Revitalising
Small Towns
It’s worth
staying!
Our goal is to strengthen community leaders who create an intellectual milieu in their small town and mobilize local resources to implement the ideas of those who live there.
WE SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAYED
We support projects that are important to local people and show them their ability to take control of their own affairs, and thus strengthen their common values. We place great emphasis on mobilizing creative capacity and power, as well as strengthening autonomy and the ability of self-renewal. To this end, we provide 3-year financial and professional support to those who have applied to our programme successfully.
In recent years, the population of small towns has decreased by a third on average. The composition of society has also changed rapidly: the more affluent, educated and flexible have left. We want to support active participation by strengthening those who have stayed!
WHAT IS THE REVITALISING SMALL TOWNS PROGRAMME?
Our aim is to empower community people living and working in small towns, creating an intellectual environment and mobilising local resources to realise the visions of the people who live there. We work with programmes that
- are important to local people,
- show that they can take control of their own affairs,
- common values such as creative capacity, autonomy or the ability to innovate are strengthened.
To this end, we provide financial and technical support for 3 years to 7 community leaders in 6 small towns.
OUR GRANTEES
Andrea Baraksó-Kovács
Janka Becsey
Alíz Martók
Petra Sára Kiss and Zsófia Lázár
Anita K.Nagyné Karácsony
Szabolcs Márk Kis
HOW DO WE SUPPORT?
This is a development grant, not a general purpose grant. It is intended to contribute to the implementation of development programmes in local organisations, organising and supporting local community cohesion and issues, through two strands: professional cooperation and accompaniment, and financial support.
- Our professional support is designed to support local leaders and their groups to strengthen their local role, to give them a supportive function and to allocate local resources. The direction of the professional support is twofold. As well as strengthening leadership skills and professional networks, we are also working on local resources, identifying real local needs and mobilising resources on their behalf.
- Our financial support is limited to HUF 4.5 million, which is available in decreasing amounts for 3 consecutive years. The use of the financial support by the GYSZA is open, apart from sub-distribution, and may be limited in the future, mainly for technical reasons.
The first funding period of our Foundation’s Revitalising Small Towns programme for 2020-2023 has ended. We evaluated its impact on the beneficiaries and the life of the local community with Gábor Héra, Senior Researcher at HOLO.
ABOUT THE HUNGARIAN COUNTRYSIDE
In recent years, the population of small towns has decreased by a third on average. There has been a strong fluctuation in terms of the composition of society: the more affluent, educated and flexible have left. Negative social and economic trends are strong, but we believe that there are local alternatives to turn them around!
Our main points of focus:
- locality
- strong roots and image
- traditions
- the existence of creative energies
- diversity
OUR FORMER GRANTEES
Between 2020-2023 we supported community leaders in the following small towns:
Melinda Farkas
László Hajnal
Adrienn Pethes and Klára Ferencz
Orsolya Kiss-Bakucz
Zoltán Debreceni
If you would like to know more, please contact Edit Kovács, programme officer of Revitalising Small Towns:
