The mobile meeting place for young people starts in Imatra

With mobile youth work, we go where the young people are. Wauto offers coffee, games and conversation, as well as targeted support and guidance if necessary. Moving on Imatra. The car named Leijona is one of six Wautos operating in different parts of Finland.
─ We hope that with the help of Wauto, even those young people who do not go to youth facilities or who are usually not interested in the program organized for them will be reached. We try to move in the areas of the center of Imatra, Rajapatsa and Mansikkala two to four evenings a week, the parish's youth work supervisor Tomi Hämäläinen says.

Professionals and volunteers

Riding a lion not only youth workers, but also volunteers, or wapars, travel. These adults, trained in August, do volunteer work with young people alongside youth work professionals. Companies are also needed to support the operation and become partners.

─ It would be great if, through activities that go to young people, we could prevent, for example, starting to use substances or drifting into the wrong kind of groups. We want to be easily approachable for young people, Imatra city youth services team leader Niina Kupiainen says.

He hints that the search for volunteers is currently underway.

Cooperation between the Aseman Lapset association, the city and the parish

The cars are owned and their operation is coordinated by Aseman Lapset ry. In Imatra, activities are operated in cooperation with the parish and the city's youth services.

Many other organizations working with young people are also involved in the cooperation. Wauto has previously operated for a short period In Imatra and nearby areas in 2018.

Before the start of Wauto's operating period, both the professional network and new volunteers are trained. The actual operation begins in week 34.

Representatives of the media are warmly welcome to visit Leijona-Wauto on its operating evenings.

Arrange a suitable time with Tom or Niina.

For more information: 

Tomi Hämäläinen, youth work supervisor, Imatra parish, tel. 044 400 4243
Niina Kupiainen, Team Leader of Youth Services, City of Imatra, tel. 020 617 7201
Tuomo Kantele, project coordinator, Aseman Lapset ry, tel. 041 3131 148


Pictures of Leijona-Wauto can be found here: Lion

The Walkers activity is a preventive youth work developed by Aseman Lapset ry, which is based on the time and presence of adult volunteers. 

The Wauto activity is part of the Walkers On Wheels 2 project. The project has been financed with betting profits with a special grant from the Ministry of Education and Culture and with the aid of the Brita Maria Renlund Foundation, the Eevi and Emil Tannisen Foundation and the Cooperative Bank. The cars have been purchased with funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish Lions Association, the Eevi and Eemil Tannisen Foundation and the Brita Maria Renlund Foundation. In the project, six cars are used in different parts of Finland and the methods of mobile youth work are introduced in different areas. www.asemanlapset.fi