Leader Linné Småland now has a youth board! It consists of eight engaged individuals between 16 and 25 years old who will contribute with young people's perspectives in decisions about our micro-grants and other issues related to rural development.
The youth board's mission is to strengthen young people's participation and make their voices heard in our work. They are the ones who now make decisions when young people apply for up to 20,000 kronor from us.
– The projects can vary greatly, but what they have in common is that they make the countryside more vibrant and attractive. Since we ourselves are young, we can better understand what other young people want and need, which makes our work both relevant and important, says My Glimsjö, who is one of the eight members of the youth board.
My lives in Ljungby and is herself voluntarily engaged in Ljungby Nördkultur, where she has been involved in organizing activities. For her, the most important aspect of the youth board's work is to provide young people with a platform where their voices are heard.
– We show that even the most remote places in the countryside have potential and are worth investing in. At the same time, our work is about inspiring and showing young people that their engagement matters, that their ideas can become reality and truly impact their surroundings.
Another member of the youth board is Viggo Strömberg from Rinkaby in Växjö municipality, who brings the entrepreneurial perspective into the role. He is the sourdough enthusiast who runs his own business: The company Surdegsviggo.
– What got me involved in Leader Linné's youth board was that I wanted to see other young people take initiative and develop as individuals in the same way I have on my entrepreneurial journey. It has been very educational, and I am convinced that it would be very educational for many others as well.
Viggo wants to get more young people to understand that they can take advantage of their interests and make their ideas a reality.
– Often I think we exaggerate the whole idea of running a project quite a bit, and of course, I believe that the big dreams should be there. But somewhere you also have to start with what is reasonable. What could I do here and now? A quote that I have taken with me from my time at UngDrive is ”Dream big, start small,” which I think is very true.
Therefore, we invest in young people's influence
The youth board is the result of the project ”Young Voices,” which we initiated to create a platform where young people can truly influence. The opportunity for young people between 13 and 25 years to apply for funding has existed with us for a long time, but we have lacked young people's perspectives in the decisions.
– There is no one in our board who is in that target group. At the same time, we know that it is young people themselves who know best what young people want and need; it goes without saying. Therefore, it felt important to develop a form where young people have real influence in rural development in our area, says Jennie Johansson, who has been the project leader.
During the project, we tested new ways to reach young people – we simplified application processes, held workshops, and adapted our communication to be clearer and more accessible. The project is now completed and that it led to the youth council feels fantastic.
– It gives Leader Linné Småland as an association so much to bring these perspectives into the operations. It helps us work towards our goals and develop our rural areas so that there is something for everyone, says Jennie.
To really get started, the youth council has already managed a project visit to Farmors gårdsbod in Grimslöv, a local company that makes ice cream. In addition to learning about entrepreneurship in rural areas, they also got to try making their own ice cream – a fun and tasty team-building activity!
We look forward
The youth council will continue to make decisions regarding project applications and find new ways to get more young people involved. We have high hopes for their work and also hope for a closer connection to our regular board in the future. This is just the beginning!
Do you want to know more about the youth council or apply for funding for your own project? Contact Emilie Lindblad at emilie@leaderlinne.se
Published: February 10, 2025
