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| | Doarpswurk: a young organisation with a long history
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Doarpswurk supports
local interest associations and
community centres in the small villages in the provence of
Fryslân.
Doarpswurk was founded in 2006 as a result of the merging of two countryside organisations: one that was principally directed toward village associations (FLD) and one which primarily worked for community centres (SDF). Doarpswurk is a support service of the province of Fryslân (Friesland) and works toward the preservation of and stimulation of social cohesion and the quality of life in the Frisian countryside. The administrations of community centres and village centres are our primary target groups.
Ús plattelân libbet. Absolutely! Throughout in Fryslân (Friesland), initiatives are underway to make life in the province’s villages pleasant – now and in the future. Community centres and multifunctional centres (MFCs) play important roles in this process. Here, people meet, put on plays, go to school, engage in sporting activities or prepare village festivals. In the afternoon, children come here to eat a sandwich with seniors who meet here to take part in activities. And whilst playing darts, a few neighbours arrange to add some colour to the village with some new plants for the flower boxes.
How can Doarpswurk be of help to you?
• For information, advice and documentation. We keep our target group apprised of developments that could affect it, by means of our newsletter, our website www.doarpswurk.nl, our handbook, which can be found on the site, in brochures and, above all, through personal contact. Amongst the things upon which we focus are the continuously changing relevant laws and legislation. The handbook is an excellent source of (up to date) information in this area.
• For support and guidance. Upon request, village associations and community centres will receive, in some cases on site, (project) support and materials from a regional consultant. In the case of community centres, this will involve, amongst other things, renovation and new-housing projects, questions regarding maintenance, quality control and drafting business plans. In that of village associations it will concern the conceiving and drawing up of detailed visions for village development creating contact between the municipality, the housing cooperative and the villages, as well as the creation of federative unions.
• For policy and organisation advice. Doarpswurk provides advice regarding the development of policy and the implementation of the resulting organisational changes, both concerning administering village associations and community centres as well as for their partners, e.g., municipal and other governments, social services and companies.
• For training and framework creation. Doarpswurk offers, e.g., information and training for administering community centres concerning the many relevant legal requirements, or a course in how to establish a village archive. The newsletter keeps members apprised of Doarpswurk’s wide range of courses.
• For representation. Doarpswurk represents its target group and its interests vis ŕ vis governments, organisations and institutions.
Ús plattelân libbet. Absolutely! Volunteers in village associations have their eyes and ears open to the needs of village residents. How is traffic safety? Are there enough residential units for families, the young and seniors? Where can sponsors be found for new items for the playground? Village associations work in partnership with residents on visions for the future. They hold consultations with the municipality, entrepreneurs and the school. Their goal is a pleasant partnership and environment for all parties concerned and all residents.
And Doarpswurk does this, too…
In addition to the above, Doarpswurk is presently home to a large number of innovative development projects. One example is our Multifunctional Accommodations project, which provides support to villages that have realised or wish to realise an MFC. A Doarpswurk project of a completely different type is Dorpen.nl, whose goal is to present as many villages as possible on the site www.dorpen.nl. With the help of a map, all the villages can be seen at a glance, each with its own website. Yet another fine project: Project Old Paths, New Roads, where you can rediscover Fryslân’s historic network of footpaths. The project, whose name says exactly what is does, is an initiative of Steunpunt Monumentenzorg Fryslân (= centre for the preservation of monuments and historic buildings), which works in cooperation with a range of organisations, in addition to Doarpswurk. Doarpswurk’s project offerings are continuously changing. For a current overview please log onto our website: www.doarpswurk.nl
Ús plattelân libbet. Absolutely! And Doarpswurk helps community centres and village associations in all kinds of ways to do their work in the villages. By consulting with one another on a renovation project. By joining in consultations with the municipal government. By getting involved with the acquisition of subsidies. By bringing people together. By trying to solve problems with which volunteers are currently dealing in both community centres and village associations, problems such as determining how rules or the consequences to be expected as a result of changes to legislation, best can be explained. In all of these matters, Doarpswurk is a partner and a handbook.
The near future: a knowledge centre
Doarpswurk would like to expand its service provision. The partners that merged to form it, SDF and FLD, have accumulated much experience with developments in the countryside in the course of their histories. Doarpswurk’s intention is to bundle this experience together and to grow into a knowledge centre disseminating knowledge and expertise to municipal, provincial and national governments, as well as national advice and support bodies. An exciting challenge, on which we shall be working hard in the coming years.
Ús plattelân libbet. Absolutely! – thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, together with Doarpswurk. But also through the realisation at both the municipal and provincial levels of government, that our Frisian countryside is deserving of attention. Doarpswurk enjoys good contacts with the municipal governments. We know what the villages need and we are familiar with the difficulties of working with governments. At Doarpswurk, problems and solutions, supply and demand, come together.
Support base and partnership as keys to success
A pleasant and vital countryside is only possible if the organisations, governments and citizens involved work hard at achieving it. For this reason, Doarpswurk works in partnership with housing cooperatives, municipal governments and other bodies. One of the ways this takes place is via area-based development projects. Naturally, Doarpswurk looks beyond Fryslân’s provincial borders. Doarpswurk participates in a variety of ways in national networks and expert conferences. And Doarpswurk is also active at the European level as well: it is a partner in LiLLA (Land Life Learning), a project in which European providers of adult education search together with countryside organisations for new areas of partnership, e.g., local economies, countryside tourism and village development plans.
Interested in finding out more?
Doarpswurk
Buorren 28, 9012 DH Raerd (Boarnsterhim)
Tel.: 0031 - (0)566 – 625010
Fax: 0031 - (0)566 – 602555
Email:
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