Implementation of the "Participate and influence" program

This page was last updated on the implementation of the program on June 24, 2025.

Link Participate and influence the program.

Group services

Resident operators

Housing events in cooperation with the Oiva Osallisuus project

• Rajapatsas 21.4.2022
• Karhumäki 27.4.2022 April XNUMX
• Itä-Siitola 5.5.2022 May XNUMX
• Mustalampi 10.5.2022 May XNUMX
• Sienimäki 29.9.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX
• Mansikkala 11.1.2023

Regional discussion events

• Vuoksenniska School Center 6.3.2024 March XNUMX
• Koski School Center 13.3.2024 March XNUMX
• Mansikkala School Center 21.3.2024 March XNUMX

Imatra Village Pearls project

In the project that started in early 2025, five districts of Imatra are working on a village plan and implementing a video project. Read more From the Imatra Villages Pearls project page. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the South Karelian Villages Association and the Ruokolahti unit of Step Education.

customer feedback

The city's customer feedback was compiled into one system in September 2022. Now the city group's feedback, with the exception of Mitra's properties, such as rental apartments, is processed in one system. The feedback system is connected to the map service used by the city. Its web address is kartta.imatra.fi/palaute 

Communication and digital means of inclusion

In the OSVA program, the city of Imatra is committed to using digital applications to support inclusion flexibly as needed. We are always curious about applications. During the program period, new applications supporting inclusion have been examined as follows:

• It will be put into continuous use in February 2023 Maptionnaire application. Maptionnaire is a map-based query tool. With Maptionnaire, urban planners and researchers can collect, analyze, and visualize map-based materials, and citizens can participate in regional development and express their opinion on various plans.
• A cooperation agreement was signed at the beginning of 2025 Commu app with. In the application, citizens can offer and receive help and services from each other. Citizens are directed to the Commu application from the home page of the city's website.
• Instagram Live has been tried a few times. There has been no interaction.

Forming the service package of the Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum

The Eräpöhinää project organized five workshops in 2022, with the help of which the model of the museum and the local actor network was developed.

The workshops were attended by an active and committed group of actors who represented a diverse range of expertise and perspectives. About 60 different people participated in the workshops and the number of participants in the workshops varied between about 20-45 participants. 

The cooperation continues in the Reflections project, where part of the network continues the partnership working on the wilderness and nature culture museum in workshops aiming for more concrete cooperation in service business. 

Moving the town hall

The move has been prepared through workshops held among City Hall employees, and the plans have been modified based on the needs of the employees. City Hall employees have been able to visit the future workspaces in Koskenlinki. The plans for the spaces have been discussed with the Disability Council to ensure accessibility.

The future city facilities are more accessible in terms of location. The policy of the Participate and Influence program that the city should lower the threshold for residents to do business in its facilities has been presented. The location of the future city hall is therefore more easily accessible, at least for those who walk or cycle.

Urban development

Participatory budgeting

As promised, the city implemented elements of participatory budgeting in fairly small but concrete matters, such as the construction of the Huvikumpu playground, the renewal of bus stops, and in the selection of summer flowers for 2023Based on municipal surveys conducted using the Maptionnaire application, it has also been decided of rest areas and trash cans in 2024 and those placed in connection with the pedestrian crossing Locations of flashing warning lights in 2025.

In accordance with the idea of ​​participatory budgeting, a record amount of development money was distributed in 2023, i.e. €40, which, through enhanced communication, expanded the circle of communities using development money.

In 2024, €40 in development funding was also distributed, but no more funds were allocated in the 000 budget. Development funding has been of great importance in enabling citizens to take voluntary action. Residential areas should now be encouraged to apply for Leader funding.

Interactivity of planning

No special participation processes have been implemented in the planning, but the usual ones have been organized. 

In connection with the planning of the renovation of Lappeentie, a walking inspection was organized with the municipal residents. 

At the end of the Participate and Influence program period, the city's master plan was approved, the content of which was significantly influenced by the opinions of residents. The original waterfront construction plans were withdrawn and, according to the plan, construction is possible mainly near the shore.

Development of mobility opportunities for the elderly and disabled

In the Accessible and safe Imatra project, accessibility walks were carried out in Vuoksenniska and Imatrankoski, areas with a special level of accessibility that promote planning were defined for Imatrankoski, Vuoksenniska and Mansikkala, experiences of using public transport were asked, the method of providing accessibility feedback and the accessibility of public transport were developed. Councils for the elderly and disabled participated in the project.

Welfare and education services

Library

My municipality project first discussion sessions have been held on 19.1.2023 January XNUMX, 20.4.2023 April 14.9.2023 and XNUMX September XNUMX.

The number of visitors to the library has recovered to the level before the corona pandemic and even exceeded it.

Museums

Cooperation opportunities and synergy benefits with the Wilderness and Nature Culture Museum are being explored.
 
The museum's digital material has been utilized in the city's social media channels. The old pictures have contributed to creating a community of people from Imatra. The city creates the conditions for this by constantly digitizing its collections. There are now more and more objects from the Imatra City Museum in the search service for cultural and scientific materials in Finna, where customers can search for images themselves. This has reduced the work of the city museum in searching for pictures and freed up resources for other work.
 
Imatra has investigated the implementation of a school-themed tradition exhibition or another alternative implementation method to bring out the school's history.

Culture house Virta

The cultural cafes of cultural operators have emerged as a new practice. There are meetings twice a year. 

Virta-opisto

In cooperation with the Roma, a course in roijy sewing was organized.

A parents' association was established at the music school in the fall of 2022.

The University of Labor has come close to the eight percent participation goal in 2023. Due to Corona, the goal was not realized in 2021 and 2022.

Sports services

Strength in old age, Stay upright and Strength and balance groups were organized for the elderly. In addition, the sports services organized several healthy exercise groups for seniors in 2022. The mobility of the immigrant population was promoted with the Liikutaa sätto project. Among other things, the women's ball team and the women's swimming team reached both immigrants and Finns.  

The goal of the Movement for everyday life event was to find a regular hobby, a group of friends or some other content in life for people who don't move much. In the event, people were helped to participate in the activities of various groups, clubs or associations. The event was aimed at working-age and elderly people.

Group-based family exercise counseling was carried out in the Imatra parish family café and in the Imatra open early childhood education group. Two exercise counseling groups were also organized for working-age people. Exercise services carry out exercise counseling in the premises of the Multidisciplinary Joint Service for Promoting Employment (Typ). 
  
Gym groups led by peer instructors in different parts of the city have been very successful in getting older people involved in physical activity. Peer instructors are supported with training and materials. Peer instructor training has not been implemented after 2021 due to the low number of registrations. An attempt is being made to respond to the cessation of EKHVA's volunteer activities by recruiting together with the parish and the Finnish Red Cross. Peer instructors still get a significant number of older people moving at Vuoksenniska and Jyskeen's gym in Imatrankoski.

Early childhood education and preschool education

-

Basic education and upper secondary education

In schools, the participation challenge of the council term is recovering from the corona era and correcting the related incompetence. Reducing inequality will be at the center of inclusiveness work in schools in the coming years.

The challenges of marginalization are answered by:

by increasing special education resources

• Imatra has a working group for the development of special education, which monitors and outlines the entirety of the support.
• Flexible small classes and groups have been added to school centers
• trained teachers and instructors

by developing the activities of the communal student welfare group

• Community student care activities have been strengthened and a student care coordinator has been hired. A community-based student care plan is currently being prepared.

by developing a model of the whole school day (at the Koske school center, a sports-oriented model built in cooperation with clubs and based on children's hobby wishes.)

• The model has been realized with the Koppari project at all school centers in schools, in addition, club activities supported by the Board of Education are organized, which are implemented based on the wishes of children and young people at each school center. Cooper activities and club activities are free, low-threshold activities for all children and young people.

Flexible support classes will be introduced to each school center, which will increase equality between regions. Support classes are made into period classes, so the student does not spend all school time in the support class.

• The reform has come to fruition and the child/youth has the opportunity to attend their own neighborhood school, even if they need more demanding support.
• The comprehensive reform of support has progressed and new practices will be introduced in schools starting in the autumn.

Parents are offered the opportunity to get to know the schools and the possibilities of participation are presented.

• Open houses for parents were organized in all school centers, and after the corona period eased, parents' evenings are running normally again.

Psychiatrists make visits to the homes of students with special support and hold discussions both in the direction of the school and the home.

• The service has been offered for four years and there has been a great need for it. Changes to the service are coming due to changes in the welfare area, but we want to ensure continued support. There is a need to intensify cooperation with Ekhva.

Influence activities for children and young people are developed by organizing joint activities between the youth council, the children's parliament and student councils.

• With the help of the Youth Academy, a youth participation model has been developed, in which all kinds of young people are consulted in such a way that influencing is not the business of the youth council or children's parliament.

The development of the experience of inclusion is monitored with the help of quality surveys aimed at schools.

Youth services

Together with educational services, youth services have developed a youth participation model together with the Youth Academy. It was decided as a result of the workshops

• enhance communication with young people and on channels popular with young people, such as Tiktok, where Youth Services is involved.
• organize meetings between young people and decision-makers informal meetings (Strike meet) during the school day. The meetings held at all school centers are planned to continue.
• organize permitted gatherings for young people (Pop-up meetings) in places that are popular with young people, where their presence is not always viewed favorably, such as in shops. 

Applying to be a UNICEF child-friendly municipality

Imatra has mapped the current status of the city's child-friendliness and selected the actions that the city will take to obtain Unicef's child-friendly municipality status. Imatra got child-friendly municipality bachelor's status in August 2023.

Activities

1. Office holders, employees, trustees and key stakeholders have been familiarized with the rights of the child. The rights of the child are part of the municipality's orientation programs. 

2. The municipality has clear guidelines in place to support the implementation and systematic implementation of the Child Impact Assessment (LAVA). The assessment of child effects is done together by a group of qualified professionals. 

3. The municipality ensures that there is at least one safe adult in every child's life, whom the child can trust and who supports the child in growth and development. 

4. In services aimed at children, bullying is prevented and community spirit is promoted. In addition, children's emotional and interaction skills are promoted in children's growth environments. 

5. When planning the urban environment, children's experiences and views are explored and taken into account. This is how it works in different stages of the process and in different planning tasks, such as land use planning and zoning and otherwise when planning public spaces. 

The MLL Southeast Finland District has granted the city of Imatra the Family-Friendly Work Community status in February 2024.