  out 
(‘New possibilities’) was particularly helpful as it gave a clear 
picture of the needs and aspirations of the entrepreneurs. 
The idea of having a university partner was raised by the 
entrepreneurs themselves and therefore a good working 
relationship was formed. 

One of the main achievements of the project was that it 
succeeded in involving all tourism enterprises to work and 
network together rather than being isolated and working 
on  their  own.  This  project  has  greatly  improved  local 
tourism,  one  of  the  main  strategies  of  the  LAG,  and  the 
future  looks  bright  for  tourism  in  the  area  as  well  as  the 
continued cooperation among local enterprises.

■

6.   D uration

The project started in April 2004 and ended in September 
2005.

■

7.   Budget

The total budget for the project was EUR 110 667, of which 
EUR 38 733 was from the EAGGF, EUR 38 734 from national 
public funding and EUR 33 200 from private funding. 

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : O u l uj ä r v i L e a d e r  R y

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: Pi rj o O i k a r i n e n

Ad d r e ss:  K a l l i o k atu  4 , FI - 8710 0 K aj a a n i

Te l . (358 - 8) 616 32  15

Fa x (358 - 8) 616 32 16

E - m a i l:  p i rj o. o i k a r i n e n @ o u l uj a r v i l e a d e r.
co m 

We b s i te: w w w. o u l uj a r v i l e a d e r. co m

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s at i o n:  Un i ve r s i t y o f 
O u l u — K aj a a n i  Un i ve r s i t y Co n s o r ti u m

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: K i m m o  N i s k a n e n

Ad d r e ss:  S e m i n a a r i n k atu  2 , FI - 872 0 0 
K aj a a n i

Te l . (358 - 4 4)  750 07 22

Fa x (358 - 8) 632 4 8 81

E - m a i l:  k i m m o. n i s k a n e n @ o u l uj a r v i . f i 

We b s i te: w w w. o u l uj a r v i . f i

Illustrations provided by the LAG Oulujärvi Leader Ry

22

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                  P r o   O u l u j ä r v i / P r o   L a k e   O u l u

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

F R A N C E

Business creation  and 
business take over  competition

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The natural park of the Brenne region is situated in an area 
consisting of two major geographical features: the Grand 
Brenne, which is a first-class continental wetland consisting 
of a myriad of lakes (over 1 200 in total); and the valley of 
the Creuse in the south, which is far more undulating and 
characterised by dense forest landscapes.

Agriculture  is  the  main  economic  sector  in  the  region, 
consisting mainly of sheep and goat farming (Brenne lamb 
and Pouligny Saint Pierre — originally registered as a name 
for goat’s cheese) and fish farming in the lakes.

The main aim of the LAG’s strategy is to engage with young 
people  in  the  region.  In  particular,  the  LAG  encourages 
young homeowners and workers to come and live in the 
district.

Why is this project good practice?
The  area-based  approach  has  been  successfully  adopted 
as the project has addressed key issues and problems in 
a  thinly  populated  region  with  an  ageing  population,  as 
well as sought to prevent young people from leaving the 
region.  As  the  project  has  promoted  business  creation 
through the involvement of young people, it has provided 
an ideal solution to these problems.

The  project  partnership  was  structured  around  common 
practices  and  backed/run  by  the  park’s  association  of 
regional development. The project has made it possible to 
reinforce  an  already  existing  partnership  giving  support 
and  advice  to  project  promoters.  A  great  number  of 
organisations have been involved in the competitions, in 
particular at the evaluation stages. 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 31 075 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1  6 6 0  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 19 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m² 

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 47

The project has been innovative in most aspects. The whole 
competition  idea  has  generated  new  ideas  for  creating 
business  opportunities  in  the  area;  it  has  integrated  an 
educational  dimension  through  awareness  raising  and 
training  young  people  in  using  methods  to  construct 
economic projects.

Leader+ best practices

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                  B u s i n e s s   c r e a t i o n   a n d   b u s i n e s s   t a k e o v e r   c o m p e t i t i o n

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

It  is  possible  to  transfer  this  project  and  its  partnership 
working  methodology  to  any  organised  territory  that 
operates  an  economic  development  strategy.  By  using 
specific  tools,  it  has  brought  together  many  different 
elements (the competition, financial backing instruments, 
and advisory services) between the partners.

The  project  has  presented  strong  sustainability  features. 
It has had an entrepreneurial approach which has created 
an impact on the dynamics of business creation in the area 
and  has  therefore  provided  long-term  job  opportunities 
for young people.

Project description

■

1.   Brief histor y  of  the  proje c t

In  the  natural  park  of  the  Brenne  region,  companies  are 
made  up  almost  exclusively  of  crafts  and/or  commercial 
SMEs.  The  average  age  of  directors  reflects  the  general 
ageing  population  of  the  territory;  few  companies  have 
been  able  to  find  new  owners  and  many  shops  struggle 
to find staff. 

The LAG in Brenne natural park (parc naturel régional de 
la  Brenne  —  PNR)  recognised  this  problem  and  wanted 
to  send  out  a  message  to  let  people  know  that  there  is 
room  for  possible  business  creation  in  the  PNR  district, 
especially for younger workers. This led to the setting-up 
of  the  Leader+  ‘Business  creation  and  business  takeover 
competition’ project.

The  LAG  learnt  and  obtained  technical  information  from 
past  projects  (competitions,  studies  involving  young 
people, etc.). The Leader+ project was set up on the basis 
of these previous experiences at various stages. 
•

In  2001,  the  idea  was  developed,  and  started  by 
drafting  the  application  document  for  the  Leader+ 
programme.
Between 2001 and 2003, the main design of the project 
was undertaken (financial methods, technical partners, 
competition ideas). 
In 2003, there was an active search for financial partners 
and the project was launched.
In 2004, the competition took place with prizes awarded 
to the winners.

•

•

•

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

projects within the regional park); and students (who were 
asked to develop creative business ideas). The first group of 
young people was requested to run a project by creating 
or  developing  further  a  business  on  the  regional  park’s 
territory,  while  the  younger  students  undertook  weekly 
exercises to develop their business ideas through defining 
business activities and developing feasibility studies.

Projects from the young people and schoolchildren were 
then put before a selection committee. Selection criteria 
included coherence between the candidates’ profiles and 
the projects, originality and innovative ideas, contribution 
to  local  dynamism,  and  respect  for  the  environment. 
Various prizes were awarded in both categories.

■

3.   Concrete output s  and  result s

Key project results included:
•
•
•
•

30 candidates for the first section;
20 high-school students for the second section;
21 companies taken over or created;
38 jobs created or maintained.

The  project  that  won  the  overall  competition  was  a 
well-developed,  original,  and  particularly  well-thought-
out  application  dossier  aiming  to  create  a  company  to 
design and manufacture pieces of furniture from recycled 
cardboard. In this project, all elements required for a good 
project were considered; for example, a study of materials 
resistance, technical feasibility, etc. This is why the project 
was awarded first prize.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

The  project  experienced  some  problems.  For  example, 
difficulties  occurred  when  finalising  the  plan  to  finance 
the  operation  of  the  project,  which  led  to  a  delay  in  the 
project launch. Motivating and committing companies in 
the Brenne PNR region required much effort by the project 
promoters.

The involvement of local companies, in particular, required 
the  project  to  be  presented  several  times  before  they 
agreed to participate in it.

■

5.   The ‘ Leade r+  adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

The competition was aimed at two groups: young people 
under  the  age  of  36  (who  were  asked  to  implement 

The Leader added value of this approach lay in adapting 
an  existing  system  for  a  new  specific  target  group: 
young  people.  The  partnership  between  the  natural 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

park  of  Brenne  and  ADEP  (Association  for  the  Economic 
Development  of  the  Park)  has  largely  contributed  to  the 
economic development of the area. Sharing of experience 
within the framework of the federation of regional natural 
parks  also  contributed  to  the  success  of  the  project.  In 
particular, the expertise in organising contests brought in 
by the Livradois-Forez natural park was invaluable to this 
project.

■

6.  D uration

The  project  was  implemented  from  September  2003  to 
July 2004.

■

7.  Budget

The total budget for the project was EUR 92 181, of which 
EUR 46 090 was from the EAGGF, EUR 29 533 from national 
public funding and EUR 16 558 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Pa r c  N atu r e l  R é g i o n a l 
d e  l a  B r e n n e

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: J e a n - B a p t i s te  M a ss é

Ad d r e ss: M a i s o n d u Pa r c H a m e au d u 
B o u c h e t , F -3630 0 R os n ay

Te l .  (33) 25 4 2 8  12 12

Fa x (33) 25 4 37 56 9 6

E - m a i l: j b. m a ss e @ p a r c- n atu r e l - b r e n n e . f r

We b s i te: w w w. p a r c- n atu r e l - b r e n n e . f r

Illustrations provided by the LAG Parc Naturel Régional de 
la Brenne

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T h e   c o l o u r s   o f   t h e   n o r t h

F R A N C E

The  colours of the  nor th

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The Nord Martinique Leader+ group is based on the island 
of Martinique, which is located between the Atlantic Ocean 
and  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  island’s  economy  relies  on 
traditional agricultural production with fishing, fruit (such 
as bananas and pineapples) and vegetables flourishing in 
its tropical climate.

Local people are very proud of the island’s beauty, charm 
and  historic  sites,  which  attract  visitors  from  around  the 
world. In 1902, Mount Pelée erupted destroying the once 
thriving capital city of Saint-Pierre, as well as many other 
towns  and  villages  and  killing  many  inhabitants.  Since 
then,  the  island  has  relied  heavily  on  tourism,  although 
further restructuring is still required.

Northern Martinique has a weak economic structure and 
its economy is based on monoculture. There is an unequal 
development between northern Martinique and the rest 
of the island, and an imbalance between the Atlantic and 
Caribbean  coastal  areas.  The  island’s  limited  transport 
links  render  the  mobility  of  its  residents  as  well  as  the 
transportation of goods difficult. The social system on the 
island is also underdeveloped and causes problems.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 10 8 470 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 5 4 8 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 19 8 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 18

Martinique

is 

to 

reinforce 

tourism  by 
The  Leader+  strategy 
emphasising  structured  packages  and  offers  to  visitors. 
Other  aims  include  improving  the  island’s  quality  of  life 
and  reintroducing  business  into  the  city  to  give  new  life 
to arts and crafts. The LAG aspires to attract new people 
to the area.

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T h e   c o l o u r s   o f   t h e   n o r t h

Why is this project good practice?

The project has addressed the Leader approach in many 
ways.

The  area-based  approach  has  been  an  extremely  strong 
element  of  the  project.  It  has  been  addressed  through 
encouraging  the  younger  generation  to  understand  and 
participate  in  the  development  of  their  Leader  territory, 
whether this addressed environmental, historical, cultural 
or economic issues. The area is particularly well defined as 
it corresponds to the northern half of the island which is 
characterised by its volcano, its historical past and its rural 
farming.

The  bottom-up  approach  has  been  clearly  demonstrated 
as local actors and schoolchildren have been at the heart 
of  decision-making  processes  and  played  an  active  role 
throughout the project. 

The  project  has  addressed  the  partnership  approach 
as  the  Nord  Martinique  LAG  has  been  supported  by 
various  organisations.  These 
include  the  Association 
of  Municipalities  of  North  Martinique,  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce and Industry of Martinique, the Tourist Office 
of  North  Martinique  and  a  private  operator  APART  SARL 
that works to develop economic and tourism networks in 
rural areas.

The  project  partners  have  been  involved  in  the  project 
at various levels: in developing scenarios for film making 
(involving town halls, businesses, families and community 
groups);  with  regard  to  financing;  and  assisting  with 
In 
broadcasting  and  disseminating  project 
addition, the commitment and involvement of teachers in 
the project have played a significant role. 

results. 

The project has been innovative through the participation 
of pupils from different territories. The way that children 
from  various  municipalities  were  mobilised  in  order  to 
achieve  a  global  approach  and  reinforce  their  vision 
highlights the innovative aspect of the project. 

The integrated approach has been addressed as the project 
has  linked  a  diverse  range  of  actors  and  communities 
across  northern  Martinique  to  plan  and  jointly  share 
their  local  resources  while  also  recognising  problems  of 
development in the area. This collective working and the 
film development was intended to attract more tourists to 
the area.

Networking has been a key element of the project; pupils 
have  been  involved  in  mobilising  different  actors  in  the 
territory, parents have taken an interest in the project work 
and their region. The children have learnt from collective 
exchanges  and  have  created  a  dynamic  network  in  the 
community  where  they  aim  to  portray  the  image  of  the 
area.

The  operation  of  the  project  is  transferable;  it  would 
be  possible  to  extend  this  approach  to  out-of-school 
activities and to gain support from other types of partners. 
The  particular  nature  of  this  project  has  depended  on 
the  motivation  and  willingness  of  local  actors  and  their 
involvement in the project. It would be necessary to create 
these partnerships between socio-economic and cultural 
circles in order to create similar successful schemes.

The project has the potential to become sustainable as it is 
thought that for several years the short films will be able to 
be used as promotional support for northern Martinique. 
Other  lasting  effects  may  become  apparent  through  the 
local  communities  themselves  (children,  parents,  etc.)  as 
they truly feel part of their territory.

Project description

■

1.   B rief   histor y  of  the  proje c t

‘The  colours  of  the  north’  was  developed  as  part  of  an 
educational  project  aimed  at  schoolchildren  in  the  11 
municipalities  across  northern  Martinique.  It  was  based 
on reinforcing educational identities as it was recognised 
that  children  had  difficulties  in  relating  to  traditional 
educational  tools  and  to  the  area  in  which  they  lived. 
Teachers  were  trained  to  use  images  and  videos  and  to 
develop skills in writing scripts and stories by film makers.

The  project  team  wanted  to  contribute  to  the  territory 
and involve schoolchildren in a learning process by using 
their  immediate  environment.  This  was  done  through  a 
wide  range  of  sectors:  geographical,  historical,  cultural 
and economic. Children were introduced to topics such as 
the tourism in their area, views on the environment, how 
municipalities  are  formed,  and  the  history  and  heritage 
of their regions. The aim was to encourage and allow the 
children  to  describe  their  area  and  to  understand  their 
municipality  in  relation  to  its  past,  present  and  future. 
The  general  objective  was  to  stimulate  more  tourists 
to  visit  northern  Martinique  by  drawing  on  the  younger 
generation’s vision of their region.

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  T h e   c o l o u r s   o f   t h e   n o r t h

with using this high-tech equipment in order to progress 
with their training and education. The broadcasting of the 
films via the project website will be a particularly innovative 
aspect  of  the  project.  Teachers  have  identified  progress 
not only in the pupils’ self-awareness and relationship with 
the school, but also in their training. 

Using  film  as  the  final  outcome  of  the  project  has  made 
it possible to turn an educational activity into something 
fun; the films have added meaning to education and have 
also provided a concrete record for future generations.

Other results include the promotion of the region through 
the successful broadcasting of the films on TV networks. 
The  French  RFO-télé  network  recognised  the  originality 
of  the  project  and  has  broadcast  the  films  at  local  level 
through  its  network  of  satellites  in  Antilles/Guyana.  The 
films  have  been  broadcast  on  several  networks  during 
school  holidays  and  members  of  the  municipalities 
(including  economic,  social  and  political  actors)  have 
mobilised  themselves  to  offer  resources  to  transmit  the 
cultural and historical knowledge that was needed.

institutes 

Other  educational 
in  Martinique  have 
approached the managers of the project to draw on their 
experiences in running it so they can start similar schemes 
in their regions.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

The  project  did  not  encounter  any  major  problems.  The 
way in which local actors/municipalities and the children 
worked  together  in  decision-making  was  a  successful 
element of the project and this also led to reconciliation 
between 
local 
the  different  generations  and 
communities. All actors who were approached gave their 
full assistance to the project, which was invaluable for the 
project’s  success.  This  cooperation  and  support  helped 
with the dissemination of knowledge and reinforced local 
pride in the area.

the 

The  project  management  team  have  had  experience  of 
running projects after an event to mark the centenary of 
the  eruption  of  Mount  Pelée  in  2002.  During  this  event, 
resources  such  as  short  films  were  created  to  highlight 
the value of the area to participants and raise awareness 
amongst the communities and to prepare them for future 
activities.

Difficulties arose when combining these past project ideas 
with  the  Leader+  dynamic  approach  as  the  educational 
team  had  not  undertaken  any  initiatives  to  promote 
tourism in or the economy of their area. The Leader+ staff 
undertook a considerable number of educational activities 
to ensure that the project was successful.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The  main  activities  during  the  project  included  two 
phases.

Firstly, the children were asked to provide a description of 
their own local or regional area which included historical, 
architectural,  economic  and  environmental  aspects.  The 
children  were  then  asked  to  write  scenarios,  which  were 
followed  by  class  brainstorming  sessions  in  order  to 
generate a global image of their municipality. The children 
then  created  a  summary,  which  was  submitted  to  video 
professionals. 

The video professionals analysed the pupils’ manuscripts 
and  explained  how  they  were  going  to  create  the  films 
shot by shot. The children also played an active role in the 
film making by carrying out further research, interviewing 
local people, etc. The work resulted in the creation of 11 
short films, each being one to three minutes long.

Secondly, seven of the short films were reworked making 
use  of  professional  film  makers  and  educational  support 
from  the  teachers.  The  films  were  broadcast  to  a  wide 
audience  in  a  programme  intended  for  young  people; 
there  are  also  plans  to  televise  the  films  on  passenger 
planes  into  Martinique.  A  website  is  being  constructed 
which will present the whole project.

■

3.  Concrete output s  and  result s

The children have benefited from the educational elements 
of the project. It has allowed pupils to have access to new 
technologies  by  seeing,  using  and  understanding  film-
making equipment, computer technologies and the entire 
process of writing and completing a film. It was essential 
that the children understood and familiarised themselves 

28

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  T h e   c o l o u r s   o f   t h e   n o r t h

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+   
adde d value’   
  of  the  proje c t

This project has successfully provided 
a  boost  to  promoting  the  area.  The 
added value of the Leader approach 
lies in the technical expertise of the 
coordinating project team which has 
successfully mobilised local actors in 
producing  this  community  project. 
It has contributed to the creation of 
promotional  structures  and  this  has 
started  at  the  grass  roots  through 
involving 
local  communities  and 
children in the area.

Leader+ has been the first real tool of 
economic  development  introduced 
in  the  area.  It  has  clearly  benefited 
the  region  on  a  wide  scale  and  it  is 
hoped  that  publicity  from  the  films 
will lead to support and sustainability 
in the future. 

■

6 .   D uration

The project started in June 2004 and 
continued for 21 months finishing in 
March 2006.

■

7.   Budget

The  total  budget  for  the  project 
was EUR 56 944, of which EUR 31 434 
was  from  the  EAGGF,  EUR  17 580 
from  national  public  funding  and 
EUR 7 930 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : N o r d M a r t i n i q u e

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: D o m i n i q u e D e s ti n , 
B e at r i ce B e l co u a n d E d d y M a c a r i e

Ad d r e ss: 39, l o t . d e l a  M a r i e ,   
F - 97225 L e M a r i g o t , M a r ti n i q u e

Te l .  (59 6) 59 6 53 50 23

Fa x (59 6) 59 6 53 6 0 12

E - m a i l: l e a d e r p l u s . b b @w a n a d o o. f r cc n m .
l e a d e r p l u s @w a n a d o o. f r

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s ati o n s:   
L e Ce nt r e d e  R e ss o u r ce s d u  M o r n e R o u g e 
a n d G a l N o r d M a r t i n i q u e

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: E d d y M a c a r i e

Ad d r e ss: L o t . d e  l a  M a r i e ,   
F - 97225 L e M a r i g o t , M a r ti n i q u e 

Te l .  (59 6) 59 6 53 27  01

Fa x (59 6) 59 6 53 27  10

E - m a i l: cc n m . l e a d e r p l u s @w a n a d o o. f r

We b s i te: w w w. co u l e u r s d u n o r d . co m

Illustrations provided by the LAG Nord Martinique

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29

 
 
 
                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

T r a n s f e r   o f   k n o w - h o w   r e l a t e d   t o   n e w   m e d i a

G E R M A N Y

Transfer of k now- how relate d  to  new  me dia

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The LAG is situated in the Alpine upper land (Voralpenland) 
and has a rich cultural and natural diversity. The area has a 
strong crafts sector, hardly any industry and a weak service 
sector.  There  are  insufficient  employment  opportunities 
for young and elderly people. 

The  LAG´s  development  strategy  is  to  strengthen  the 
region by making better use of endogenous resources and 
to  provide  better  opportunities  for  the  population.  The 
main focus of the territorial and transnational cooperation 
project  has  been  to  improve  the  skills  and  know-how  of 
the population and to encourage the use of technology. 

Why is this project good practice? 

Networking  and  cooperation  have  been  important  ele-
ments  of  this  project.  Eleven  municipalities  initiated  the 
setting-up  of  a  joint  Internet  information  platform.  The 
project strengthened cohesion within the previously frag-
mented local tourism sector and in the public administra-
tive  services.  Children  cooperated  both  interregionally 
and internationally. Children’s awareness has been raised 
about the strengths and weaknesses of the 11 municipali-
ties.

The  project  has  had  an  area-based  approach.  It  has 
aimed  to  solve  a  local  problem  (lack  of  a  joint  website 
and  promotional  activity  of  the  area)  using  modern 
information  technology  (open-source  software).  The  use 
of  modern  information  technology  (IT)  has  particularly 
attracted  schoolchildren  to  the  project.  The  project  has 
improved  the  skills  and  know-how  of  local  people,  and 
the quality of life in the region through training resident 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 19 4 0 0 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 250  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 77 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 11

adults  in  using  and  managing  the  content  of  the  shared 
webspace  (residents  were  trained  to  edit  the  content  of 
the shared webspace, schoolchildren to edit the content 
of  the  ‘School-net’,  and  women  to  use  the  Internet  as  a 
source of information).

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T r a n s f e r   o f   k n o w - h o w   r e l a t e d   t o   n e w   m e d i a

The project has also followed a partnership approach. The 
LAG  supported  the  implementation  of  the  project  and 
coordinated  cooperation  with  public  administrations.  It 
also actively communicated the goals and achievements 
of the project to regional media. Teachers engaged in the 
project were publicly thanked and remunerated.

The  project  has  also  followed  an  integrated approach  by 
connecting various sectors of the regional economic and 
social sectors which were previously unconnected: 
•
•
•
•
•

education at public schools;
Internet service providers;
new media applications (open-source software);
municipalities’ marketing efforts;
natural/historical endogenous resources.

Project description

content. Open-source software has been used in order to 
create a shared Internet platform where local communities 
are presented in a standardised way.

The  project  also  aimed  to  promote  young  people  in  the 
region and for this purpose a transnational school project 
has  been  initiated.  Since  2003,  informal  contacts  have 
been  in  place  between  the  German  LAG  Auerbergland 
and the Swiss REGIO+ group Persönlichkeit Werdenberg. 
The two regions had similar development goals, including 
the improvement of quality of life and support for natural 
and  cultural  development.  During  the  first  meeting  in 
Switzerland,  the  idea  of  involving  schoolchildren  in  rural 
development was discussed intensively, which marked the 
first milestone of the project. Strengths and weaknesses of 
the two regions were elaborated, and the idea of involving 
children  in  horizontal  issues  of  regional  development 
(including  cultural,  historical  and 
socio-economic 
development) were explored. 

■

1.    Brief  histor y  of  the  proje c t

■

2 .   M ain  ac tivities

information  about 

The  purpose  of  the  project  was  to  create  a  common 
Internet-based website with the same system of content 
management  and  joint  promotion  approach  for  the  11 
municipalities in Auerbergland. Prior to this project, each 
Auerbergland  municipality  had  a  different  approach 
itself  on  the 
towards  providing 
Internet. If they did have a website, they all had a different 
focus  and  provided  varying  services  to  different  target 
groups.  The  southern  municipalities  provided  mostly 
tourist  information,  the  central  municipalities  provided 
information  to  both  tourists  and  residents,  and  the 
northern  municipalities  did  not  have  a  website  at  all.  An 
external service company has been employed to provide 
technical help for the setting-up of the website, and the 
local community has provided information to develop its 

The main activities of the project included:
•

creating  a  shared  database  for  Auerbergland  using 
open-source software; 
creating  a  shared  database  called 
Auerbergland’;
involving 
Auerbergland’;
training in ICT.

local  children 

‘School-net 

‘School-net 

in  using 

•

•

•

■

3.   Concrete output s  and  result s

The following are some of the outputs of the project.
•

A  shared  Internet  platform  (based  on  open-source 
software)  has  been  installed  by  11  municipalities 
information  to  residents 
providing  administrative 

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information  for  visitors  (one  or  two 
and  tourist 
administrators  are  responsible 
for  updating  the 
content of the sub-community pages, and there have 
been  contributions  from  some  further  150  people  to 
various sections of the website).
Eleven  schools  have  been  connected  in  cyberspace 
under  the  supervision  of  a  media  instructor.  Each 
school has presented itself to the others via the shared 
webspace.
Cooperation  between  the  Swiss  REGIO+  group  and 
the LAG has led to the establishment of the Internet-
based ‘School-net’ (module 1) and an exchange visit of 
schoolchildren (Schüleraustausch, module 2). Module 3 
is expected to extend the activities of modules 1 and 2 
beyond the borders of the two cooperation partners. 
Training  in  the  use  of  open-source  software  for 
schoolchildren  aged  6  to  11,  as  well  as  for  volunteer 
editors and other stakeholders.
Training in the use of ICT (including IT-based marketing, 
IT-based selling/distribution of goods) for a wide range 
of target groups including women in SMEs.

•

•

•

•

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+  adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

The  main  added  value  of  Leader+  is  that  it  creates  a 
common  strategy. 
In  this  project,  11  municipalities 
developed  a  strategy  of  how  to  use  modern  IT  software 
in  order  to  solve  problems  of  access  to  information  and 
access to new information technology.

■

6.   D uration

The project’s duration was approximately one year and 10 
months. It started on 15 February 2005 and was completed 
on 31 December 2006.

■

7.   Budget

The total cost of the project was EUR 115 114, of which EUR 
57 557 was from the EAGGF and EUR 57 557 from national 
public funding.

The following are some of the results of the project.
•

The shared database of Auerbergland incorporates all 
the information that is on the 11 individual websites.
Schoolchildren  (mostly  from  socially  disadvantaged 
backgrounds) get to explore international cooperation 
at  a  very  early  stage,  via  the  Internet  as  well  as  by 
travelling to a different country. This improves the self-
esteem  of  the  children  and  strengthens  the  overall 
regional identity.
A  new  network  between  residents  and  established 
training facilities was created.

•

•

■

4.   Proble ms  e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

Cross-linking and ensuring the identities of both partners:
•
•

to motivate teachers to use new technologies;
to  integrate  the  project  into  school  curricula  (with 
regard  to  the  learning  methodology  applied  and  the 
content to be taught).

Contact details of the LAG

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Au e r b e r g l a n d

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: R e i n h a r d  Wa l k

Ad d r e ss:  H au p t s t r a ß e 10 , D - 87672 
R oss h au p te n

Te l . (49 - 83)  679 13 9 0 24

Fa x (49 - 83) 679  13 9 0  25

E - m a i l:  ko o r d i n ati o n .wa l k@ t- o n l i n e . d e

We b s i te: w w w. au e r b e r g l a n d . d e

Illustrations provided by the LAG Auerbergland

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G E R M A N Y

Pe dagogical cooperation  and  e x tension 
of a  variet y of leisure  ac tivities 
as  a  means of preventive ac tion and qualit y management 
with   the  aim of building up and sustaining a regional 
consciousness in  rural  areas

Project context

Facts about the territory 

is 

located 

The  LAG  Fehngebiet 
in  north-western 
Niedersachsen,  a  relatively  isolated  part  of  Germany. 
Its  defining  physical  characteristics  are  large  plains  and 
moorland, with many rivers. As a result, it is very popular 
with cyclists, and has developed niche tourism for cycling, 
walking  and  water  tours.  Industrially,  the  region  has  a 
strong  potential,  with  low-priced  land  for  construction 
and a young labour force. However, unemployment is high 
despite  recent  progress,  and  the  region’s  geographical 
location  means  poor  accessibility,  especially  by  public 
transport,  thus  limiting  mobility  of  the  population  and 
visitor access.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 113 826 i n h a b i t a nt s 

Su r f a ce a r e a: 9 05  k m²

Population densit y: 125 inhabitants/km²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 10

The LAG’s development strategy aims to link tradition with 
modernity  and  innovation.  Its  focus  is  on  cooperation 
between  traditional  knowledge  and  new  know-how, 
between young and old, between men and women, and 
between  its  past  and  possible  future.  Its  objectives  until 
the end of 2006 were to preserve and promote moorland 
identity and culture, preserve and further develop typical 
landscape,  promote  the 
moorland  settlements  and 
moorland  area  for  tourism  and  leisure,  create  new  jobs, 
and encourage training and lifelong learning. 

Why is this project good practice?

This project has closely followed the area-based approach, 
since its underlying aim has been to encourage the identi-
fication of young people with the area they come from. 

The  ultimate  objective  has  been  to  create  a  stronger 
and  more  stable  regional  identity  among  the  youth 
of  the  area,  based  on  ties  with  Ostrhauderfehn  as  a 
unique  place:  culturally,  naturally,  and  historically. 
Regular working groups aim to bring alive the historical 

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and natural resources of the Ostrhauderfehn region, and 
activity  days  are  to  be  organised  where  young  people 
experience  sports-oriented  adventure  trips  into  nearby 
natural  and  cultural  heritage  sites  (e.g.  ‘moor  kids’  and 
‘fairy wood’ days).

responsible for the education of the area’s youth and frame 
a  common  strategy.  Many  of  the  activities  are,  however, 
unsustainable  since  the  local  community  cannot  afford 
to fund the outside expertise after funds run out, though 
some activities and the network itself could continue. 

The idea of joining the isolated pedagogical initiatives to 
form a common educational strategy for the region came 
from within the community, and thus can quite legitimately 
be  described  as  bottom-up.  Furthermore,  it  was  through 
local capacity in the form of voluntary work by which the 
common strategy was developed.

This  project  has  relied  on  a  diverse  and  close  partnership 
and  has  been  supported  strongly  by  the  local  action 
group, which has acted as the external contact point. The 
partners of the project were: a theatre school; two religious 
communities; three sports clubs; seven schools; one adult 
education  institute;  and  four  kindergartens.  A  steering 
group also existed, made up of: the police of the city of Leer; 
a  school  psychologist;  the  University  of  Oldenburg;  drug 
counselling  institutions;  education  consultants;  and  the 
municipal social and health services department. Moreover, 
the time resources of these partnership and steering group 
members were not financed from the project budget. 

The innovative aspect of the project has been the focused 
joint dialogue of hitherto scattered institutions targeting 
the  same  young  people  in  the  area,  thus  bringing  new 
working  methods  to  education  for  a  common  purpose. 
It is also an integrated activity, since different actors from 
schools  to  religious  communities  and  the  police  have 
cooperated, especially on the ‘Cooperation for prevention’ 
initiative. 

Although  no  formal  cooperation  project  was  deemed 
to  be  appropriate  to  this  initiative,  there  was  informal 
cooperation  with  a  Brazilian  community  development 
organisation,  including  a  visit  of  Brazilian  trainers  in  the 
project’s ‘world week’. 

An  intelligent  management  structure  was  established, 
whereby the administration of the project has been carried 
out  by  the  municipality,  freeing-up  volunteers  to  fully 
concentrate on coordination. The budget has financed the 
costs of ‘animators’/trainers/facilitators and other external 
experts,  money  which  would  usually  not  have  been 
available from the municipality, thus highlighting the key 
role of Leader in the area. 

Project description

■

1.   B rief  histor y of  the  proje c t

A  concern  in  the  community  arose  by  statistics  showing 
that 20 % of children are ‘at risk’ during their development 
as  young  people,  leading  to  possible  social  problems, 
including crime. The main educational institutions in the 
region decided to jointly analyse the situation for young 
people  in  the  area.  As  a  result,  they  launched  a  plan  of 
cooperation,  across  institutional  boundaries,  to  improve 
pedagogical support for young people, and nurture social 
bonding  with  their  home  region,  which  should  reduce 
the number ‘at risk’. The ultimate aim was to create more 
stability for young people and a stronger regional identity 
based  on  ties  with  the  Ostrhauderfehn  region,  which 
is  a  culturally,  physically  and  historically  unique  place. 
This  would  be  done  through  developing  a  regionally 
grounded  self-esteem,  making  young  people  think  of 
Ostrhauderfehn  as  a  ‘place  worth  living  in’,  and  giving 
them trust in the future. This ‘Cooperation for prevention’ 
initiative was proposed by the educational institutions of 
the region, which together applied for Leader+ funding.

■

2 .   M ain  ac tivities

There have been four main interrelated activities connected 
to this Leader+ project:
•

creation  of  an  innovative  network  of  cross-sector 
educational  facilities  in  the  region  that  target  young 
people  (including  schools,  religious  communities, 
kindergartens, sports clubs and the police);
leisure activities for different target groups at various 
ages (e.g. thematic action days, working groups); 
a support structure (counselling) for young people at 
risk from social problems;
up-to-date  pedagogical  training 
educational tasks.

for  adults  with 

•

•

•

■

3.   Concrete output s  and  result s

A major strength of this project has been its transferability, 
since  any  community  can  try  to  bring  together  those 

The project has created the following concrete outputs:
•

improved  communication  among  all  educational 
facilities of Ostrhauderfehn;

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•

•

•

youth training to develop strengths and skills outside 
the usual educational curricula, such as exploring arts 
and sports;
targeted  training  for  those  responsible  for  youth 
education;
activity days.

The results to date have been:
•

a support structure of 40 to 50 working groups for young 
people and adults with educational responsibilities;
pedagogical  training  for  employees  of  educational 
institutions;
a website for young people;
a counselling service for children at risk.

•

•
•

After two years of active cooperation of local educational 
institutions, the police noted that young people (10 to 16 
years  old)  were  committing  less  crime  than  before  the 
start of the Leader+ project. While it is difficult to measure 
the  contribution  of  the  project  exactly  to  this  reduction 
in  crime,  it  seems  highly  likely  that  the  efforts  of  the 
educational  network  had  a  role  to  play,  since  the  young 
people  too  have  entered  into  a  network  of  cooperation 
and become less isolated.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

The limited budget only stretched to the costs of trainers/
animators/tutors, and professionals could not be employed 
to coordinate the project. What seemed to be an obstacle 
to  begin  with  was,  however,  resolved  through  voluntary 
work,  which  also  made  the  project  more  participatory 
and bottom-up. However, there is now a problem of non-
sustainability  for  some  of  the  activities,  which  rely  on 
outside funding. 

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   

 of the  proje c t

This Leader+ project allowed the community to sit down 
and  think  about  youth  policies  in  their  geographical 
territory. It was a learning process, whereby entertainment 
activities for young people turned into effective counselling 
for  those  at  risk,  which  contributed  to  a  reduction  in 
social  problems,  including  crime.  Targeting  both  young 
people and those responsible for their education through 
pedagogical  support  proved  to  be  an  effective  formula 
and truly added value to the community. 

■

6.   D uration

The project started at the beginning of 2003 and finished 
after four years in December 2006.

■

7.   Budget

The total budget for the project amounted to EUR 188 040, 
of which EUR 91 047 was from the EAGGF and EUR 96 993 
from national public funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : L AG Fe h n g e b i e t

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: An d r e a Co l l m a n n

Ad d r e ss: Fr i e s e n s t r a ß e 3 4/ 36 ,  D -26789 
L e e r

Te l .  (49 - 491)  926 17 01

Fa x (49 - 491) 926 18 8 8

E - mail: kontak t@leaderplus-fehngebiet .de

We b s i te: w w w. l e a d e r p l u s - f e h n g e b i e t . d e

Illustrations provided by the LAG Fehngebiet

Leader+ best practices

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H o n e y   p r o c e s s i n g   a n d   s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n   u n i t

G R E E C E

Honey processing  and  standardisation  unit

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The  island  of  Leros  is  part  of  the  12  major  Dodecanese 
islands along the coast of Turkey, south-east of the Greek 
mainland.  It  is  located  in  the  north-western  part  of  the 
archipelago, between the islands of Patmos and Kalymnos. 
The island has many hills and low mountains and has one 
of  Europe’s  richest  varieties  of  flowers.  The  island  has  a 
mild and pleasant climate without great fluctuations and 
has  a  varied  landscape,  clean  waters,  stunning  beaches, 
large bays and a very attractive capital. 

Although  the  fishing  sector  is  relatively  developed,  the 
geology  of  the  island  and  absence  of  significant  water 
resources  limit  agricultural  development,  particularly  in 
the summer months. The hospital for mental illness is an 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 97 52 0 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 2 511  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 39  i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 23

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H o n e y   p r o c e s s i n g   a n d   s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n   u n i t

important  employer  in  the  area;  however,  recently,  the 
number  of  patients  has  decreased.  Since  Leros  is  host 
to  a  mental  hospital  for  the  most  intractable  psychiatric 
cases, an asylum for mentally handicapped children and a 
military base, it is not the archetypal Greek island, although 
it has recently become a base for sailing trips to the coast 
of Turkey and the other Dodecanese islands.

The  main  focus  of  the  territorial  cooperation  project 
has  been  to  add  value  to  the  local  products  (i.e.  honey), 
and  make  best  use  of  the  endogenous  resources  of  the 
island. The project has tried to provide employment and 
income to an excluded group of local people, it has built 
on equal opportunities and has enhanced social cohesion 
by  creating  links  between  the  local  population  (many  of 
whom  are  working  in  the  hospital)  and  the  psychiatric 
patients.

Why is this project good practice?

The  project  has  had  an  area-based  approach,  since  the 
initiative  has  built  on  endogenous  resources.  The  area’s 
profile has been enhanced by supporting local producers, 
improving  the  quality  and  marketing  of  their  products 
and developing local human resources. The initiative has 
created jobs for people with psychosocial difficulties. 

This bottom-up project was initiated by the honey farmers 
of Leros. They needed to add value to their raw product 
through processing, quality control and marketing, but had 
neither  the  time  nor  facilities.  They  approached  the  Koi.
S.P.E. cooperative, which buys their honey and undertakes 
the processing and certification.

The  project  has  also  followed  a  strong  partnership 
approach.  The  Ando  LAG  had  an  essential  role  in  the 
development  of  the  project.  It  assisted  Koi.S.P.E.  (the 
project  sponsor)  in  the  development  of  ideas,  identified 
a  company  to  assess  the  characteristics  of  the  honey 
produced  and  determined  how  producers  could  access 
certification. Koi.S.P.E. members knew little about product 
quality or marketing opportunities outside the island.

The initiative has managed to improve the operation of the 
local mental hospital in an innovative way. The project has 
successfully combined the development of local products 
with support provided for psychiatric patients, which has 
been a unique approach.

Furthermore,  the  project  has  demonstrated  a  strong 
networking  and  cooperation  approach,  as  it  has  brought 

together a wide range of actors (i.e. local honey producers, 
the state mental hospital and psychiatric patients) for the 
benefit of all. This has strengthened networking activity on 
the island of Leros, particularly amongst honey farmers. At 
the same time, efforts have been made to link the relevant 
stakeholders from outside the island in order to establish 
quality certification and improve market access. 

Project description

■

1.   B rief   histor y  of  the  proje c t

The  project  has  represented  a  new  pathway  to  social 
inclusion for people with psychosocial disabilities and has 
served both therapeutic and business purposes. 

In 1958, the Greek Government established the Leros state 
mental  hospital.  The  hospital  had  been  lagging  behind 
compared with other European hospitals until its reform 
in 1990, which aimed at improving services in psychiatry. 
The reform, however, led to the reduction in the number 
of psychiatric patients.

In  1999,  the  Greek  Government  established  a  legal 
framework in support of social cooperatives as part of the 
general mental health reform programme. 

The  decline  in  employment  on  Leros,  following  the 
reduction in numbers of psychiatric patients at the Leros 
state  mental  hospital,  and  the  desire  to  find  ways  of 
sustaining the recovery of the psychiatric patients led to 

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H o n e y   p r o c e s s i n g   a n d   s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n   u n i t

the formation of the cooperative Koi.S.P.E. in 2002. Some 
of the founding members were employees (occupational 
therapists) of the hospital who wished to extend the scope 
of therapy by responding to the needs of the patients as 
they  recovered.  Koi.S.P.E.  began  therapeutic  activities  in 
agriculture  and  catering  and  established  contacts  with 
the  honey  producers’  association  of  Leros.  The  island 
has  an  abundant  amount  of  premium  quality  thyme 
honey,  but  local  producers  were  unable  to  organise  and 
afford standardisation, packaging and distribution of the 
product. The social cooperative together with the honey 
producers’  association  set  up  the  honey  processing  unit. 
The honey producers supply the cooperative with honey 
for a certain price and Koi.S.P.E. processes it according to 
European hygiene standards (HACCP) and brings it to the 
market.

Members  can  be  persons  with  psychosocial  disabilities, 
employees in the mental health sector and other natural 
persons or organisations. A balance must be established 
between the business strategy and social targets in order 
to ensure the future growth and the viability of the new 
venture. With a membership of 450 and with 40 employees, 
the cooperative has a firm base with which to extend its 
activities.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

A  honey  processing  and  standardisation  unit  has  been 
created  by  the  Koi.S.P.E.  social  cooperative  for  people 
with  psychosocial  disabilities  on  the  island  of  Leros.  The 
project’s main activities were:
•

job creation and the social and working rehabilitation 
of people with psychosocial disabilities;
promotion of Koi.S.P.E. and its objectives;
addressing the economic viability of the organisation’s 
range of activities;
helping to reinforce the local economy;
promotion of social activities in the Dodecanese; 
promotion of Leros’s local products.

•
•

•
•
•

•
•

•

•

•
•

•

promotion of Koi.S.P.E. and other social partnerships; 
local  honey  producers  and  the  whole  local  economy 
being  supported  and  introduced  into  new  activities: 
two  new  young  farmers  have  already  started  honey 
producing activity;
a  new  occupation  being  created  for  people  with 
psychosocial disabilities;
increase  in  and  guarantee  of  quality  of  the  honey 
(HACCP certification);
the project being put forward for a national award;
the  competitiveness  of  the  local  economy  being 
improved;
inequalities  being  reduced  by  providing  quality 
employment for a disadvantaged group.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

Problems encountered

Initially, there were difficulties in gaining local support for 
the cooperative as it was seen as a ‘socialist’ initiative by 
the conservatives who controlled local politics at the time. 
They acted only within their legal responsibilities, and did 
not provide all the support needed. 

In  addition,  the  founders  of  the  cooperative  were 
occupational therapists and not business people. They first 
had to develop new business skills and needed support to 
learn about rules, priorities and quality standards. It also 
proved challenging to coordinate the demands for therapy 
and business. At the same time, exploring markets outside 
Leros also proved to be a challenge, partly because of the 
island’s  geographical  isolation,  and  partly  because  of  a 
lack of knowledge of marketing.

Lessons learnt

It  is  important  to  seek  expert  help  when  embarking  on 
unfamiliar territory, for example specialised help from the 
LAG regarding quality standards and marketing advice.

The main purpose of the unit is to create quality standards 
for the honey that is supplied by producers of the island of 
Leros, and to distribute it to local and other markets.

■

5.   The ‘ Leade r+  adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

■

3.  Concrete output s  and  result s

Outputs of the project include:
•

creation  of  five  jobs:  since  2004,  two  people  with 
psychosocial  disabilities  and  three  employees 
in 
the  mental  health  sector  have  been  employed  for 
approximately four to six months per year;

Leader+  provided  a  framework  for  development  and 
support that was in line with the social and business aims 
of the Koi.S.P.E. cooperative, at a time when it was difficult 
to find the same support from other local institutions. The 
LAG helped with establishing contacts and provided the 
necessary expertise without which the project would not 
have  been  realised.  The  use  of  Leader+  funding  to  raise 

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H o n e y   p r o c e s s i n g   a n d   s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n   u n i t

the level of Koi.S.P.E.’s activities in honey processing and 
related activities has strengthened the local organisation 
and developed its expertise in management and its ability 
to concentrate and develop local indigenous resources.

■

6. D uration

The project’s duration was one year and eight months. It 
started in May 2004 and ran until December 2005. 

■

7. Budget

The total budget for the project was EUR 45 730, of which 
EUR 22 850 was from the EAGGF, EUR 6 885 from national 
public funding and EUR 15 995 from private resources.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : An d o L AG

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: Ste l i os  Ko u t r i s   a n d 
Ko n s t a nti n os  Zi f os

Co nt a c t p e r s o n f o r  co o p e r ati o n  p r oj e c t s: 
Pa r a s kev a s K a k a s

Ad d r e ss: 2 8 t h O k tov r i o u  St r e e t  72 ,   
G R - 8510 0  R h o d e s

Te l .  (30) 22 41 07 53 23

Fa x (30)  22  41  07  53 24

E - m a i l: a n d o @a n d o. g r   
l e a d e r p l u s @a n d o. g r

(cid:31)

We b s i te: w w w. a n d o. g r

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s ati o n: Ko i . S . P. E . 
(s o c i a l  co o p e r ati ve o f  t h e  D o d e c a n e s e 
i s l a n d s ’ m e nt a l h e a l t h s e c to r)

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: An d r e a s  G e o r g i o u a n d 
C a r o l i n a Va e s L e p i d a

Ad d r e ss: G R - 85 4 0 0 L e r os

Te l .  (30) 22 47 02 8 0 16

Fa x (30)  22  47 02 8 0  15

E - m a i l: e d l2 0 0 0 @ o te n e t . g r

We b s i te: w w w. ko i s p e . g r

Illustrations provided by the Ando LAG and Koi.S.P.E.

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I R E L A N D

Schola transnational  projec t

Project context

Facts about the territory 

Deriving  its  name  from  the  ancient  Barony  of  Duhallow, 
this  rural  region  spans  north-west  Cork  and  east  Kerry. 
Its  people  are  renowned  for  their  resourcefulness. 
Traditionally an area of small dairy farms, Leader has been 
a driving force in diversification into micro-enterprise, and 
celebration of local culture and heritage.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 30 0 0 0  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1 8 0 0 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 17 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 4

Why is this project good practice? 

The  project  follows  an  area-based  approach.  The  five 
schools  participating  in  the  project  are  located  in 
remote  rural  areas,  with  similar  socio-economic  and 
demographic profiles. They have similar needs, and have 
common perceptions on the types of responses that are 
appropriate  in  their  communities.  The  catchment  areas 
of  the  schools  are  almost  co-terminus.  In  addition,  the 
schools are all in the more marginalised parts of the LAG 
catchment  territories.  Located  in  interior  and  upland 
parts  of  Spain,  CIDER  Prepirineo  and  Integral  have  had 
to contend with rural depopulation and service cutbacks 
in  their  territories.  This  common  experience,  together 
with  similarities  in  terms  of  a  Leader-led  development 
of  local  resources  and  social  capital,  as  well  as  learning 
from the pilot Schola project, gave the LAGs a joint base 
from which to further the Schola project and cooperate 
in other areas.

The project activities are very much governed by a commu-
nity  development  bottom-up  approach.  This  means  that 
genuine participation is encouraged. Each LAG has com-
mitted to helping students, parents, teachers and commu-
nity representatives to participate, so as to maximise the 

4 0

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S c h o l a   t r a n s n a t i o n a l   p r o j e c t

involved 

impact.  Parents 
project 
and  the  wider  rural  com-
munity  are 
in 
all  aspects  of  the  project, 
including attending work-
shops,  participating 
in 
training,  devising  school 
policies,  interterritorial  and 
transnational  exchanges, 
planning  and  evaluation. 
Volunteers  also  play  an 
important role in the pro-
ject  (involvement  of  93 
volunteers so far).

Interterritorial 

The  project  is  carried  out  through  the  partnership  of  a 
wide  range  of  local  actors:  schools,  teachers,  volunteers, 
cooperation 
students  and  parents. 
facilitated  by  the  LAGs  has  enabled  the  five  schools  to 
establish their own network or cluster. This arrangement 
allows  headteachers  to  exchange 
information,  swap 
ideas  and  consult  with  one  another  on  teaching  and 
management issues. Moreover, clustering activities bring 
parents  together.  They  strengthen  the  role  of  parents’ 
associations  in  contributing  to  school  and  community 
development and intensify citizen participation.

The  project  has  several  innovative  aspects.  By  engaging 
schools  in  rural  development,  it  involves  a  wide  range 
of  actors,  who  are  often  overlooked  in  more  traditional 
approaches. The project has introduced new concepts in 
primary school education, and has enhanced the delivery 
of  the  curriculum  in  rural  schools,  through  the  piloting 
of  aspects  of  the  Spanish  education  system,  and  the 
promotion of knowledge transfers between schools.

In advance of engaging in specific transnational projects 
with Spanish LAGs and schools, the LAG IRD Duhallow and 
the schools in its catchment area recognised the merits of 
cooperating with neighbouring LAGs. The partner LAGs in 
Ireland,  (West  Cork  Leader  and  Tuatha  Chiarraí)  have  an 
equal role in decision-making and strategic management 
to that of IRD Duhallow. As a result of Schola interterritorial 
actions,  the  three  Irish  LAGs  are  collaborating  in  an 
increasing  number  of  areas,  such  as  heritage,  cultural 
development and environmental conservation.

Transnational  networking  between  Ireland  and  Spain 
is  the  factor  that  has  generated  the  most  added  value 
to  the  project.  As  a  result  of  transnational  contacts  and 
a  study  visit,  the  project  participants  are  piloting  and 
implementing aspects of practice that they have observed 

and studied in each other’s country. Furthermore, they 
are  exchanging  information  on  policy  approaches, 
with a view to sustaining mainstream support for and 
participation  in  a  holistic  approach  to  education  in 
rural settings.

The LAGs and the project participants have undertaken a 
number of actions aimed at transferring knowledge from 
Schola. An annual ‘feedback session’ targets all schools 
in the region, and updates them on progress and lessons 
learnt. This session also provides a forum for discussion 
with  other  schools.  The  schools  use  forums  such  as 
teachers’ unions to disseminate specific knowledge.

Several  aspects  of  the  Schola  project  are  transferable  to 
other  LAG  areas.  The  concept  of  clustering  offers  rural 
schools and communities a means of overcoming isolation 
and  disadvantage.  Indeed,  this  concept  can  be  applied 
in  other  sectors,  such  as  farming,  in  SMEs  and  among 
community groups. Community development approaches 
to  ensuring  parental  participation  in  education  are  very 
transferable, and can be applied at primary and secondary 
levels.

Project description

■

1.  B rief   histor y of   the  proje c t

The  current  Schola  project  builds  on  a  pilot  action 
undertaken  by  IRD  Duhallow  and  two  Spanish  LAGs, 
CIDER Prepirineo and Integral, at the end of Leader II. This 
pilot  action  confirmed  the  merits  of  promoting  linkages 
between  small  rural  schools  both  interterritorially  and 
transnationally.  The  project  also  builds  on  a  series  of 
local  development  actions  undertaken  by  IRD  Duhallow, 
including  the  establishment  of  a  network  of  primary 
school principals, preventive education projects in primary 
schools,  training  for  parents’  associations,  information 
workshops and the development of youth organisations.

Parallel  actions  promoted  by  IRD  Duhallow’s  Community 
Development  Working  Group  addressed  the  issues  of 
rural  depopulation  and  the  subsequent  withdrawal  of 
vital  public  services  in  marginal  rural  areas.  The  working 
group  recognised  the  rural  school  as  the  most  essential 
of  all  services,  and  the  one  on  which  the  sustainability  of 
others  was  often  based.  In  order  to  promote  sustainable 
community  development,  and  to  halt  rural  depopulation, 
the LAG actively promotes projects that enhance quality of 
life, and make rural areas attractive places in which to live.

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S c h o l a   t r a n s n a t i o n a l   p r o j e c t

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

All actions are overseen by a project steering group, which 
brings  together  representatives  of  the  three  Irish  LAGs 
and  the  five  schools.  The  steering  group  has  devised  a 
detailed  two-year  work  programme  (2004–06)  including 
information 
language 
classes, resourcing of locally based projects, development 
of  transnational  linkages,  participation  in  transnational 
study  visits,  clarification  of  policy  objectives,  facilitation 
of  contacts,  collaboration  on  studies  and  research,  and 
information dissemination.

seminars/workshops,  Spanish 

Teachers work with their counterparts in Spain exchanging 
information  about  the  respective  curricula  and  teaching 
methods.  In  2004,  the  teachers  met  to  design  training 
material  with  the  aim  of  enhancing  the  children’s 
appreciation  of  their  local  environment  and  community 
(with special focus on local interest, community resources, 
and  historical  and  cultural  features).  A  web  page  was 
developed  by  the  Spanish  partners  to  maintain  ongoing 
contact between project participants.

Children, teachers and parents in Ireland learnt Spanish and 
studied  the  history  and  culture  of  Spain  in  preparation  for 
a study visit in March 2005 when a group of children, their  
teachers  and  parent  representatives  travelled  to  CIDER 
Prepirineo  (Aragon 
in  northern  Spain)  to  meet  their 
counterparts  from  two-  and  three-teacher  schools  and  to 
present the results of their work.

During 2005, workshops 
were  held  throughout 
the  year,  which  were 
attended  by  parents 
and  teachers.  Speakers 
were  invited  to  make 
presentations  on  vari-
ous  topics  of  relevance 
to  the  clustering  and 
Schola  themes  (inclu-
ding  presentations  on 
the  Spanish  education 
system,  the  role  of  the 
small rural school, the cultural and historical links between 
Cork, Kerry and Spain, and child development).

The seminar on the Spanish education system introduced 
the Irish LAGs and schools to the system of colegios rurales 
agrupados (CRA — clusters of rural schools), which operates 
in Spain under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and 

Culture. Under this system, the ministry employs qualified 
teachers, who are experts in a particular field, for example 
music,  drama,  art,  ICT,  English/French/Arabic,  etc.,  and 
who travel between rural schools.

Since  the  start  of  the  academic  year  in  September  2005, 
the Irish schools have been piloting the CRA system, using 
resources  from  the  Leader  programme,  in  conjunction 
with  a  bursary,  which  they  received  from  the  IPPN  (Irish 
Primary Principals’ Network). Experts have been recruited 
in the areas of drama, art and physical education (for the 
summer) and they have visited schools and implemented 
workshops for teachers and children. 

The  schools  held  joint  in-service  days  and  seminars 
facilitated by experts for students, their parents and school 
staff  and  management.  They  have  pooled  resources  to 
address issues such as healthy eating. They have promoted 
parental  involvement  by  convening  community-based 
workshops  on  relevant  social  topics, 
including  RSE 
(relationships  and  sexuality  education)  and  substance 
abuse.  The  workshops  provide  a  forum  for  information 
dissemination and consultation, and they enable schools 
to develop and enhance new and existing policies.

■

3.  Concrete  output s and  result s

Overall  the  project  has  achieved  the  following  main 
results.
•

It  has  supported  linkages  among  various  schools  (at 
interterritorial and transnational levels).
It has been implemented through a strong participatory 
approach,  encouraging  the  active  involvement  of 
students, teachers and parents.
It  has  delivered  a  wide  range  of  services  (language 
courses, workshops, study visits, etc.) to a wide range 
of local stakeholders.

•

•

Five Irish schools (with 12 teachers) are participating in the 
project  (Cloghoula,  Cullen,  Kilcorney,  Kilmurry,  Carraig-
an-Ime),  which  have  been  selected  from  36  schools  in 
the  catchment  area.  These  schools  are  working  with 
three partner schools in Spain. Overall, 94 children have 
participated  in  the  programme  and  93  volunteers  have 
been involved in the project.

By  bringing  together  schools  (their  students,  teachers, 
parents  and  community)  in  Irish  and  Spanish  regions, 
which  have  similar  structural  characteristics,  Schola  has 
already:
•

enhanced the role of the primary school as an agent for 
community/rural development;

42

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S c h o l a   t r a n s n a t i o n a l   p r o j e c t

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

identified  and  built  on  the  similarities  between 
the  participating  schools  and  communities,  so  as 
to  promote  greater  European  rural  awareness  and 
identity;
enabled mainstream agencies to value and contribute 
to rural schools;
supported networking, so that schools have a stronger 
collective voice;
reduced  the  sense  of  isolation  in  rural  schools  and 
communities;
enhanced  awareness  of  local  areas  and  resources, 
thereby promoting a better understanding of the rural 
environment;
enriched  the  educational  experience  of  the  children 
through contacts with other schools, communities and 
cultures;
provided  teaching  staff  with  a  transnational  forum 
for  the  exchange  of  ideas  and  the  transfer  of  best 
practices;
facilitated  the  exchange  of  experiences  for  students, 
teachers,  parents  and  community  representatives,  so 
as to contribute to the formulation of a  more  holistic 
approach to education and community development.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

There  have  been  relatively  few  problems  in  developing 
the  project.  Initial  investment  in  facilitation  and  capacity 
building were essential. The inputs and facilitation provided 
by IRD Duhallow staff and volunteers have ensured the focus 
of the project and the efficient delivery of project actions. 
The gap between Leader II and Leader+ was unhelpful in 
ensuring continuity in project actions during the initial pilot 
phase,  while  initial  limitations  on  facilitation  and  capacity 
building under Leader+ (i.e. maximum of 20 % of the budget 
before 2002) reduced the level of added value that could be 
realised from the project.

The challenges encountered in pursuing the issues raised or 
decisions made by the Schola cluster relate to the piloting 
of the system of colegios rurales agrupados in Ireland. It has 
taken time to get consensus on identifying experts and in 
devising outline work programmes for them. This is partly 
due  to  the  variations  in  the  requirements  of  the  schools 
and the skills of their respective staff teams. There may also 
be a degree of unfamiliarity with the idea of an ‘outsider’ 
coming  into  the  classroom  who  has  not  been  ‘tested’  in 
advance. Ireland lacks a system for recruiting/monitoring 
such  experts.  Moreover,  the  skills  pool  is  small  and  it  is 
not  always  easy  to  identify  somebody  whom  everybody 
knows.

■

5.   The ‘ Leade r+ adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

is  evident  that  unless  Leader/local  development 
It 
groups  intervene  to  support  small  rural  schools,  their 
public service ethos and openness to all will continue to 
be  diluted  as  they  struggle  to  compete  with  private  and 
semi-private institutions favoured by some of the middle 
classes  in  suburban  towns,  and  those  who  simply  reside 
in  the  rural  countryside,  but  who  do  not  feel  part  of  the 
community there.

Schola  involves  enhancing  the  educational  experience 
of  those  who  are  participating  in  it.  Yet,  it  would  be  an 
understatement  to  consider  Schola  as  an  educational 
project. Schola is a broadly based community development 
project that seeks to develop the rural school as an agent of 
personal development, training, community participation, 
social  interaction,  cultural  resource  development,  and 
intergenerational learning.

■

6.  D uration

The project started in May 2004 and is ongoing.

■

7.  Budget

The  overall  budget  for  the  project  is  EUR  134  000,  of 
which EUR 80 000 is from the EAGGF and EUR 54 000 from 
national public funding.

Contact details of the LAG

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e l e a d i n g L AG : I R D D u h a l l ow

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: M au r a  Wa l s h a n d   
M a r i o n O ’ Su l l i v a n

Ad d r e ss: J a m e s  O ’ Ke e f f e M e m o r i a l 
I n s ti tu te , N ew m a r ke t , Co u nt y  Co r k , 
I r e l a n d

Te l .  (353 -29) 6 0 6 33

Fa x (353 -29) 6 0 6 9 4

E - m a i l: d u h a l l ow@ e i r co m . n e t

Illustrations provided by the LAG IRD Duhallow

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                S o c i a l   a n d   e n v i r o n m e n t a l   r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

I T A L Y

Social and environmental resp onsibilit y

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 57 6 0 4  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 76 8 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 75 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 10

The LAG Cosvel Srl is located in the area of Metapontino in 
the Basilicata region of southern Italy, which spreads from 
the Ionian Sea to inland hills and plains. The area is known 
as a profitable agro-industrial centre, specialising in citrus 
fruit, olive and vine production. There is a strong tradition of 
common regional marketing, enabling producers to reach 
large external markets. The agro-food sector is supported 
by several specialised leading research and development 
institutes with national and international reputations. An 
attempt to establish a chemical industry in the 1970s and 
1980s  was  not  entirely  successful.  However,  the  tourism 
sector has shown strong developments, due to one of the 
cleanest  marine  environments  in  Italy  and  other  natural 
resources,  as  well  as  the  famous  ancient  Greek  ruins. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  scope  for  further  development, 
especially in the crafts sector. 

local  natural 

The  LAG’s  development  strategy  is  based  around  the 
following main themes:
•

rediscovery  and  adding  value  to 
resources; 
preservation and use of traditional cultural assets;
widening  the  appeal  of  the  region’s  identity  through 
diversified tourist attractions linked to local culture;
integration of coastal and rural tourism; 
focus  on  quality  of 
supporting 
entrepreneurship and training young people to avoid 
depopulation and maintain public services.

through 

•
•

•
•

life 

4 4

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                S o c i a l   a n d   e n v i r o n m e n t a l   r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

responsibility for SMEs in the rural context. This concept is 
transferable to other rural areas.

■

1.  B rief   histor y of   the  proje c t

The  organisation  of  fruit  and  vegetable  producers 
(Assofruit)  is  a  member  of  the  LAG  Cosvel  Srl.  The  main 
role of the organisation is to promote vegetable and fruit 
production and ensure quality control of these products. 
The  actions  taken  by  Assofruit  focus  on  environmental 
protection and have strong social and ecological benefits. 
These actions have resulted in an increased awareness of 
environmental, consumer health and security issues, and 
motivated  the  LAG  to  integrate  this  project  into  its  local 
development plan.

Why is this project good practice?

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

local  territory 

The  project  demonstrates  a  strong  area-based approach. 
The 
is  dominated  by  agro-alimentary 
companies  and  farms  that  often  participate  in  producer 
networks.  The  project  targets  these  local  producers 
through awareness-raising activities on ethical, social and 
environmental issues. These activities have increased the 
quality  of  the  local  production  system,  and  stimulated 
the  market  for  local  produce  that  demonstrates  strong 
environmental  qualities.  The  activities  have  covered  the 
whole production chain.

The first part of the project was targeted at local farmers. 
During  the 
initial  phase,  farmers  of  the  LAG  were 
interviewed  in  order  to  gain  a  better  understanding  of 
needs  and  key  issues.  Following  the  initial  assessment, 
a  consultation  process  was  carried  out  with  selected 
farmers  in  order  to  prepare  them  for  obtaining  a  ‘social 
and  environmental  responsibility’  certification.  In  order 
to qualify for this certification, rural enterprises had to be 
able to respond to the needs of the local community and 
develop environmental and ethical awareness.

The  LAG  operates  through  a  strong  partnership  of  local 
actors  (involving  10  public  and  20  private  members,  as 
well as a social cooperative), and has previous partnership 
experience  through  Leader  II.  The  extensive  partnership 
(which  also  involves  local  authorities)  strengthens  the 
LAG’s ability to encourage socially responsible behaviour 
and  to  motivate  local  authorities  to  be  involved  in  local 
activities.

The  project  has  an  innovative  nature,  as  the  concept  of 
ethical,  social  and  environmental  responsibility  in  local 
development  is  entirely  new  in  the  Italian  production 
system. Only in recent years have larger companies started 
to adopt similar certifications to the one that the project 
has  developed.  The  introduction  of  these  issues  into  the 
primary  sector  and  the  adoption  of  quality  standards  by 
SMEs which often do not have previous cooperation and 
innovative 
networking  experience,  constitute  strong 
elements. The introduction of the certification and quality 
standards improves the competitiveness of SMEs.

The  project  constitutes  an  experimental  pilot  action 
of  adopting  certifications  of  social  and  environmental 

The  second  part  of  the  project  was  targeted  at  local 
authorities  and  aims  to  raise  awareness  about  local 
issues  and  encourage  local  authorities  to  promote  social 
cohesion in the area.

■

3.  Concrete  output s  and  result s

Since the project is ongoing, the final results are not yet 
visible. The initial results of the project are reflected in the 
improved quality of work and the environment at territorial 
level. Generally, local enterprises have become more aware 
of the social and environmental issues of the region (some 
of them also previously took part in the Eurogap and ISO 
14001 certification processes).

Information  has  been  gathered  in  order  to  introduce 
evaluation  tools  to  promote  environmental  awareness. 
Calls have been launched to select beneficiary companies 
and local authorities.

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

Contact details of the LAG

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Co s ve l S r l 

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: S a l v ato r e L o b r e g l i o

Ad d r e ss:  V i a Pr i n c i p e Am e d e o, 21, I -75026 
R o to n d e l l a (B a s i l i c at a)

Te l . (39) 0 8 35 50 45 22

Fa x (39) 0 8 35 50 45 22

E - m a i l:  i n f o @ cos ve l . i t 
cos ve l @ ti s c a l i . i t 

(cid:31)

We b s i te: w w w. cos ve l . i t

Illustrations provided by the LAG Cosvel Srl

■

4.  Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

reported  during 

the 
No  major  problems  were 
implementation  phase.  Generally, 
the  participating 
companies  have  been  enthusiastic  about  participating 
in  the  project.  SMEs  which  have  not  been  part  of  larger 
networks  of  producers  sometimes  found  the  procedure 
to qualify for the ‘social and environmental responsibility’ 
certification  difficult.  Therefore,  the  project  has  tried  to 
encourage  networking,  exchange  of  experience  and 
transfer of know-how among local producers.

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

The  main  added  value  of  Leader+  is  that  it  supports 
the  social,  ethical  and  environmental  responsibility 
of  producers  in  the  area  by  introducing  a  voluntary 
qualification system. The project provides local enterprises 
with guidelines and has created a quality brand for their 
local  products.  Specific  plans  for  setting  up  a  territorial 
marketing strategy are envisaged.

■

6. D uration

The project started in June 2004 and is ongoing.

■

7. Budget

The overall budget for the project is EUR 144 978, of which 
EUR 48 930 is from the EAGGF, EUR 16 310 from national 
public funding and EUR 79 738 from private funding.

4 6

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                S o c i a l   a n d   e n v i r o n m e n t a l   r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

I T A L Y

Valorisation of t ypical produc ts   
in local restaurants

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 30  727  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1  263  k m 2

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 24 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 24

The LAG Mare & Monti is located in the north of Sardinia, 
an area stretching from the east to west coasts of the island 
mostly in the hills of the province of Nuoro. In the area’s 
recent history, there have been increasing socio-economic 
problems due in large part to continuing depopulation of 
rural areas in favour of coastal and urban zones. There is 
a  bias  towards  the  agriculture  sector,  in  particular  dairy 
production and cattle breeding. Whereas sheep numbers 
have  grown,  goats  have  decreased,  despite  the  strong 
tradition  on  the  island,  due  to  the  reduction  in  prices  of 
goat’s milk. Apart from agriculture, the only other sectors 
present in the region are crafts, construction and commerce. 
There  has  been  a  growth  in  the  hospitality  sector,  even 
though this is based largely on micro-enterprise. Tourism 
has been increasingly linked to the distinctiveness of the 
territory, and there has thus been an emphasis on natural 
resources, local folklore and crafts in rural areas. However, 
the province of Nuoro has seen an overall reduction in the 
number of tourists compared with other areas of Sardinia, 
due to a lack of large-scale facilities.

The  local  development  strategy  has  concentrated  on 
adding value to the territory’s natural and cultural heritage, 
improving  the  economic  environment  to  generate 
employment,  and  increasing  the  organisational  capacity 
of the local communities. 

Why is this project good practice?

The LAG has taken an area-based approach, as it focuses on 
local products, and the project has involved a wide range 
of  local  stakeholders  (producers,  restaurants,  schools, 
etc.). The school visits to local production companies have 

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V a l o r i s a t i o n   o f   t y p i c a l   p r o d u c t s  

helped  young  people  to  identify  themselves  better  with 
the values of their regions.

The  LAG  has  a  well-balanced  structure  consisting  of 
both  public  and  private  actors.  The  partnership  includes 
municipalities  and  other  public  authorities,  cooperatives 
and  producer  associations  representing  private  actors 
and  representatives  of  different  sectors.  The  project  has 
reflected  a  strong  bottom-up  approach,  as  it  has  been 
implemented  by  a  wide  range  of  local  stakeholders, 
representing both the supply and the demand sides of local 
food  production  (i.e.  producers  and  restaurants),  as  well 
as addressing the wider public (i.e. schools, civil servants, 
etc.)  through  awareness-raising  actions.  A  particularly 
interesting element has been the successful involvement 
of the local health insurance company.

including 

On  the  demand  side,  the  research  focused  on  local 
restaurants, 
their  products  and  services. 
Furthermore, it analysed the provision of meals in school 
canteens,  including  their  food  procurement  procedures 
and  processes  of  food  preparation.  The  possibilities  for 
the  introduction  of  special  diets  using  local  ecological 
products with high nutritional values were examined.

On  the  basis  of  the  market  assessment,  and  the  links 
between regional producers and purchasers in particular, 
two  main  areas  of  intervention  were  defined  for  the 
project:
•
•

the creation of a local producer–restaurant network;
the  development  of  a  communication  system  in 
order  to  improve  the  quality  of  food  education  (with 
particular focus on local products).

The  project  has  involved  restaurants  from  non-Leader 
areas thus ensuring successful territorial networking. This 
approach  has  also  highlighted  the  transferability  of  the 
project concept to other areas.

Through the inclusion of awareness-raising elements, the 
project has taken a long-term approach. The initial market 
study emphasised the need to focus both on the supply 
and  the  demand  sides  in  order  to  efficiently  develop 
the  market  for  local  products.  The  project  is  therefore 
expected  to  have  a  longer-term  sustainable  impact  on 
the regional food industry and market, as well as on the 
attitude of local people towards healthy eating. Targeting 
young people (through schools) is a particularly long-term 
strategy.

Project description

■

1.  Brief  histor y of the  proje c t

The project aimed to extend the market for local products 
in  order  to  improve  the  quality  of  local  restaurants  and 
to  promote  nutritional  education.  Initial  market  research 
assessed both the supply (of local produce) and demand 
(of mostly restaurants, but also of school canteens) sides of 
the local market. Among others things, the research looked 
into  the  possibilities  of  establishing  delivery  agreements 
between local restaurants and producers.

On  the  supply  side,  the  research  assessed  the  quality 
and  the  typical  range  of  local  products.  It  indicated  a 
limited  production  base  (i.e.  low  diversity  of  products), 
and a concentration on agriculture and cattle breeding in 
particular.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

Key activities of the project include the following.

(a) The creation of a local producer–restaurant network
This  process  started  in  September  2005  with  an  analysis 
of  the  conditions/factors  needed  to  set  up,  coordinate, 
promote  and  operate  a  local  restaurant  network.  The 
network  now  includes  a  range  of  restaurants  that  have 
committed themselves to signing a partnership agreement 
that focuses on providing quality services using local agro-
food products. Some 15 restaurants outside the Leader+ 
area are also part of the network. In addition, 32 producers 
(including  bakery,  pastry,  cheese  and  wine  producers) 
have also signed up to the network to supply local quality 
products.

The  establishment  of  agreements  between  restaurants 
and producers is ongoing. The LAG provides promotional 
and dissemination support for the network (e.g. through 
the organisation of educational tours).

(b)  The  setting-up  of  a  communication  system  in  order  to 
improve  alimentary  education  (with  special  focus  on  the 
use of local products)
In the framework of this activity, a range of seminars have 
been organised for school canteens (with the participation 
of civil servants and staff responsible for the procurement 
in  canteens)  and  for  families  with  the  help  of  nutrition 
experts  in  order  to  raise  awareness  of  the  value  of  local 
products and their contribution to a healthier diet.

In  addition  to  the  seminars,  further  awareness-raising 
activities have been carried out, including:

4 8

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                  V a l o r i s a t i o n   o f   t y p i c a l   p r o d u c t s   

V a l o r i s a t i o n   o f   t y p i c a l   p r o d u c t s  

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+ adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

The strategy of the LAG is reflecting a long-term approach 
towards  local  production.  Its  main  added  value  is  that  it 
addresses both the supply (strengthening local producers) 
and the demand (main users of local produce) sides.

■

6.   D uration

The project started on 15 March 2004 and was completed 
in December 2006.

■

7.   Budget

The  overall  budget  for  the  project  was  EUR  255  306,  of 
which EUR 156 310 was from the EAGGF and EUR 98 996 
from public funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : M a r e & M o nti

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: M a r i o  At te n e

Ad d r e ss: V i a A . M e r e u ,  55, I - 0 810 0 N u o r o

Te l .  (39) 078 43 9 4 77

Fa x (39) 078 43 9 4 76

E - m a i l: i n f o @ g a l m a r e m o nt i . o r g

We b s i te: w w w. g a l m a r e m o nti . o r g

Illustrations provided by the LAG Mare & Monti

•

•

•

•

writing  a  theatre  play  for  schoolchildren  on  the  life 
cycle of local products;
producing  information  material  for  teachers,  parents 
and pupils on the value of local products;
preparing  special  exercise  books  for  schoolchildren, 
with 
local 
products;
organising school visits to companies producing local 
products.

illustrations/cartoons  on 

animated 

Furthermore, a memorandum of understanding has been 
signed  with  the  local  health  insurance  company,  which 
provided information and guidance for the activities of the 
project  (e.g.  information  on  healthy  diet  for  the  exercise 
book,  guidance  for  the  preparation  and  execution  of 
seminars, etc.).

■

3.  Concrete output s  and result s

As  a  result  of  the  above  activities,  the  following  outputs 
have been produced by the project:
•

agreements in support of the local producer–restaurant 
network;
information seminars for civil servants and families;
a  theatre  play  for  schoolchildren  on  the  life  cycle  of 
local products;
information material for teachers, parents and pupils;
an exercise book with cartoons for children;
school visits to local companies;
a memorandum of understanding with the local health 
insurance company.

•
•

•
•
•
•

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

The low number of restaurants in the Leader area created a 
difficulty for the implementation of the project. Territorial 
cooperation, i.e. the involvement of restaurants from non-
LAG regions, helped to overcome this difficulty.

importance  of 

The 
local  ecological  products  was 
highlighted  in  2003  by  local  authorities  through  the 
definition of specific criteria and priorities for procurement 
procedures in school canteens. One of the main lessons of 
this  project  was  that  these  actions  should  be  developed 
further, and that an adequate information policy targeted 
at a wide range of stakeholders (including administrations, 
families,  students  and  teachers)  has  to  be  developed 
in  order  to  achieve  a  long-term  change  in  attitudes  and 
behaviour towards local production. 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

L U X E M B O U R G

‘ Wonder ful hik ing in  Müller thal ’  and 
‘Mills  inventor y,  excursion  and  re gional  route’

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The  area  around  Müllerthal  is  known  mainly  for  its 
unique  nature  and  landscape  and  its  impressive  cultural 
monuments  originating  from  different  historical  ages. 
Therefore, the key values of the region lie in its unspoiled 
nature and cultural heritage.

in  the  region. 

The  main  objective  of  the  Leader+  strategy  of  the  LAG 
Müllerthal  is  to  make  best  use  of  its  natural  and  cultural 
heritage,  primarily  by  supporting  the  agriculture  and 
tourism  sector 
In  order  to  promote 
sustainable  regional  development,  it  is  necessary  to 
give  appropriate  consideration  to  both  ecological 
and  socio-cultural  dimensions.  In  order  to  implement 
the  regional  development  strategy,  the  projects  are 
supported in three main fields: (i) nature and landscape; 
(ii) leisure,  culture  and tourism; and (iii)  education and 
communication.

Why are these projects good practices?

Both projects focus on adding value to local natural and 
cultural resources, i.e. they follow an area-based approach. 
On  the  one  hand,  the  first  project  builds  on  the  main 
natural asset of the region: the beautiful landscape that is 
characterised by interesting formations of sandstone. On 
the other hand, the second project explores the value of 
local mills with strong historical value (since they were the 
driving  forces  of  rural  economic  development  in  earlier 
times),  and  which  give  a  unique  ecological  character  to 
the region.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 2 0 814 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 311 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 67 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 15

within  the  framework  of  working  groups,  which  include 
representatives of the municipalities, tourism associations, 
service providers and other local stakeholders. The working 
groups  serve  as  open  discussion  platforms  and  advisory 
bodies  in  the  process  of  project  implementation.  The 
functions of these groups have been gradually extended 
to  deal  with  other  factors  that  contribute  to  the  region’s 
development  (e.g.  development  of  regional  culinary 
traditions).

Both  projects  are  characterised  by  bottom-up  working 
methods.  They  have  been  developed  and  discussed 

Working  in  partnership  is  a  key  characteristic  of  the 
projects. The LAG Müllerthal consists of 15 municipalities 

50

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

and  20  organisations  that  represent  various  sectors 
and  groups  in  the  region  (e.g.  tourism,  youth  or  cultural 
associations). The LAG is responsible for creating the ‘Mills’ 
inventory, excursion and regional route’ (‘Mills’ inventory’) 
project,  whereas  the  regional  tourism  association  took 
responsibility  for  the  ‘Wonderful  hiking  in  Müllerthal’ 
(‘Wonderful  Müllerthal’)  project.  The  two  organisations 
cooperate  closely  and  share  tasks  related  to  overall 
coordination. The elaboration of the projects was carried 
out  within  the  framework  of  two  working  groups  (on 
trekking  and  on  industrial  and  cultural  heritage)  that 
represent a wide range of local stakeholders.

The  projects  have  a  strong  value  in  integrating  and 
motivating  various  sectors  in  the  region.  ‘Wonderful 
Müllerthal’  can  be  considered  as  an  umbrella  initiative, 
which  has  set  the  scene  for  a  series  of  complementary 
projects.  The  ‘Mills’  inventory’  project  encouraged  the 
networking of regional service providers, contributing to 
the  development  of  an  integrated  development  strategy 
(including  the  development  of  new  products,  regional 
culinary specialities and tourism packages).

initiatives.  The 

Both  projects  are  planning  to  develop  transnational 
‘Wonderful 
cooperation  with  similar 
Müllerthal’ project established links with the neighbouring 
Eifel  region  in  Germany  which  is  developing  similar 
plans  for  trekking  paths,  and  it  was  the  ‘Mills’  inventory’ 
project that built the first contacts with similar initiatives 
in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The  concepts  of  both  projects  are  transferable  to  other 
regions (i.e. development of path networks and thematic 
routes  taking  advantage  of  local  natural  and  cultural 
resources).  This  is  also  reflected  in  the  fact  that  the 
initial  analysis,  training  and  guidance  in  relation  to  the 
path planning have been carried out by an international 
(external) expert.

Both projects are expected to have a  sustainable impact 
on the region. The involvement of local stakeholders in the 
development of the projects strengthens their commitment 
to local regional development and helps to increase local 
identity.  The  establishment  of  communication  platforms 
(e.g.  working  groups)  is  expected  to  have  a  lasting 
impact  on  the  region’s  capacity  for  development.  At  the 
same  time,  the  ‘Mills’  inventory’  project  contributes  to 
the  development  of  new  products,  events  and  culinary 
tourism.

Project description

■

1.  B rief   histor y of   the  proje c t s

Müllerthal  ranks  among  the  best-known  tourist  and 
leisure  destinations  in  Luxembourg  for  trekking  and 
walking.  The  main  strength  of  the  region  is  its  beautiful 
scenery  characterised  by  sandstone.  The  LAG  aims  to 
develop trekking and walking opportunities in the region. 
Therefore,  comprehensive  mapping,  analysis  and  quality 

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                  W o n d e r f u l   h i k i n g   i n   M ü l l e r t h a l

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

launched.  These 
assessment  of  existing  paths  were 
activities are embedded in continuous awareness-raising 
events, such as workshops and information meetings.

•

to establish interregional and transnational cooperation 
with similar projects.

At the same time, the mills, which gave the region as well as 
the LAG its name, have been discovered as potential assets. 
A large number of mills are located in the area (also called 
‘mills valley’) along the Rivers Sauer, Weisse and Schwarze 
Ernz  and  their  tributaries.  However,  for  a  long  time  this 
cultural  heritage  was  not  considered  to  be  a  potential 
cultural  asset.  The  LAG  decided  to  develop  a  series  of 
complementary  concepts,  which  aim  at  developing  the 
mills. This is expected to strengthen the region’s tourism 
potential  and  to  raise  awareness  of  this  unique  cultural 
heritage among the local and regional population.

Mills are landmark buildings in the area and often date back 
to the historical roots of settlements. In addition, watermills 
are  linked  to  water  channels  that  are  important  for  local 
agriculture.  However,  in  recent  times,  many  mills  have 
been transformed or destroyed. The inventory created by 
the project has led to a comprehensive overview of mills, 
which is based on historical information from maps, land 
registers,  monographs,  materials  available  from  current 
owners and unwritten tradition.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

•

region’s  tourism  strengths  and 

The first project entitled ‘Wonderful hiking in Müllerthal’ is 
aiming to develop trekking and walking in the Müllerthal 
region. The project seeks:
•
to  analyse  the 
weaknesses (based on a consistent set of criteria);
to  train  a  group  of  trekking  experts  to  carry  out  the 
assessment;
to  organise  workshops  and  raise  awareness  for  the 
initiative (in particular among tourism providers);
to  develop  a  marketing  concept  for  the  region  as  a 
destination  for  ‘active’  leisure  (focusing  on  hiking, 
mountain biking and walking).

•

•

The  second  project  entitled  ‘Mills’  inventory,  excursion 
and regional route’ aims:
•

to  rediscover  the  mills  as  a  cultural  heritage  of  the 
region;
to  accumulate  know-how  with 
development of a thematic route;
to support and preserve some of the mills, and make 
selected mills accessible to visitors (including residents, 
tourists and schoolchildren);
to raise the awareness of residents about the cultural 
heritage of the region;

regard 

•

•

•

the 

to 

The  objectives  will  be  achieved  through  the  setting-
up of an inventory of the existing mills of the 15 partner 
communities of the LAG Müllerthal, which will serve as the 
basis  for  the  ‘mills  thematic  route’.  Tourist  events  will  be 
organised, and a network of local hotels and restaurants 
will  be  developed  within  the  framework  of  tourism 
packages.

■

3.  Concrete  output s and  result s

At  the  beginning  of  the  ‘Wonderful  Müllerthal’  project, 
a  study  was  commissioned  in  order  to  provide  an  initial 
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) 
analysis  of  regional  tourism.  The  study  showed  severe 
deficiencies  with  regard  to  tourism  information  services 
for trekkers and visitors along the existing paths, and a lack 
of  accommodation,  restaurants,  hostels  and  inns  along 
major routes.

The ‘Wonderful Müllerthal’ project is expected to achieve 
the following results:
•
•
•

mapping and analysis of trekking paths in the region;
identification of the major flagship routes;
production  of  a  flyer  and  information  for  trekkers, 
mountain bikers and Nordic walkers on the Internet;
the basis for a comprehensive tourism guide for trekkers 
and a uniform concept for visitor guidance; 
the  cornerstones  of  a  marketing  concept  about 
‘corporate regional design’.

•

•

The  project  will  also  prepare  the  digitalisation  of  path 
planning  in  order  to  define  additional  routes,  to  analyse 
routes  and  to  produce  maps.  The  process  will  also 
contribute  to  the  establishment  of  schemes  for  the 
maintenance of the paths.

The  ‘Mills’  inventory’  project  will  result  in  the  following 
main outcomes:
•

an  overview  of  all  existing  mills,  including  detailed 
information  on  the  ownership  structure,  the  current 
use of buildings, the state of buildings, and the remains 
of mills’ equipment, etc.;
a  regional  guide  to  the  mills  and  a  promotional  flyer, 
as  well  as  multilingual  descriptions  of  the  routes  in  a 
brochure;
specific  maps,  and  visitor  guidance  along  selected 
‘theme paths’;
thematic events;
a  book  on  mills  of  the  region  with  detailed  historical 

•

•

•
•

52

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n
L u x e m b o u r g :   W o n d e r f u l   h i k i n g   i n   M ü l l e r t h a l

and  technical  information  and  a  description  of  the 
cultural and natural heritage of the region.

■

6.  D uration

The  projects  started  in  December  2004  and  will  be 
completed in December 2007.

■

7.  Budget

The overall budget for the projects is EUR 125 900, of which 
EUR 25 180 is from the EAGGF and EUR 100 720 from public 
funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : M ü l l e r t h a l

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: An n e t te  Pe i te r

Ad d r e ss: 30 , r o u te d e Wa ss e r b i l l i g ,   
L- 6 49 0 E c hte r n a c h

Te l .  (352) 26 72 16 30

Fa x (352) 26 72  16 32

E - m a i l: l e a d e r p l u s @ e c hte r n a c h . l u

We b s i te: w w w. mu . l e a d e r. l u

Illustrations provided by the LAG Müllerthal

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

One  of  the  major  challenges  has  been  to  involve  local 
stakeholders in the project planning, strategy development 
and project implementation. Local stakeholders have to be 
informed about the advantages of participation. This has 
not  always  been  an  easy  task,  since  many  municipalities 
still prefer to carry out tourism activities in isolation.

In order to develop a comprehensive concept for tourism 
development  in  the  region,  the  key  target  groups  and 
specific project focus had to be identified. Trekkers have 
been  identified  as  the  key  target  group  for  the  project, 
and  less  emphasis  has  been  put  on  other  activities  (i.e. 
mountain biking, Nordic walking).

While  developing  the  trekking  routes,  forest  owners’ 
interests  had  to  be  taken  into  account.  Furthermore, 
issues  regarding  the  maintenance  of  the  paths  needed 
to  be  clarified  (i.e.  division  of  responsibilities  between 
the  municipalities  and  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  in  a  joint 
management system).

During the development of the mills’ inventory, it became 
evident  that  many  sites  of  interest  are  currently  being 
used  for  various  purposes  (e.g.  as  storage  places),  which 
makes it difficult to open these sites to the wider public. 
Therefore,  a  key  challenge  for  this  project  has  been  to 
commit owners to the project and make them accept the 
overall project strategy. This process has been facilitated 
by open discussions and awareness raising.

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+ adde d value’   
  of  the proje c t s

Leader+  has  contributed  greatly  to 
local  strategy 
development,  in  particular  in  the  field  of  tourism.  The 
programme  has  made  it  possible  for  isolated  service 
providers  to  approximate  their  views.  Cooperation  in 
developing  the  region’s  market  position  is  essential  for 
gaining visibility on a wider (i.e. domestic or international) 
market.  Through  the  emergence  of  stable  cooperation 
patterns  and 
the  partnership  approach,  Leader+ 
encourages the development of local capacities.

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T H E   N E T H E R L A N D S

Drenthe grass roots  planning

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 82  30 0 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 692  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 118 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 3

The area of the Oost Drenthe Leader+ group consists of four 
parts, each of which has its own specific characteristics: the 
flood plain of the Drentsche Aa, the Hondsrug, the Hunze 
valley and the raised peat bog district.
There is extensive agriculture in the area which is heavily 
dependent  on  the  cultivation  of  industrial  potatoes. 
Tourism  is  popular  in  Drenthe  and  some  areas  have 
developed into the most popular holiday destinations in 
the  Netherlands.  At  the  coastal  sandy  regions,  there  has 
been  excessive  pressure  from  tourism,  whereas  in  other 
regions, such as the peat bog district and the Hunze valley, 
tourism infrastructure is very sparse. Commercial activities 
are  limited  and  a  number  of  small  villages  are  scattered 
over the entire area.

The Oost Drenthe LAG aims to improve the environment 
by  enhancing  nature,  forestry  and  the  landscape  of  its 
region. The LAG strives to develop rural tourism and boost 
entrepreneurship  relating  to  small-scale  commercial 
activities. As there is widespread agriculture in the region, 
the LAG focuses on enhancing agricultural diversification 
while at the same time looking at strengthening the socio-
cultural  quality  of  life.  The  main  strategy  of  the  LAG  is 
valorisation of natural and cultural resources. 

Why is this project good practice?

innovation  as 

it  has 
The  project  has  demonstrated 
implemented  a  new  kind  of  governance  approach  for 
ideas  from  local  communities  to  municipal  and  provincial 
planning.  Village  planning  is  in  itself  innovative  as  it  gives 
expression to local feelings and aspirations; it creates links 
so that information generated is directly put into the local 

planning  process.  The  province  of  Drenthe  and  Leader+ 
have helped to spread these benefits throughout the area.

Although the model is top-down, the value of its processes 
in engaging, motivating and organising the local villagers 
is  demonstrated  by  a  clear  bottom-up  approach.  The 
process facilitated by STAMM (consulting group) involves 
a handover method to villagers and this is crucial for the 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

success of project planning and in identifying local needs. 
It is a community development approach which seeks to 
build capacity before local people take control.

to  them  and  raised  an  agenda  for  the  future  in  terms  of 
concrete ideas and projects. 

The overall idea came from a member of the local action 
group  who  was  the  representative  of  the  project.  This 
member  was  aware  of  the  work  of  STAMM  and  BOKD 
(broad  consultative  group  of  small  villages  in  Drenthe) 
local  village  plans  and  he  proposed 
in  stimulating 
the  partnership  to  the  LAG.  The  LAG  members  were 
instrumental  in  shaping  and  implementing  the  project 
alongside the major players in village planning and local 
government.

The project has supported sustainability of the villages by 
ensuring  that  strategic  planning  from  local  authorities  is 
engaged with the concerns of the local people. The method 
has  also  generated  greater  engagement  of  local  people 
and a larger investment of volunteer time in improving and 
enhancing  the  village.  Other  important  benefits  for  the 
long-term  sustainability  of  the  area  include  the  building 
of community capacity and the ongoing dialogue around 
‘common concerns’.

Project description

■

1.  Brief histor y  of  the  proje c t

For  several  years,  citizens  and  government  bodies  have 
tried  to  find  new  ways  to  work  together  in  Drenthe.  For 
example, government bodies have tried to involve people 
in decision-making exercises and people themselves have 
sought new ways to have their say. This initiative set out 
to  raise  the  level  of  involvement  of  local  villagers  in  the 
development of their neighbourhoods.

The province of Drenthe is the promoter of the initiative; 
it  is  implemented  by  STAMM  CMO  and  BOKD.  STAMM 
CMO  was  established  in  the  1960s  and  is  a  provincial 
non-profit  organisation  for  social  affairs  and  community 
development.  BOKD  is  a  lobbying  organisation  for  small 
villages.  Both  organisations  have  experience  in  grass 
roots planning in social and spatial perspectives.

For  example,  ‘Rural  development  new  style’  is  a  project 
of the province of Drenthe. It was developed following a 
pilot project carried out by BOKD. It included three village 
development plans carried out by BOKD and two village 
agendas carried out by STAMM. It resulted in plans where 
villagers  highlighted  the  qualities  that  are  important 

STAMM and BOKD were approached by a representative of 
the province, who was also a member of the Ooste Drenthe 
LAG. They asked STAMM and BOKD to develop a new kind 
of  plan  that  would  be  more  practical  and  that  could  be 
used  in  conjunction  with  the  spatial  planning  exercise. 
Ideas from LAG members were fed into the process which 
inspired  BOKD  and  STAMM.  Leader+  funding  supported 
the process that villagers undertook to develop their ideas 
into a local agenda.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

A local action agenda was drawn up in Drenthe to focus 
on  the  village  landscape.  Using  a  range  of  participatory 
methods,  people  were  asked  to  express  the  identity  of 
their  villages  by  starting  with  existing  advantages  and 
shortcomings.  At  a  regional  level,  an  expert  analysis 
was  carried  out  of  landscape  features  for  municipal  and 
provincial policies affecting the region. After completing 
both  of  these  tasks,  joint  design  workshops  were  held 
whereby villagers, assisted by administrative officials and 
experts, drew up their village action agenda.

The project was piloted in Zuidlaarderveen where villagers 
developed  their  own  village  plan,  the  Dorpsagenda, 
which  highlighted  the  qualities  that  are  important  to 
villagers. A programme for the future was also developed. 
A  brainstorming  session  generated  300  ideas.  Smaller 
working  groups  then  worked  on  the  ideas  from  the 
brainstorming  session  and  an  agenda  was  developed 
which  was  presented  to  the  village  for  approval.  There 
were many ambitious project ideas such as the creation of 
a boating route/swimming pool down a restored canalised 
river, traffic regulations, housing a gym in the village hall, 
and embedding children/schools more in community life. 
Most of these ideas became LAG projects.

These ideas were presented to the village by means of an 
attractive  four-page  document.  Volunteers  were  called 
for to undertake specific tasks. The process produced 60 
volunteers all working in teams on various chosen tasks. 
The village association retained control to ensure practical 
matters were taken care of.

The  process  for  developing  this  plan  is  the  formation  of 
an  ‘agenda  commission’  which  acts  as  a  steering  group 
for  the  project.  It  comprises  villagers  from  each  group 
involved  in  village  life,  for  example  the  elderly,  young 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

people,  newcomers,  established  residents,  car  and  non-
car owners and families.

project  possible,  since  funding  of  this  kind  of  process  is 
only available through Leader+. 

The LAG has supported the plan and was able to refine it 
by making it more concrete in the application process. The 
‘pilot  nature’  of  Leader  is  clearly  demonstrated  as  there 
are  signs  that  the  process  may  be  mainstreamed  by  the 
province as part of its spatial planning.

■

6.  D uration

The  project  lifetime  was  two  years  starting  in  December 
2004 and finishing in December 2006.

■

7.  Budget

The total budget for the project was EUR 155 073, of which 
EUR 51 190 was from the EAGGF, EUR 62 050 from national 
public funding and EUR 41 833 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : O os t D r e nt h e

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: C at h r i e n Pos t hu mu s

Ad d r e ss:  Pos t b u s  122 , 9 4 0 0  AC A ss e n , 
N e t h e r l a n d s

Te l . (31- 9) 592 36 56 50

Fa x (31- 9) 592 36 56 71

E - m a i l:  c . p os t hu mu s @ d r e nt h e . n l

We b s i te: 
www.leader.drenthe.nl/oostdrenthe/index.htm

Illustrations provided by the LAG Oost Drenthe
Photo 1: Paul Paris, Amsterdam
Photo 2: Cees Brauns, Zuidlaarderveen

■

3.  Concrete output s  and  result s

The  project  has  been  successful  in  stimulating  people’s 
sense of responsibility for their surroundings and creating 
greater  care  for  and  awareness  of  the  village’s  history. 
There  is  also  an  increased  sense  of  identity  and  social 
cohesion as local people are motivated.

High levels of participation have resulted from the use of 
this  model  (80 %  returned  a  questionnaire)  and  a  large 
increase in the number of volunteers has enhanced social 
contacts.

The project has been linked to local governments at the 
municipal  level  and  has  the  advantage  of  being  able 
to  transform  visions  into  plans.  It  has  realised  a  better 
understanding between residents and planners, and has 
led  to  an  increased  synergy  between  local  needs  and  a 
better integration with top-down policies and plans.

A  book  was  produced  which  describes  the  method  of 
producing such an agenda and 300 copies were distributed 
to municipalities and welfare organisations in the province. 
There  are  early  signs  that  this  method  could  be  used  as 
mainstream best practice.

■

4.  Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

lessons  learnt

It  is  important  that  the  project  process  continues  to 
sustain  and  engage  actively  with  the  local  communities; 
any  stagnation  in  activities  could  lead  to  loss  of  support 
and  involvement  from  local  people.  Another  concern 
is  that  the  municipality  may  take  over  the  agenda 
leaving  the  community  process  behind  and  excluding 
villages.  Therefore,  the  method  does  need  some  degree 
of  consensus  in  the  village  —  if  there  are  fundamental 
conflicts the method is less useful.

The  LAG  has  learnt  that  complete  clarity  is  needed 
when  setting  up  the  work  plan.  Some  early  successes  in 
the  project  can  also  help  the  process  which  stimulates/
prolongs further community involvement.

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

The project has been truly bottom-up and participative of 
local  communities.  Support  from  Leader+  has  made  the 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

P O R T U G A L

Star ting from  the be ginning: 
training  in  theatrical  ac tivities  in  rural   areas

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 79  4 8 0 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 951  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 85 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 5

Project context

The territory of Adriminho is located in the north-eastern 
part of Portugal, bordered on the north by the autonomous 
region of Galicia (Spain), on the south by the Vale do Lima 
communes, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The area 
(which  lies  along  the  River  Minho)  is  the  most  populous 
border  region  of  the  country  (with  a  70-kilometre-long 
border area), and is characterised by strong cross-border 
relationships.  The  region  is  famous  for  its  production  of 
‘vinho verde´ (especially Alvarinho wine), farm and village 
tourism,  and  cultural  traditions.  The  principal  sectors  of 
the region are agriculture (wine), textiles and trading.

The  priority  theme  for  the  local  strategy  is  improving 
the  quality  of  life  of  the  local  population.  The  strategy 
is  developed  on  the  basis  of  local  resources,  such  as  the 
area’s  cultural  heritage.  Key  intervention  areas  include 
socio-economic development of Vale do Minho, attraction 
of investment, job creation and diversification of economic 
activities, promotion of local culture, and preservation of 
the environment and natural resources.

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Tr a i n i n g   i n   t h e a t r i c a l   a c t i v i t i e s   i n   r u r a l   a r e a s

Why is this project good practice?

is  an 

important  factor 

The  project  has  been  characterised  by  an  area-based 
approach.  It  has  provided  support  to  the  local  theatrical 
company  (Comédias  do  Minho)  in  carrying  out  theatrical 
training  activities  in  the  local  area.  Access  to  information, 
training  and  culture 
in  the 
improvement in the quality of life in rural areas. The project 
has  strengthened  local  cultural  traditions  and  heritage 
through  presenting  plays  on  local  subjects,  such  as  the 
legends  of  the  Minho  valley.  Culture  is  also  important  in 
attracting more visitors, tourists and residents to the region. 
It is widely recognised that culture contributes not only to 
local social development, but also to economic development 
through stimulating the growth of the entertainment sector 
and increasing the attractiveness of the local area.

The  Adriminho  LAG  has  been  formed  on  the  basis  of  a 
strong  partnership  of  several  local  public  and  private 
stakeholders,  including  the  five  municipalities,  tourism 
farmers  and  entrepreneurs,  etc.  The 
organisations, 
project  has  been  developed  through  the  cooperation 
of  local  stakeholders  (particularly  local  municipalities, 
entrepreneurs and schools).

the 

identified  by 

This  project  emerged  from  the  need  for  more  cultural 
interventions,  which  was 
local 
municipalities  (Melgaço,  Monção,  Paredes  de  Coura, 
Valença  and  Vila  Nova  de  Cerveira).  These  municipalities 
are  taking  an  active  part  in  driving  the  area’s  cultural 
development  strategy.  The  assembly 
(Comunidade 
Intermunicipal  do  Vale  do  Minho)  formed  by  these 
municipalities is involved in strategic meetings on cultural 
development of the region.

A cultural network in the Minho valley (Rede Intermunicipal 
do  Vale  do  Minho)  has  been  created  with  the  participation 
of  a  local  cultural  development  officer  and  technician,  the 
Comunidade  Intermunicipal  do  Vale  do  Minho  and  the 
Adriminho LAG. The  network has developed a local cultural 
development  strategy  during  working  meetings,  and  has 
identified the main intervention areas and actions needed. As 
a result, the association Comédias do Minho has been created 
with the aim of supporting cultural promotion in the area.

This project integrates into the wider cultural development 
strategy  the  type  of  cultural  activities  which  the 
municipalities have developed for the Minho valley. As part 
of this strategy, some important cultural investments have 
been carried out in recent years (including Centro Cultural 
and the Museu Regional of Paredes de Coura; the Casa da 

Cultura and the Núcleo Museológico, in Melgaço; the Casa 
do Curro and the Cine-Teatro João Verde in Monção and 
the Biblioteca Municipal in Valença).

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

Cultural  and  theatrical  activities  are  considered  to  be  the 
main  driving  forces  of  social  and  personal  development 
in  the  region.  The  project  ‘Theatrical  company  in  the  rural 
environment’  initiated  by  the  Minho  valley  town  councils 
(Câmara  Municipal  de  Melgaço,  Câmara  Municipal  de 
Monção,  Câmara  Municipal  de  Valença,  Câmara  Municipal 
de  Paredes  de  Coura  and  Câmara  Municipal  de  Vila  Nova 
de Cerveira) aims to contribute to local development in the 
Minho  valley  by  strengthening  local  cultural  activities.  The 
local town councils have set up an association, the Comédias 
do Minho, as part of the local cultural strategy. The association 
has applied for Leader+ funding in order to carry out a range 
of  theatrical  training  activities  in  the  local  area.  The  main 
purpose of this project is to improve local cultural knowledge 
and  to  make  the  local  population  more  aware  of  culture 
through involving local people in theatrical activities.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

In the framework of the project, a wide range of training 
and cultural activities have been implemented, such as:
•

an  introductory  theatrical  language  course,  with  the 
aim  of  introducing  theatrical  language  to  pupils  in 
local schools and of ensuring the use of this language 
by setting up theatrical groups in schools;
the  ‘theatre  in  the  school’  initiative,  with  the  aim  of 
training  teachers  in  primary,  secondary  and  technical 
schools in five municipalities on how to use theatrical 
language as a pedagogical tool;
non-professional  actor  training,  with  the  aim  of 
developing non-professional theatre activities.

•

•

Other activities aim to raise awareness and spread theatrical 
culture in local areas through presenting theatre plays for 
children and adults and the staging of literary works.

■

3.  Concrete output s  and  result s

Through  the  activities  of  the  newly  created  local  theatre 
company, local cultural activities have been strengthened 
in 
and  stimulated.  Several  plays  have  been  staged 
the  local  parishes.  The  project  has  also  resulted  in  the 

58

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Tr a i n i n g   i n   t h e a t r i c a l   a c t i v i t i e s   i n   r u r a l   a r e a s

implementation of local cultural activities and structures 
in the participating municipalities. These movements have 
particularly  impacted  on  young  people  in  the  rural  area. 
Culture has been brought closer to local people and their 
understanding of cultural issues has been improved.

Due to the positive results of the project, some educational 
bodies  are  now  promoting  theatrical  activities,  and 
theatre groups have been created by the local cultural and 
recreational associations in some of the parishes (multiplier 
effects of the project).

■

4 .  Proble ms e ncounte re d/  

lessons  learnt

The  association  has  been  facing  difficulties  in  reaching 
financial autonomy to carry out its activities. Although the 
association receives support from the local town councils, 
it has been operating as a non-profit organisation.

The  project  also  faced  difficulties  due  to  a  lack  of  public 
interest (particularly of older people) in theatrical plays. Local 
people traditionally do not go to the theatre and it has been 
difficult to change their attitude in this respect. This lack of 
interest has weakened the overall success of the project.

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of  the proje c t

The main added value of the project is that it has introduced 
theatrical activities into the local area and brought culture 
closer  to  local  people.  It  is  difficult  to  ensure  the  financial 
sustainability  of  theatrical  activities  in  rural  areas  where 
these  activities  have  no  strong  traditions.  The  Leader+ 
funding has made it possible to carry out training activities 
and  to  stage  various  theatrical  productions  in  the  local 
area  through  support  provided  for  the  remuneration  of 
the actors and for the equipment used. It has ensured the 
operation of the local theatrical association.

The  Leader+  funding  has  helped  to  raise  awareness  of 
the importance and added value of culture in local social 
development and in the improvement of quality of life. As 
a  result,  the  project  has  received  financial  support  from 
the  town  councils  of  the  Minho  valley  and  the  national 
Ministry of Culture.

■

6. D uration

The  project  ran  for  a  year.  It  started  in  June  2005  and 
finished in June 2006.

■

7.  Budget

The overall budget for the project was EUR 251 330, of which 
EUR 94 249 was from the EAGGF, EUR 31 416 from national 
public funding and EUR 125 665 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : Ad r i m i n h o

N a m e o f co nt a c t p e r s o n: An a  Pau l a Xav i e r

Ad d r e ss: E d i f i c i o d o  G at d o Va l e d o 
M i n h o,  Av. M i g u e l D a nt a s ,  69, P- 4930 - 678 
Va l e n ç a

Te l .  (351) 251 82 58 11

Fa x (351) 251  82 56 2 0

E - m a i l: a d r i m i n h o @ m a i l .te l e p a c . p t

We b s i te: w w w. a d r i m i n h o. p t

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s ati o n: A ss o c i a ç ã o 
Co m é d i a s d o  M i n h o  — A ss o c i a ç ã o p a r a a 
p r o m o ç ã o e Ac ti v i d a d e s Cu l tu r a i s  n o Va l e 
d o M i n h o

Co nt a c t p e r s o n:   
M a r i a  J o a n a  Pi nto  R o d r i g u e s

Ad d r e ss: Ce nt r o  Cu l tu r a l  d e Pa r e d e s d e 
Co u r a , P- 49 4 0 Pa r e d e s  d e Co u r a

Te l .  (351) 251 78  01 24

Fa x (351) 251  78 01 21

Illustrations provided by the LAG Adriminho

Leader+ best practices

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

R e g i o n a l   q u a l i t y   b r a n d

S P A I N

Re gional qualit y brand 

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 24 813  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1 5 4 8  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 16 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 8

The LAG is located in the county of El Condado, in the north 
of  the  province  of  Jaén,  which  is  characterised  by  a  rich 
variety  of  flora  and  fauna,  fertile  lands  and  an  attractive 
landscape  with  olive  groves,  mountain  ranges,  a  natural 
park to the east and the River Guadalimar to the south. The 
local population of El Condado depends almost exclusively 
on  agricultural  activities  (95 %),  with  the  production  of 
olive oil as well as cattle breeding being central to the local 
economy. There is a strong presence of micro-enterprises 
or  self-employed  people  and  rural  cooperatives.  Other 
basic  trade  or  services  are  below  the  provincial  average 
and for years the area has been the least visited province 
in Spain.

Levels of education and income are low and unemployment 
rates  are  much  higher  than  the  provincial  and  national 
averages.  Only  17.4 %  women  of  working  age  are  active, 
and  more  than  a  third  of  the  active  population  are 
unemployed.  Fewer  opportunities  and  lower  salaries 
in  the  labour  market  lead  to  an  outflow  of  local  people, 
particularly  women,  which  in  the  long  run  can  cause 
demographic problems. 

The LAG´s strategy is to exploit all endogenous possibilities 
and  resources  of  the  territory  by  mobilising  local  agents 
and by uniting efforts to create new projects and ideas for 
truly  integrated  and  sustainable  rural  development.  The 
main focus is to add value to local products and to improve 
the  image  of  different  rural  regions  while  balancing  and 
integrating the activities between these regions. 

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R e g i o n a l   q u a l i t y   b r a n d

It  was  seen  as  a  necessity  to  involve  and  cooperate  with 
actors  from  different  sectors  (agro-food,  tourism,  crafts, 
industry,  environmental  sector,  etc.)  and  rural  areas  to 
set  up  jointly  high-quality  standards  for  all  companies, 
products  and  services.  The  activities  developed  by 
the  project  are  transferable  at  both  interterritorial  and 
transnational  levels.  Overall,  all  regions  involved  are 
searching for synergies and opportunities to diversify and 
to improve the competitiveness of their rural economies. 

Project description

■

1.  B rief   histor y of   the  proje c t

The main purpose of the project in the first phase of Leader+ 
(2002–06) was to set up a regional quality brand in different 
rural economies in Spain (as well as separately in Italy and 
France). It is an instrument to improve a region’s image and 
competitiveness  by  offering  high-quality  products  and 
services.  Initially,  the  Spanish  LAG  El  Condado  de  Jaén, 
the territory of Cathare in France and a third partner from 
Italy  (Valle  Umbra)  exchanged  experience  and  mobilised 
local  actors  in  their  own  countries/regions.  The  project 
has recently been boosted by further funding for a second 
phase (2006–08) aiming to introduce a European quality 
brand  through  transnational  cooperation  with  other 
European countries (France, Greece and Italy). 

In  Spain,  nine  LAGs  took  part  in  the  first  phase,  actively 
involving  and  cooperating  with  a  number  of  public 
institutions,  private  companies  and  social  groups  to  set 
up  the  regional  quality  brand  and  agreeing  on  shared 
principles  and  values.  The  regional  quality  brand  differs 
between territories as each LAG adds a regional logo with 
the name of the area accompanied by the common brand, 
the logo used by all groups with the legend ‘Calidad Rural’.

For  the  new  phase  (2006–08),  the  transnational  network 
consists  of  19  LAGs  (10  Spanish,  five  Greek,  three  Italian, 
and one French). The groups are in the process of drafting 
a  regulation  for  a  competitive  European  quality  brand 
and are debating a number of ways of how to introduce 
a common quality brand at European level (including the 
design,  future  management,  control  mechanism,  joint 
actions, etc.).

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

During  the  first  phase  of  the  project,  the  county  of  El 
Condado  in  Jaén  actively  exchanged  experience  with 
a  group  in  Cathare  in  France,  which  was  already  at  an 
advanced stage of implementing regional quality brands 

Why is this project good practice? 

The  project  has  followed  a  strong  area-based  approach 
and has built on the endogenous strengths of each region. 
It has valued local resources and the heritage of each area, 
aimed  to  protect  the  natural  environment  and  worked 
towards sustainable local development. 

The project has further demonstrated a strong partnership 
approach  to  achieve  balanced  and 
integrated  rural 
development.  It  has  involved  a  wide  range  of  local 
stakeholders  such  as  public  and  private  representatives 
of  city  councils,  trade  unions,  cultural  organisations  and 
social groups, private sector companies and universities. 

There has also been a strong cooperation and networking 
approach within the initiative. In the first phase, El Condado 
worked in a network with nine other Spanish territories and 
in the second phase with 10 groups including cooperation 
with the LAG Sobrarbe y La Ribagorza. The network already 
had some exchanges with groups from other countries in 
the first phase although the focus was more interterritorial. 
This  was  expected  to  become  intensified  in  the  second 
phase.  Training  and  professional  workshops  encourage 
exchanges  and  cooperation  between  different  LAGs  but 
also  improve  the  skills  and  knowledge  of  local/regional 
agents in these areas. Cooperation is not limited to a simple 
exchange of experience but also to the common goal of 
implementing activities jointly, such as the creation of the 
regional quality brand. The LAGs not only use the latter as 
a marketing or commercial tool, but also as an instrument 
to stimulate debate around local development issues. They 
aim  to  encourage  dialogue  between  the  different  rural 
regions  and  stakeholders,  initially  at  local  and  national 
levels, and then at European and international levels.

‘Marca de calidad territorial’ has been an integrated project 
open  to  all  deprived  rural  regions  and  their  inhabitants. 

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and served as a good example. A study tour was organised 
and the LAG started to promote the initiative among other 
groups and regions in Spain. The groups then introduced 
quality  brands  in  each  of  their  areas  and  set  up  clear 
guidelines  on  how  to  use  the  common  quality  brand 
(design, colour) together with the regional quality brands. 
A draft regulation for all LAGs was drawn up outlining all 
rules and shared values and principles. The groups further 
participated  in  diverse  intraregional  marketing  activities 
and national fairs. 

■

3.  Concrete output s  and  result s

The outputs and results for the first phase were:
•

procedures and responsibilities for each participating 
LAG were clarified;
rules,  conditions  and  minimum  quality  criteria  for 
products and services were agreed on by all LAGs; 
a common quality brand (or logo) for the nine regional 
quality brands was created and designed; 
nine  regional  quality  brands  were  introduced  by  the 
nine LAGs;
shared values and principles were set out in the draft 
regulation, including: 
—  general  respect  for  the  environment  (i.e.  saving 
water, energy and raw materials, no contamination), 
—  social  responsibility  of  firms  (i.e.  use  of  local 
resources, 
innovation, 
responsible  marketing, 
responsible and social management), 
—  development of equal opportunities;
management  and  control  mechanisms 
(quality 
assurance  system)  were  set  up  for  each  region  to 
guarantee that everyone complies with these standards 
when using the quality brands;
Internet  displays  were 
promotional  material  and 
produced,  and  training  seminars  and  workshops 
organised.

•

•

•

•

•

•

■

4.   Proble ms  e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

At interterritorial level, the network faced major problems 
with  setting  minimum  standards  for  the  common  brand 
as  each  of  the  LAGs  in  the  Spanish  autonomous  areas 
presented  different  eligibility  criteria  and  conditions  for 
the  usage  of  their  own  regional  quality  brands,  which 
slowed  down  the  process.  Different  regulations  and 
administrative  processes  made  it  impossible  to  set  up  a 
European  quality  brand  at  transnational  level  in  the  first 
phase.  The  project,  however,  successfully  managed  to 
mobilise  local/regional  agents  in  these  rural  areas  and 
achieved good initial results. 

■

5.    The ‘ Leade r+ adde d  value’   

 of  the  proje c t

The  project  has  provided  economies  of  scale  for  the 
different  groups  through  joint  actions  and  marketing 
efforts. It has encouraged joint promotion of high-quality 
products and services and fostered relationships between 
the  different  institutions  involved.  Improved  commercial 
operations  have  enabled  them  to  be  more  competitive 
and to better face a globalised market together. Through 
the Leader+ approach, shared values and principles have 
been  created  and  the  rural  areas  have  made  better  use 
of  their  local  resources  while  actions  have  been  more 
balanced and weaker sub-areas have been integrated. 

■

6.  D uration

The  project’s  duration  was  almost  three  years  and  five 
months. It started on 7 November 2002 and was completed 
on 30 March 2006.

■

7.  Budget

The total cost of the project was EUR 771 143, of which EUR 
510 789 was from the EAGGF, EUR 227 634 from national 
public funding and EUR 32 720 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e l e a d i n g L AG : A s o c i a c i ó n p a r a 
e l D e s a r r o l l o  R u r a l  d e l a Co m a r c a d e ‘ E l 
Co n d a d o — J a é n’ 

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: S e b a s t i á n L oz a n o 
M u d a r r a

Ad d r e ss:  Su b r i e ,  8 , E -23250 S a nti s te b a n 
d e l Pu e r to ( J a é n) 

Te l . (3 4) 953 4 0 12 4 0

Fa x (3 4)  953 4 0  14  14 

E - m a i l:  s l oz a n o @ co n d a d oj a e n . n e t

We b s i te: w w w. c a l i d a d te r r i to r i a l . co m

Illustrations  provided  by  the  LAG  Asociación  para  el 
Desarrollo Rural de la Comarca de ‘El Condado — Jaén’

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

S P A I N

Nature reser ve 
of L as Loras 

Project context

The territory of the project is located at the eastern end of 
the Cantabrian mountain range, bordering the autonomous 
communities  of  Cantabria  and  Castile-Leon  (the  largest 
region  of  Spain),  and  the  provinces  of  Palencia  and 
Burgos. The area has always been relatively isolated being 
surrounded  by  mountain  ranges  and  rivers,  but  offers  a 
great natural heritage and extremely varied landscapes and 
climates. The nature reserve Las Loras is a ‘green corridor’ 
that  is  a  remarkable  natural  tourism  resource  for  the 
surrounding regions and provinces, which also offers a rich 
cultural heritage with the greatest density of Romanesque 
and medieval monuments in Spain and Europe. 

The service sector is strongly represented in both regions 
(approximately  60 %),  followed  by  the  industrial  sector 
(approximately  20 %),  construction,  agriculture  and 
forestry.  The  agriculture  sector  has  gradually  changed 
from traditional farming to a system structured around the 
family smallholding, dairy cattle and milk production. The 
tourism industry has long been underdeveloped, but there 
is  a  steady  rise  in  the  number  of  tourists  coming  to  the 
region. The unemployment rates and wages vary between 
the municipalities and provinces but are somewhat lower 
than the national average.

The  main  focus  of  the  interterritorial  rural  development 
project was on improving the quality of life and creating 
jobs. The aim was to make local communities aware of the 
natural and cultural heritage of the area and their important 
role  in  contributing  to  its  preservation  and  accessibility. 
The  strategy  of  the  LAG  Asociación  País  Románico  is  to 
create new sources of employment and income in the area, 
based  on  the  principles  of  endogenous  and  sustainable 
development, driven by the actions of local people.

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 25  59 4 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1  133  k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 23 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r o f mu n i c i p a l i t i e s: 16

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                  N a t u r e   r e s e r v e   o f   L a s   L o r a s

N a t u r e   r e s e r v e   o f   L a s   L o r a s

Why is this project good practice? 

The project has had a strong area-based approach, since it 
has built on the local natural, cultural and human resources 
and  greatly  improved  the  income-generating  ability  of 
the rural area. It has contributed to the protection of the 
natural environment and worked towards sustainable local 
development.  The  initiative  has  raised  the  awareness  of 
the local population and has used new scientific methods 
and  approaches  to  preserve  nature  and  the  geological 
heritage in the region. 

The original idea came from a group of geologists and a local 
university professor who suggested to local governments 
and conservation groups that a nature reserve in the Las 
Loras region be set up. This bottom-up initiative was taken 
on board by the LAG Asociación País Románico and other 
local  administrations  and  organisations  and  is  now  also 
based on a strong partnership between the Junta Vecinal 
(neighbours’  association) of  Villaescusa de  las  Torres and 
two  local  associations  from  Rebolledo  de  la  Torre  and 
Revilla de Pomar. The promoters also created an association 
(Argeol)  to  lobby  within  the  regional  and  governmental 
entities  for  funding  and  the  future  management  of  the 
nature  reserve.  There  is  also  strong  cooperation  with 
local  stakeholders  such  as  conservation  groups,  the 
private  sector,  local  agents  and  geology  departments  of 
various universities, which frequently undertake research 
in  the  reserve.  Activities  such  as  the  ‘Scenery  workshop’ 
(implemented  with  the  participation  of  18  artists  in  the 
region)  create  new  opportunities  for  local  people  to 
interlink with one another.

The  project  has  also  followed  an  integrated  approach  by 
connecting different sectors (tourism, art, environment and 
education) and has been complementary to other projects 
in  the  area  that  are  part  of  a  wider  strategy  to  improve 
tourism activities and promote the area as a Romanesque 
countryside and cultural European destination.

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

The original idea came from a group of geologists and a local 
university  professor  who  suggested  to  local  governments 
and  conservation  groups  that  a  nature  reserve  in  the  Las 
Loras region be set up. The Junta Vecinal of Villaescusa de las 
Torres in collaboration with two local associations from two 
other cities in the region, the association Acetre (Rebolledo 
de la Torre) and the association Amigos (Revilla de Pomar), 
strongly supported the project idea, which was then taken 
on board by the LAG Asociación País Románico. 

The area promoted is part of the Natura 2000 site and the 
project  has  operated  within  the  framework  of  the  wider 
natural geology reserve programme of the Las Loras region 
(also  covering  northern  areas  of  Burgos  and  Palencia). 
The  project  was  implemented  as  a  pilot  action  covering 
Villaescusa de las Torres, Revilla de Pomar and Rebolledo de 
la Torre. Experiences and lessons gained through this project 
will be fundamental for the development of conservational 
and environmental policies of the area (including the natural 
monuments of Las Tuerces and of Covalagua. The project 
has contributed to the preservation of the environment and 
has helped to address threats faced by the region, such as 
the establishment of a new railway track or the construction 
of the head offices of a wind power company.

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The activities of the project were:
•

providing  study  visits  for  professionals  and  officers 
of local governments to the geological park in Aliaga 
(Teruel) and the nature reserve of the Haute-Provence 
(France);
undertaking a scientific study, including fieldwork and 

•

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N a t u r e   r e s e r v e   o f   L a s   L o r a s

administrations  and  associations  with  low  financing  and 
management  capacities,  and  the  complexity  of  regional 
administration.

■

5.  The ‘ Leade r+  adde d  value’   
  of  the  proje c t

The  Leader  programme  has 
largely  contributed  to 
improved  appreciation  of  the  local  natural  heritage  and 
highlighted  the  importance  of  its  preservation.  Through 
the  development  of  area-based  tourism  activities  and 
the  preservation  of  the  geological  sites,  the  Leader+ 
funding has largely contributed to the efficient use of local 
resources,  created  new  jobs  and  generated  additional 
local income.

■

6.  D uration

The  project’s  duration  has  been  two-and-a-half  years.  It 
started on 31 January 2004 and was completed on 30 July 
2006.

■

7.  Budget

The total cost of the project was EUR 137 912, of which EUR 
110 330 was from the EAGGF and EUR 27 582 from private 
funding.

collection  of  relevant  information  (delineation  and 
cartography, photographic material, map of resources 
and tourist services);
putting in place signs that show the directions between 
the observation points of three different walking routes;
providing  information  on  tours  (explanatory  tables)  and 
thematic routes (geological, biological, architectural, etc.);
promoting the nature reserve among local stakeholders 
(design and distribution of a promotional leaflet, nature 
reserve guide, links and exchange of experience with 
promoters of other nature reserves);
for 
undertaking  a  needs  analysis 
investments 
(roads,  parking  space, 
centre, signalling, didactic and promotional material);
providing  additional 
resources and services.

infrastructure 
interpretation 

information  on  other 

local 

•

•

•

•

•

■

3. Concrete output s   and  result s

Contact details of the LAG 

Outputs of the project were:
•
•

tours  established  and 

study visits;
three  different  walking 
promotional material produced;
conservation tools developed for the local countryside 
that  will  help  to  preserve  the  natural  geological 
heritage of the Las Loras region;
creation of a high-quality nature and cultural tourism 
product with additional services (e.g. exhibitions);
increased environmental awareness of local people of 
local heritage and natural resources;
improved promotion of natural resources.

•

•

•

•

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG :   
A s o c i a c i ó n Pa í s R o m á n i co 

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: Fe r n a n d o G a r c í a G a r c í a

Ad d r e ss:  Avd a . d e Ce r ve r a , 26 ,  E -3 4 8 0 0 
Ag u i l a r d e C a m p ó/ Pa l e n c i a ,  C a s ti l l a - L e ó n

Te l . (3 4) 979 12 8 0 29

Fa x (3 4)  979 12 21 6 6

E - m a i l:  l e a d e r@ p a i s r o m a n i co. o r g

We b s i te: w w w. p a i s r o m a n i co. o r g

The  biggest  difficulty  has  been  the  coordination  and 
active  involvement  of  project  partners,  which  are  local 

Illustrations provided by the LAG Asociación País Románico 

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S W E D E N

Pre -study for the development  of  the 
Svar tådalen rural area

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The River Dalälv is the common feature of the LAG’s territory 
in natural, cultural and historical terms. Salmon fishing has 
been of great importance to the community until modern 
times.  Iron,  silver  and  copper  production  has  been  the 
common  historical  tradition  in  the  border  area  of  the  four 
counties. The main strength of the region is in the natural 
and  cultural  assets,  and  Leader+  Nedre  Dalälven  aims  to 
build on these resources for the development of the region.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 65  0 0 0 i n h a b i t a nt s 

Su r f a ce a r e a: 6 70 0 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 10  i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

N u m b e r  o f mu n i c i p a l i ti e s: 10

However, the industries in the region are facing some serious 
difficulties. Over a short period of time, the number of jobs 
has fallen drastically in basic industries (in particular, in the 
metal production and forest industries), and local companies 
can be characterised by lack of entrepreneurial culture. 

The  main  objective  of  the  local  development  strategy 
is  to  concentrate  efforts  on  expanding,  renewing  and 
developing local businesses. Key areas where enterprises 
can  be  developed  include  financing,  skills  development 
and network building. Young people are expected to play 
a major role in this development (since they can be highly 
motivated  and  have  creative  new  ideas),  and  therefore 
specific  focus  is  given  to  projects  that  support  young 
people or are run by young people. In the framework of 
the local development strategy, incentives will be created 
for people to move to the region and efforts will be made 
to  stimulate  new  business  start-ups.  Priority  is  given  to 
projects that can create new jobs at a low cost. 

Why is this project good practice?

The pilot study and the projects supported on the basis of 
the study have been very much based on the development 

of the Svartådalen area; therefore, the whole concept 
has  been  characterised  by  a  strong  area-based 
approach.  The  project  has  strongly  built  on  local 
natural and cultural resources and historical assets. It 
has  created  new  forms  of  communication  networks 
and contacts in the Svartådalen area.

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The  project  was  initiated  by  local  people,  i.e.  followed  a 
bottom-up  approach.  The  members  of  the  cooperative 
are local businesses and associations representing a wide 
range  of  stakeholders  in  the  area.  From  the  start  of  the 
project, there has been strong emphasis on anchoring the 
activities  among  local  inhabitants  through  networking, 
information  provision,  meetings  and  awareness  raising 
(e.g. newsletters). The degree of commitment of the local 
inhabitants  is  well  illustrated  by  the  extensive  voluntary 
work (20 000 hours) invested in the project.

support  of  the  Svartån  valley’.  The  cooperative  operates 
in  the  area  of  Västerfärnebo  and  Fläckebo  parishes  that 
are  both  located  along  the  River  Svartån.  Initially,  the 
main focus of the cooperative was on discussing project 
ideas  in  support  of  local  development.  Later,  attention 
focused on the assessment of the key needs of the region 
in terms of infrastructure, demography, employment and 
businesses, potential for job creation and social services. 
For this purpose, a pilot study was initiated, which became 
the first Leader+ project of the area. 

The cooperative operates through a similar partnership to 
that of the LAG, i.e. represents several local interest groupings 
and associations (with the exception of public organisations 
which  do  not  directly  participate  in  the  cooperative).  The 
cooperative  has  established  good  working  relationships 
with  local  and  regional  authorities.  The  commitment  and 
cooperation  on  behalf  of  the  farmers’  union  have  largely 
contributed to the success of the project.

The project has followed a strong integrated approach. It 
has identified the main fields of development for the area 
on the basis of cultural and natural resources and addressed 
various  sectors  within  the  framework  of  an  integrated 
local  strategy,  covering  fields  such  as  infrastructure, 
tourism, fishing and farming, marketing and promotion. In 
this way, the project has addressed a broad spectrum of 
development issues.

Many areas in Sweden have showed interest in the project, 
and the project has developed networking activities with 
other areas which wanted to learn about working methods 
and exchange experience with Svartådalen. The methods 
used (i.e. analysis of conditions of the area, identification 
of areas of development, strategy implementation) can be 
successfully transferred to other regions. These methods, 
however, require commitment from the local people.

Project description

■

1.  Brief histor y  of  the  proje c t

The project was initiated by local people during a meeting 
held in a local school in March 1999. During the meeting, 
the  local  development  group  of  Färnebo  was  set  up 
with the aim of supporting the development of the area 
through  the  identification  of  good  project  ideas.  The 
group received support from the county.

The  Färnebo  group  was  later  developed  into  a  local 
cooperative  named  ‘Rural  development  cooperative  in 

•

•

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The main aims of the pilot study were:
•

to  gather  information  about  projects  and  conditions 
for their possible implementation;
to  map  out  the  expected  socio-economic  effects  of 
projects;
to  create  networks  and  different  methods  of 
cooperation to help carry out projects.

•

•

The pilot study aimed to assess the state of local businesses 
and  the  socio-economic  conditions  of  the  area,  and  this 
formed  the  basis  for  the  identification  of  new  projects. 
As  a  result  of  the  pilot  study,  a  long-term  strategy  was 
established. The main development objective defined by 
the study was to exploit the natural and cultural resources 
in such a way as to contribute to long-term employment. 
Projects are implemented with the active participation of 
a wide range of local actors, including the farmers’ union, 
the  county  administration,  the  local  government  of  Sala 
and Mälardalen College.

Projects (that have been mainly supported by Leader+ and 
the  Swedish  rural  development  programme  within  the 
common agricultural policy) include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Svartådalen nature and culture tourism;
Svartådalen crayfish;
energy from barley;
entrepreneurs for tourism in the countryside;
local area network;
music as a tool;
young people in the cultural landscape.

■

3.  Concrete  output s  and  result s

The pilot study resulted in:
•

increased awareness of the natural and cultural values 
of the area;
a  well-anchored 
development of the area;
activities initiated by inhabitants of the region, which 

continuing 

strategy 

the 

for 

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

P r e - s t u d y 
f o r   t h e   d e v e l o p m e n t 
o f   t h e   S v a r t å d a l e n 
r u r a l   a r e a

•

•
•

have  contributed  to  a  positive  attitude  towards  local 
development;
increased  commitment  of  young  people  to  work  for 
the area;
new networks;
information and marketing material for the area, including 
a  film  produced  by  young  people,  and  presented  on 
Swedish television, entitled The Färnbo Parade.

Individual  projects  implemented  within  the  framework  of 
the local development strategy have produced a wide range 
of  outcomes,  including  new  jobs  and  tourism  businesses, 
increased tourism accommodation capacity, increased sales 
of  local  farmers’  products  (e.g.  grains  to  energy  company, 
beef to ICA retail chain), and improved marketing of the area.

The  project  has  also  achieved  a  longer-term  impact. 
Svartådalen is today a well-known ‘brand’ in Sweden and 
is  gradually  improving  its  reputation.  As  a  result,  good 
cooperation has been developed between local businesses 
and other organisations. Social services and infrastructure 
have  been  improved,  and  more  people  are  moving  into 
the  area,  which  is  resulting  in  an  increased  demand  for 
housing.  Women  and  young  people  have  become  more 
involved  in  local  development  (through  job  creation  for 
women and projects led by young people).

■

4.   Proble ms  e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

During the project implementation, it became evident that 
the borders of the Leader+ area should have been better 
defined. The borders split regions that historically shared 
many traditions and had many contacts and cooperation 
structures with one another.

The  project  also  faced  some 
bureaucracy and a lack of financial resources.

initial  difficulties  with 

The  mobilisation  of  local  people  to  actively  become 
engaged  in  the  development  work  also  proved  to  be  a 
difficult task.

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

Through the Leader+ programme, local people have become 
more  aware  of,  more  committed  to  and  more  involved  in 
local development. The Leader approach has strengthened 
the local community, contributed to the setting-up of strong 
partnerships,  and  improved  cooperation  at  the  local  level 
(with local authorities in particular). Project activities have 

also enhanced the entrepreneurial potential of the region 
and strengthened regional identity.

■

6.  D uration

The project started in April 2001 and finished in October 
2003.

■

7.  Budget

The overall budget for the pilot study was EUR 173 512, of which 
EUR 30 485 was from the EAGGF, EUR 45 727 from national 
public funding and EUR 97 300 from private funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e L AG : L e a d e r+  N e d r e D a l ä l ve n

Co nt a c t p e r s o n s: Pe r  N o r d e n s t a m a n d 
K a l l e H e d i n

Ad d r e ss:  S - 81021 Gys i n g e

Te l . (4 6 -291) 211 8 0

Fa x (4 6 -291) 211 81

E - m a i l:  n e d r e d a l a l ve n @ te l i a . co m

We b s i te: w w w. l e a d e r - n e d r e d a l a l ve n . o r g

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s at i o n:  Sv a r t å d a l e n s 
B yg d e u t ve c k l i n g E ko n m i s k a  Fö r e n i n g

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: An n - Ch r i s ti n  Ko r t h s -
A s p e g r e n

Ad d r e ss:  Ö s by 110 ,  S -73070 Vä s te r f ä r n e b o

Te l . (4 6 -224) 74 0 0 11

E - m a i l:  a n n - c h r i s ti n @s v a r t a d a l e n . nu

We b s i te: w w w. s v a r t a d a l e n . nu

Illustrations provided by the LAG Leader+ Nedre Dalälven

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P r e - s t u d y 

f o r   t h e   d e v e l o p m e n t 

o f   t h e   S v a r t å d a l e n 

r u r a l   a r e a

                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

U N I T E D   K I N G D O M

Communities  on  the e dge (COTE)

Project context

Facts about the territory 

The  South  Lanarkshire  LAG  is  located  to  the  south  of 
Glasgow  and  the  area  has  historically  been  associated 
with heavy industry. However, 80 % of the land is rural and 
contains  beautiful  areas  such  as  the  scenic  Clyde  valley 
and remote uplands.

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 75 477 i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 1  563 k m 2

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 4 8 i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m 2 

Much  of  the  region  has  a  low  economic  base  due  to 
the  decline  in  traditional  industries  such  as  mining  and 
agriculture.  The  region  contains  important  rural  areas 
and  communities,  some  of  which  have  the  potential  for 
economic and environmental development. In some cases, 
rural  communities  have  lost  their  economic  viability;  for 
others, the quality of the local environment and proximity 
to  major  urban  areas  have  led  to  increased  pressure  for 
new, commuter-based housing developments. There is a 
significant potential to develop tourism activities.

The  two  main  Leader+  themes  of  the  South  Lanarkshire 
LAG are adding value to local products and the new use of 
know-how and new technologies. The key objectives of the 
LAG  are  to  assist  with  the  development  of  successful  and 
inclusive  communities,  to  provide  access  to  working  and 
learning  opportunities  for  Leader+  target  groups  (women, 
young  people,  the  underemployed  and  the  employed), 
and to create safe and healthy rural communities based on 
community  empowerment  through  the  development  of 
robust decision-making policies.

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C o m m u n i t i e s   o n   t h e   e d g e

Why is this project good practice?

The project is a good example of interterritorial cooperation, 
as it involves three Leader+ groups in southern Scotland 
(South  Lanarkshire,  Scottish  Borders,  and  Dumfries  and 
Galloway) together with the Southern Uplands Partnership 
(SUP). The project was identified as a result of issues raised 
through networking and partnership meetings. 

sustainability of the project’s model and it is encouraging 
that  the  three  Leader  groups  are  heavily  involved  in  the 
community planning process.

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

The  project  addresses  the  area-based  approach  as  it  has 
identified  land-based  resources,  underused  across  the 
three  LAGs  in  the  southern  uplands  of  Scotland.  The 
resources are privately owned, but the focus of the project 
is to build local partnerships between communities in the 
area  that  currently  do  not  benefit  from  these  resources, 
and to add value to local resources, which in turn provide 
benefits to the estate owners.

The  project  aims  to  encourage  the  development  and 
growth of new small-scale rural enterprises that build on 
resources available from major landowners and managers 
in  southern  Scotland.  It  is  managed  by  the  Southern 
Uplands  Partnership  and  operates  simultaneously 
in 
‘communities  on  the  edge’  (COTE)  around  large  private 
landowning  estates  in  South  Lanarkshire,  the  Scottish 
Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway. 

The  project  fully  supports  the  bottom-up  approach,  as 
it  has  engaged  people  in  the  local  community  through 
consultations; this has resulted in the identification of what 
they consider to be the most important and key issues in 
their areas. The community has been directly involved in 
suggesting and implementing solutions to address these 
key  issues.  Four  working  groups  have  been  established, 
each  focusing  on  a  development  area  —  some  of  these 
groups  have  already  secured  further  funding  in  their 
areas.

The traditional role of rural estates and their relationship 
with  the  community  have  changed  as  they  have 
focused  their  efforts  on  core  business  activities.  The 
project aims to engage with the local communities and 
encourages local partnerships between neighbouring 
rural estates, namely the Douglas & Angus, Roxburghe 
and Buccleuch estates. It is hoped that the involvement 
of  these  estates  will  serve  to  encourage  other  estate 
owners  across  the  regions  to  adopt  the  COTE  model 
nationally.

The  project  is  highly  innovative  as  it  has  facilitated  a 
partnership  between  groups  who  do  not  normally 
cooperate, and who also might be seen as having opposing 
interests  —  this  addresses  an  integrated  approach  of 
diverse social groups. The recognition of common interests 
between community groups and estate owners has been 
the foundation of the ongoing development of social and 
economic growth enterprises.

Transferability  has  been  a  key  element  of  the  project 
development as the model of estate–community and cross-
sector partnership could be adopted on a wider basis. The 
project has undertaken a number of wider activities that 
will help promote it more effectively and provide a better 
understanding in Scotland of how it is operating. 

The project looks set to become sustainable, as it receives 
support  through  the  Carnegie  UK  Trust  (CUKT)  and 
also  because  South  Lanarkshire  has  a  rich  natural  and 
historical heritage. This has led to an improvement in the 
popularity of the area and strengthened the project’s links 
with  nature-based  tourism.  Partnership  is  the  key  to  the 

■

2 .  M ain  ac tivities

The project addresses economic growth as it is designed 
to stimulate the start-up of new businesses and to identify 
employment opportunities across rural communities. It also 
encourages  social  cohesion  as  it  is  based  on  community 
involvement,  requiring  action  and  decision-making  by 
local  people.  Environmental  sustainability  is  promoted 
through  new  and  sustainable  uses  of  underutilised 
resources  and  the  project  aims  to  raise  the  awareness 
of  environmental  sustainability, 
including  enhancing 
biodiversity and improving heritage management.

The main activities of the project have included six initial 
stakeholder  workshops  and  one  community  workshop 
held  with  local  people.  The  objectives  of  the  workshops 
were to assess the attitudes and the expectations amongst 
key  stakeholder  groups  by  using  scenario  exercises.  This 
allowed potential barriers for involvement in sustainable 
local  enterprises  to  be  identified  and  to  establish  the 
groundwork for thinking as a community. The community 
workshop  was  designed  for  the  wider  community  and 

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C o m m u n i t i e s   o n   t h e   e d g e

offered participants the chance to choose the extent of their 
future involvement.
These  community-based  capacity-building  exercises  led 
to  the  setting-up  of  four  working  groups  consisting  of 
community volunteers who participated in the workshops 
to undertake the following key actions.
•

Group  1:  To  establish  a  robust,  community  managed, 
multifunctional community/sports facility group.
Group 2: To set up a women’s entrepreneurial activity 
support and assistance group.
Group  3:  To  support  diversification  of  land-based 
activities including the marketing of local produce.
Group 4: To encourage local community involvement 
in sustainable waste management.

•

•

•

■

3. Concrete output s   and  result s

The  four  working  groups  are  progressing  well  and  have 
established the following outputs.
•

Group 1: The (volunteer) project leader is participating 
in training for ‘getting into social business’ the funding 
for  which  was  secured  through  the  Communities 
Scotland  future  builders’  learning  fund.  Feasibility 
work  on  a  local  community  sports  facility  has  also 
commenced  using  Gaia  architects.  In  addition,  it  is 
proposed that a community-owned property be sold 
to release funds for building the new facility.
Group  2:  Links  have  been  made  with  the  Lanarkshire 
childcare  partnership  regarding  the  potential  to 
assist  with  any  future  childcare/crèche  services  being 
considered in the Douglas area. A programme of work 
is now in place. 
Group  3:  Workshops  have  been  held  with  tenant 
farmers/gamekeepers  to  advise  on  the  opportunities 
and  issues  presented  by  both  common  agricultural 
policy reform and new access legislation. However, this 
component of the project is considered to be of a long-
term nature, with no significant progress as yet. It is felt 
that the COTE activity in the three areas will begin to 
accumulate  and  gradually  demonstrate  community 
support which can create the kind of markets to which 

•

•

•

local private businesses can respond.
Group  4:  The  Douglas  Waste  Management  Working 
looking  at  combining  and  growing, 
Group 
composting,  recycling  and  health  activities  on  land 
within the Douglas & Angus estate.

is 

•

The  COTE  project’s  successful  bid  for  funding  from  the 
Carnegie  UK  Trust  rural  action  research  programme 
constitutes a significant step forward. The target outcomes 
of this exercise will be:
•

to provide the resources needed by the COTE project to 
achieve the potential that it has demonstrated so far;
to  provide  the  mechanism  needed  by  the  CUKT 
for  designing,  conducting  and  disseminating  well-
rounded  rural  action  research  with  partners  in  south 
Scotland to support the CUKT policy change agenda.
It is estimated that it could take 10 to 15 years for the full 
potential of investment in the COTE project to be realised, 
and  expansion  efforts  are  being  planned  over  five-year 
periods.

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

The  project  poses  a  challenge  of  maintaining  the 
momentum of activities across the three Leader areas. The 
project has learnt to deal with the lack of capacity by the 
facilitation of training events and project visits. However, it 
is clear that a longer-term approach to building community 
capabilities will need to be adopted.

The  establishment  of  sustainable  local  trading  requires 
a  long-term  approach  by  all  parties.  As  the  project  is 
dependent  on  community  support,  it  will  take  a  certain 
length  of  time  before  this  support  is  demonstrated  to 
help  tip  the  balance  of  feasibility  towards  the  tangible 
confidence required to invest within the private sector. It 
is anticipated that the project’s activity in the three Leader 
areas will gradually demonstrate that community support 
can  create  the  kind  of  markets  to  which  local  private 
businesses can respond.

Leader+ best practices

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

■

5.   The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of the proje c t

Contact details of the LAG 

The Leader ethos has been clearly visible in the project as 
it  has  created  a  new  kind  of  relationship  between  large 
landowning  estates  and  local  communities  so  that  the 
resources  locked  up  in  the  estates  can  be  developed  to 
benefit both partners. 

The  aspirations  of  the  project  are  considerable,  but  the 
three LAGs are involving marginalised groups. This process 
of development that builds capacity in the community, in 
tandem  with  the  development  of  the  project,  facilitates 
the input of the community and the achievement of the 
project’s  goals,  and  clearly  demonstrates  the  bottom-up 
approach.

■

6. D uration

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e l e a d i n g L AG : S o u t h 
L a n a r k s h i r e 

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: Yvo n n e H ow l ey

Ad d r e ss:  30 H o p e St r e e t , L a n a r k , 
L a n a r k s h i r e M L11 7N E , Un i te d K i n g d o m

Te l . (4 4 -1555)  6 6 50 6 4

Fa x (4 4 -1555) 6 6 57  33

E - m a i l:  y h ow l ey@s b g l a n a r k s h i r e . co. u k

We b s i te: w w w. s l r p l . o r g . u k

The project commenced in September 2004 and will last 
for three years, finishing in September 2007.

■

7. Budget

The total budget for the project is EUR 203 753, of which 
EUR 87 920 is from the EAGGF, EUR 93 333 from national 
public funding and EUR 22 500 from private funding.

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

N a m e o f t h e o r g a n i s at i o n:  S o u t h e r n 
U p l a n d s Pa r t n e r s h i p

Co nt a c t p e r s o n: D av i d  N i ve n

Ad d r e ss:  Stu d i o  2 ,  Li n d e a n  M i l l , 
G a l a s h i e l s T D1 3PE , Un i te d K i n g d o m

Te l . (4 4 -77) 47 4 4 77 19

E - m a i l:  d av i d n i ve n @su p. o r g . u k

Illustrations provided by the LAG South Lanarkshire

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                  T h e   A l m o   c u l i n a r y   r e g i o n

U N I T E D   K I N G D O M

Cumbria’s cook ing

Project context

Facts about the territory 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Po p u l at i o n: 9 9 6 47  i n h a b i t a nt s

Su r f a ce a r e a: 3  712 k m²

Po p u l at i o n d e n s i t y : 27  i n h a b i t a nt s/ k m²

The  two  local  action  groups  involved  in  this  project,  the 
Cumbria Fells and Dales LAG and the North Pennines LAG, 
are located adjacent to each other in the north of England. 
Their  territories  include  some  of  the  most  extensive  and 
remote areas of England. Much of the land is classified as 
an ‘area of natural beauty’ with protected sites including 
the Lake District national park, the Cumbrian part of the 
Yorkshire  Dales  national  park,  the  Hadrian’s  Wall  world 
heritage site and the Northumberland national park. It is 
almost entirely an upland area and receives some of the 
country’s heaviest rainfall. 

Most of the territory is classified as a ‘severely disadvantaged 
less  favoured  area’  and  the  outbreak  of  foot-and-mouth 
disease was extremely severe in the area (over 1.25 million 

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C u m b r i a ’ s   c o o k i n g

sheep  and  0.25  million  cattle  culled)  which  seriously 
worsened the already adverse situation in farming. The local 
economy relies heavily on agriculture and tourism; there is 
also  a  moderate  amount  of  manufacturing  and  a  growing 
amount of small rural businesses in other sectors. 

The Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader+ strategy is to create 
new  sources  of  employment  and  income  in  the  area 
through an effective and dynamic local produce economy, 
based  on  the  principles  of  sustainable  development 
and  driven  by  the  actions  of  local  people.  The  North 
Pennines  Leader+  strategy  is  to  improve  quality  of  life 
and  to  empower  people  to  play  a  full  active  part  in  the 
development of their communities.

Why is this project good practice?

the 

‘Cumbria’s  cooking’  has  been  a  successful  Action  2 
interterritorial  project  where 
two  LAGs  have 
productively worked together along with Voluntary Action 
Cumbria (VAC). The project’s success has been largely due 
to the close partnership that the LAGs have formed with 
VAC  which  has  had  extensive  contacts  and  networks  in 
Cumbria involved with community development over the 
past 50 years.

The networking and cooperation between the two LAGs 
was  created  on  the  basis  of  a  ‘Cumbrian’  project,  each 
LAG having part of Cumbria in its territory. The project has 
been  successfully  implemented  across  the  regions  with 
food  heritage,  the  promotion  of  local  products  and  the 
development of skills and social capital being reinforced 
throughout the area.

The  project  has  addressed  the  area-based  approach  by 
using  fresh  local  produce  from  the  two  LAG  areas.  The 
project  has  been  directly  linked  with  the  landscape  and 
history  of  the  area  and  the  celebratory  activities,  where 
local  foods  are  prepared,  also  help  to  develop  a  love  for 
and pride in the locality.

The project has been based on a community development 
agenda  highlighting  the  bottom-up  approach.  It  has 
stimulated  local  people  to  learn  skills  and  organise  their 
own events and has given them the confidence to work as 
a team to carry out their ideas. The project has adapted its 
approach to the community’s interests and the two LAGs 
have successfully combined to produce local development 
which  is  genuinely  bottom-up  while  still  contributing  to 
wider strategic priorities. 

The project could be transferred to any area which produces 
food.  However,  in  practice,  there  was  a  long  period  of 
following  successful 
development  during  which  the 
elements  were  established: 
local  food  heritage  was 
researched; the recruitment of a local celebrity chef who’s 
high profile and good networks made publicity easy; VAC’s 
extensive  experience  and  networks  played  a  pivotal  role 
in  reaching  local  communities  across  Cumbria;  the  area’s 
worldwide reputation for a clean and beautiful environment 
was promoted; and previous project experience in Sweden 
and Cumbria provided valuable knowledge.
The project has been sustainable through its development of 
local products, by raising the awareness of local food heritage, 
by  developing  skills  among  local  people  and  by  building 
social  capital  through  events/celebrations.  The  project 
has formed a special formula which everyone can relate to 
and learn from. The value of developing the theme of local 
food is that the related activities are a source of satisfaction 
to participants, who then buy more produce and a circle of 
positive feedback is created.

Project description

■

1.  B rie f  histor y  of  the  proje c t

The project stemmed from a meeting between the two  
LAG assistant managers where they came up with the idea 
of using the local product agenda as a tool for community 

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engagement  to  address  the  quality  of  life  theme.  The 
two  LAGs  agreed  that  the  raising  of  awareness  of  local 
products  was  important  to  generate  demand  for  these 
products especially from within the area, and to promote 
local procurement in both the public and private sectors. 

Under Leader II, Cumbria was involved in a project entitled 
‘Feastcookers’, the idea being based on a Swedish project 
in the late 1990s. The project targeted women as culinary 
entrepreneurs,  provided  feasts  for  local  tourists,  and 
involved  training  people  to  produce  feasts  and  in  the 
history of Cumbria’s food. 

project  has  promoted  local  and  organic  produce  among 
local people through the medium of cookery, highlighting 
healthier lifestyles and local growing.

A series of learning and group development events have 
been  organised  and  delivered  to  each  of  eight  target 
communities of geographical interest. A local chef is now 
employed to educate, inform, entertain and enthuse, and 
visits to local producers also take place which reinforce the 
relationship between product and place. The ultimate goal 
of the learning groups is for participants to organise their 
own  events  or  activities  using  their  new-found  culinary 
skills, confidence and knowledge of local food. 

Alongside the message to local people about the origins 
and importance of local food, other issues such as healthy 
eating,  organic  production  and  fair  trade  have  been 
addressed.

One  such  example  of  how  the  project  has  functioned  is 
through  its  activities  with  a  local  school  —  children  at 
Brampton  school  are  learning  to  make  lunchbox  snacks, 
fruit juices and performance foods. The children learn about 
where their food comes from and about the importance 
of  eating  healthily,  and  they  also  start  establishing  basic 
cooking skills.

■

3.  Concrete  output s  and  result s

A number of community groups are benefiting from the 
project  such  as  rural  isolated  villages,  disadvantaged 
and excluded communities, young people, older people, 
schools,  small  businesses,  local  communities,  parents, 
producers, local shops, and local charities.
include 
Other  noticeable  outputs  from  the  project 
increased  awareness  of  local  products  and  a  change  in 
attitude  to  buying  local  products  and  healthy  eating.  In 
addition, the area has benefited from: 
•
•
•

an increase in confidence in local producers; 
new life being given to the community agenda; 
support  of  the  local  economy  through  the  buying  of 
locally produced foods (such as Cumbrian lamb, bacon, 
sausages, other meats and preserves, etc.);
local producers and farmers having increased awareness 
of  the  principles  of  environmental  sustainability  and 
stewardship.

•

■

4.   Proble ms e ncounte re d/ 

 lessons  learnt

The project team had to revise its process as it saw that a 
programmatic approach was limiting creativity especially 

The Leader+ ‘Cumbria’s cooking’ project has aimed to raise 
awareness  of  local  products  in  order  to  generate  more 
demand for them, especially within the area, and to promote 
local  procurement  in  both  the  public  and  private  sectors. 
In addition, the North Pennines LAG wanted to work more 
intensively  in  developing  healthy  eating  to  support  the 
quality of life agenda. ‘Cumbria’s cooking’ uses a community 
development model to raise awareness of local products.

■

2 .  M ain ac tivities

The project has supported joint community action as its 
team has worked with local groups to explore Cumbria’s 
wealth  of  food  heritage  and  helped  groups  to  plan 
community  celebrations  with  a  distinctive  flavour.  The 

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as  the  communities  all  had  different  needs  and  ideas. 
Although changes were made to the process of the project, 
the outputs and budget remained the same.
A successful aspect of the project has been the employment 
of a celebrity chef as he has led to a considerable amount 
of  added  value  through  publicity,  encouragement  and 
participation.  The  chef  involved  in  the  project  has  many 
networks which have all fed into it in different ways. The 
fun  approach  of  the  programme  has  led  to  incidental 
learning for adults, children and community groups. The 
value  of  working  through  existing  networks  has  been 
of  enormous  benefit  to  the  LAG’s  strategy:  it  reduces 
duplication; promotes the message of local development; 
and speeds up the rate at which work can progress.

■

5.  The  ‘ Leade r+  adde d value’   
  of  the proje c t

The project has received funding and management from 
two LAGs and is an excellent example of joint working and 
interregional  cooperation.  It  has  drawn  experience  from 
best practice in other countries and also provides a good 
example  of  best  practice  to  other  projects  as  ‘Cumbria’s 
cooking’ continues to develop.

The  project  has  successfully  developed  a  strong 
community approach and has found new ways to identify 
local  distinctiveness.  The  project  implementation  has 
been creative as each group session has been moulded to 
suit individual needs and the process has been devised to 
be completely flexible.

The  two  main  aims  of  the  project,  adding  value  to  local 
products  and  improving  quality  of  life,  have  been  met 
uniquely  by  this 
initiative.  Multisectoral 
working  is  also  proven  and  it  has  created  a  strong 
partnership whereby local economic priorities in the LAGs’ 
strategies have been brought to life through community 
development work.

innovative 

The target groups in the LAGs’ strategy were also addressed 
by  the  community  development  approach  and  by  using 
existing  networks,  for  example,  by  working  with  the 
charity Age Concern to contact and engage older people.

■

6. D uration

The  project  was  implemented  for  just  over  two  years.  It 
started in September 2004 and continued until December 
2006.

■

7. Budget 

The total budget for the project was EUR 19 299, of which 
EUR  9  650  was  from  the  EAGGF  and    EUR  9  649  from 
national public funding.

Contact details of the LAG 

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

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(cid:31)

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Name of the leading LAG: Cumbria Fells and Dales

Contact persons: Geoff Brown and Adrian Banford

Address: The Old Stables, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 
0DT, United Kingdom

Tel. (44-1768) 86 95 33

Fax (44-1768) 24 21 34

E-mail: info@fellsanddales.org.uk 

Website: www.fellsanddales.org.uk

Contact details of the local operator

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

(cid:31)

Name of the organisation: Voluntary Action 
Cumbria

Contact person: Anna Scamans

Address: The Old Stables, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 
0DT, United Kingdom

Tel. (44-1768) 86 95 29

E-mail: annascamans@ruralcumbria.org.uk 

Website: www.ruralcumbria.org.uk

Illustrations provided by the LAG Cumbria Fells and Dales

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