ESPOO MAGAZINE 1/2020

Communityoriented
Latokaski
ESPOO ESBO
30
THINGS TO DO IN
ESPOO FROM
MARCH TO MAY
ESPOO
Espoo enables
culture
Emil Soravuo is the
Athlete of the Year
& Youths
life
7.3.2020
Enclosed
ANNUAL REPORT
‘MOMENTS FROM
ESPOO 2019’
Youth services offer young people opportunities for self-realisation
and to meet friends and share their worries with an adult.
A magazine for Espoo residents 1 2020

We are
doing great
8
editorial
In the editorial,
Jukka Mäkelä takes
a stand on issues of
current interest in the
City of Espoo.
Jukka Mäkelä is the Mayor of Espoo.
This is the second time we are distributing the
annual report of Espoo to all homes together
with Espoo magazine, which now has a new look
and content.
It is a pleasure to talk about what is going
on in Espoo. In the municipal services survey
conducted at the end of the year, we received
the best estimates ever from you, residents of
Espoo. Resident satisfaction had increased most
around the last metro station in the Matinkylä-
Olari area, which is one example of the city’s big
investments starting to pay off. Among the big
cities, Espoo is the safest, and we also have the
lowest number of traffic accidents.
The cultural services valued by Espoo residents
have received international recognition,
as Espoo City Library won the Library of the
Year 2019 award in London, and the new Pentala
Archipelago Museum was nominated for the
European Museum of the Year.
The City of Espoo cooperates extensively
with its residents, various partners and service
providers. That is why it was wonderful that
the Procurement Centre of Espoo was selected
as the procurement organization of the year,
in recognition of its long-term development
efforts. The Finnish Association of Purchasing
and Logistics LOGY sees Espoo as a forerunner
in the development of procurement among both
public and private organizations.
Contents
3 | Calendar and picks
Mark down the key dates
28
Jukka Mäkelä
Mayor
8 | Theme
Young Espoo belongs to young people
14 | At your service
Youth worker Kirsi Hartikainen from
Ohjaamotalo One-Stop Guidance Centre
15 | What’s on
A spring full of activities
20 | Right now
The city acts as an enabler of culture
23 | Encounters
A coordinator and a customer at the Employment Corner
24 | Pearl
Love along the route
26 | Espoo people
In Latokaski, the community takes care of its own
28 | Swedish in Espoo
Towards uniform services in Swedish
30 | Us
Summer jobs available
31 | Together
In the Youth Council, you learn how matters are processed
2

2 March–
30 September
The application period for boat
berths has begun. You can submit
your application online or by
post. The applications will be
processed on a first come, first
served basis. The application
period continues until the end of
September.
11 March
The application period for growth companies to the “Fiksu arki assalle”
programme ends. The programme aims to create sustainable everyday
services, and enhance the attractiveness of the areas around railroad
stations and rail transport in general. Growth companies will get a chance
to develop their services in collaboration with partner companies and
receive coaching and encouraging support from
specialists.
10 March
The processing of applications
for a place in early childhood
education for autumn has been
transferred to a new system.
Those needing a place from
August 2020 onwards
should submit their application
by 31 March.
28 March–
4 April
Folk music festival
JuuriJuhla.
calendar March-May/20
Check the
calendar for the main
events and key
dates of the spring.
31 March
The application period for the
general grants for youth activities
ends. Grants are awarded
to youth associations operating
in Espoo for carrying out their
statutory and general activities
in accordance with their operating
plans.
22–26 April
April Jazz.
4–10 May
The Espoo Ciné film festival
shows the most interesting new
films from both established
filmmakers and emerging new
talents.
5 May
Clinic on cultural grants in Sello Library from 15:00 to 18:30. The clinic
gives tips and advice on how to apply for cultural grants from the City of
Espoo. The application period for annual grants for professional cultural
actors and cultural associations ends on 15 May at 15:45. The application
period for local history societies and professional artists
will continue until 30 September 2020. The Cultural Council will make
decisions on the grants for 2021 in December 2020.
MAGAZINE FOR ESPOO RESIDENTS
Public bulletin to all households. Feedback and suggestions: espoolehti@omnipress.fi
Publisher City of Espoo, PO Box 12, 02070 City of Espoo, 09 81 621, espoo.fi, firstname.lastname@espoo.fi
Editor-in-chief Satu Tyry-Salo, Communications Director Editors Omnipress Oy, espoolehti@omnipress.fi
Managing Editor Kimmo Kallonen Layout Oona Kavasto/Hank Printed by Punamusta
Distribution SSM Notifications jakelupalaute@omnipress.fi Cover Timo Porthan ISSN 1798-8438
3

Picks
The Iso Omena Service Centre set a new record for visitors in 2019, registering
a total of 1,546,133 customer visits. The growth on the previous year was about
six per cent. On weekday mornings, the service centre is visited by up to 5,000–
6,000 customers and at weekends by an average of 2,000 customers.
Kalajärvi Service Centre
began its operation
THE Kalajärvi Service Centre officially started its
operation in January. The service centre, also known
as Ruskatalo, features various City of Espoo service
units, such as the library, child health clinic, health
centre, customer service point, dental clinic and
social services.
In addition to the customer service and reception
areas, the service centre premises feature 300–400
metres of facilities intended for shared used of Espoo
residents: the work room Katiska and meeting room
Apaja, teaching facility Ahti and Kalajärvi Hall suited
as a venue for parties and lectures.
To celebrate the change, the premises have been
given not only new names invented by the local
residents but also new paint on the walls and new
furniture.
The facilities are in use and available for booking
from Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00. You can ask
about special bookings for weekends, for example,
by sending email to: kalajarvi.palvelutori@espoo.fi.
Collection vehicles to
begin their spring tour
THE collection vehicle tour, organised every spring in
the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, will begin on Monday
30 March. In the areas of Espoo and Kauniainen, the
vehicles will tour until 29 April. You can bring three
kinds of waste to HSY’s collection vehicles free of
charge: hazardous waste, scrap metal and electronics.
Visit hsy.fi/keraysautot to see the exact schedules
and stops of the collection vehicles, and more
detailed operating instruction.
” The number of those
injured in traffic has
reduced by more
than 70 per cent
since 1990.
Espoo has the highest
traffic safety level in
Finland
THE city of Espoo was granted the Traffic Act of the
Year award as the city with the highest traffic safety
level in Finland in the Car and Traffic Gala. In the
long run, the traffic safety has improved significantly
in Espoo. The number of those injured in traffic has
reduced by more than 70 per cent from 1990 to
2017. At the same time, the number of residents and
vehicles has grown substantially. Relative to population,
Espoo has only about 40 traffic accidents, while
the average for the whole country is 96.
More than 100,000
visitors in the Espoo City
Museum
LAST year, KAMU – Espoo City Museum reached
its all-time visitor record over its more than 60-year
history. The combined number of visitors in Espoo
City Museum’s all museum locations was 102,931.
Compared to the previous year, the number of visitors
increased by 25 per cent.
“This amazing result shows that both our current
customers and new groups have found all the five different
museums of the Espoo City Museum, and the
interesting exhibitions and diverse events they offer,”
says Museum Director Maarit Henttonen.
The Pentala Archipelago Museum, added to the
museum family in summer 2018, received major
international recognition as it was nominated as a
finalist for European Museum of the Year (EMYA)
2020 by The European Museum Forum (EMF).
Espoo in
social media
Facebook
Espoo – Esbo
Posts from different parts of
the city and Facebook pages of
various City of Espoo actors.
Twitter
@EspooEsbo
Lives in time, quick updates.
Bulletins, answers to questions
and discussions.
Instagram
@espoonkaupunki
Great moments, events and
landscapes through the eyes of
Espoo residents.
#espoohetki
4 A magazine for Espoo residents

Oittaa
Recreation Area
CHECK
THIS OUT!
In this section of the
magazine, we introduce
interesting sites all
Espoo residents have
free access to.
THE versatile Oittaa Recreation Area located by Lake Bodominjärvi
offers visitors relaxing moments in the peace and quiet of nature and
excellent opportunities for different outdoor activities all year round.
In summer, the Oittaa beach is one of the most popular beaches in
Espoo, and, in winter, winter swimmers frequent it eagerly. The hole in
the ice, with a safety fence around it, is kept open all winter by a submersible
pump. However, on this unusually warm winter, the hole has
sometimes been as large as the lake itself.
There is also a nature trail of about two kilometres beginning from
the historic Oittaa Manor. For the most part, the trail travels through the
landscapes of the nature conservation area of the Oittaa stream valley.
Most of the trail is easy forest path with information points telling about
the local nature. Oittaa is also a good starting point for longer hikes on
the trails of Lake Bodom and Nuuksio.
Weather permitting, in the winter the area also offers great opportunities
for tour skating or snowshoeing. In winter, there is a managed
and lighted ski trail on the recreational area’s fitness track, and ski trails
branch off from there in the directions of Pitkäjärvi and Pirttimäki.
The frisbee golf course around the fitness track will be renovated
during spring and the renewed course will be reopened at the beginning
of May.
Oittaa winter swimming
place is open
throughout winter.
This year, the ‘hole
in the ice’ has sometimes
been as large
as the lake itself,
and we haven’t had
any snow at all. The
photo is from 2018.
Timo Porthan
Q & A
In this section of the
magazine, we answer
the most often asked
questions received by
the city at the time the
magazine is
published.
” Throughout
the year, you
can visit
harrastushaku.fi
to look for
activities.
?
Where is the Waterfront Walkway located,
and is there some kind of a map of it?
The Waterfront Walkway extends all the way from
Laajalahti to Kivenlahti. There are also several
accessible passages along the walkway. You can get
acquainted with the Waterfront Walkway on your
mobile devices at m.citynomadi.com or on the City
of Espoo’s website, or get a brochure from one of our
Service Points.
?
The summer holidays are approaching;
where can I find activities for children?
The sports and cultural services of Espoo offer versatile
activities for children. We have gathered some
of these activities on the City of Espoo website. As
we are getting closer to the summer, schools and
day care centres will also provide information about
the activities on the offer. Throughout the year, you
can visit harrastushaku.fi to look for activities. The
calendar on summer camps and courses offered by
Espoo Youth Services will be updated in the service
during March.
?
Where can I get a fishing permit and information
about them?
Fishing permits for the sea areas of Espoo are sold in
the Matinkylä Service Point and at the kalakortti.com
online store. You can get more guidance and information
about fishing permits at service points, the City
of Espoo website and from Outdoor and Recreation
Manager Tapani Kortelainen.
Changes at
health centres
THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE REGARDING
HEALTH SERVICES IS EXPANDING.
The City of Espoo is introducing service
vouchers that also allow you to choose a
private health clinic located in Espoon keskus
as your health centre. The freedom of choice
will become available to the customers of the
health centre Oma Lääkärisi Espoontori in
March-April and after the First of May to other
Espoo residents as well.
Viherlaakso Health Centre will transfer
into temporary facilities on Trillakatu, in the
same building with Kilo Health Centre. We are
currently studying whether some of the services
could still be provided in the Viherlaakso
area. A survey is also being made on how the
traffic connections between Viherlaakso and
Kilo could be improved. Long-term plans will
be made separately, hearing the opinions of
residents as well.
espoo.fi/healthcentres
5

Picks
Espoo residents
happy with
their home city
Residents’ satisfaction with the City of Espoo’s
services has increased steadily. The reviews in
last year’s survey were better than ever.
The internal differences between the urban
centres in Espoo are small.
” A total of 650
Espoo residents took
the survey carried out
by FCG.
› Since the 1980s, the city has regularly surveyed residents’
satisfaction with various municipal services. The feedback
received helps to develop the city and to make residents’
everyday lives run even smoother. Compared to the other
cities in the comparison data, Espoo residents are happier
with the City’s services.
They praised Espoo for its safety, nature and hiking trails,
cultural offering and opportunities for young people to
engage in activities. Residents are generally also happy with
Espoo’s community structure, as they find that the locations
of dwellings, jobs and services are well balanced.
General satisfaction with the home town is measured
with a municipality of residence index, which takes into
consideration 54 questions relating to housing, healthcare,
education, opportunities for hobbies, infrastructure and
transport. On a scale of 1 to 5, the index for Espoo was 3.82 in
2019, higher than ever before.
A total of 91 per cent were happy with their residential
areas in Espoo. The share of satisfied residents has increased
by one percentage point. Tapiola was rated the best district,
but the residents' opinion of Matinkylä-Olari has also
improved. Satisfaction with the medical services in health
centres has declined slightly, but more than half still considered
the services well managed, which is clearly more than in
the comparison cities.
Residents are exceptionally happy with hospital services
in Espoo when compared to the comparison cities, although
satisfaction has declined slightly from the previous year.
Satisfaction with the comprehensive school and early
childhood education has remained the same as in earlier
years.
There was a clear increase in satisfaction with the management
of public transport since 2018, but it is still below
the long-term rating of previous years.
Public transport and road and street maintenance were
highlighted the most as issues with room for improvement.
Half the respondents believed in their possibility to influence
decisions in the city. The proportion of satisfied residents
has risen in the last few years.
6 A magazine for Espoo residents

A total of 91% were happy with
their residential area in Espoo.
The respondents were asked which services run or organised by the City of Espoo
should be improved. These were the issues mentioned the most often.
Public
transport
(21.7%)
Road and
street
maintenance
(18.8%)
Of the respondents, 62 per cent
considered comprehensive schools
well managed. Since the last survey,
the share of satisfied residents has
increased by three per cent.
Management
of the
municipality’s
financial affairs
(10.9%)
n Very satisfied, 37 %
n Fairly satisfied, 53 %
n Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 5 %
n Fairly dissatisfied, 3 %
n Very dissatisfied, 1 %
Medical
services at
municipal
health centres
(10.2%)
Cleanliness
of outdoor
areas
(9.9%)
New Espoo residents
feel at home here
A RECORD NUMBER of new residents moved
to Espoo last year: more than 6,000 people.
A postcard campaign was directed at them to
find out their experiences of living in Espoo.
The responses were in line with the replies to
the broader survey on municipal services.
New residents value the city’s excellent
services and their proximity and accessibility.
They like the shopping centres, but would like
there to be more corner shops and pharmacies.
The nature, sea and opportunities for outdoor
recreation, running, walking and cycling
are mentioned as the city’s strengths. Espoo is
considered a peaceful and comfortable place
to live.
Public transport received a great deal of
positive feedback, but also many suggestions
for improvements and changes, especially in
northern Espoo.
The events people wish to see more of
involve culture, music, food and markets. They
also wish for more shared activities for smaller
groups, opportunities to meet people and a
better sense of community. They would like
communications about events to be more
visible and information to be offered on them
also in English.
None of the new residents were unhappy
with their new home town and more than half
said they feel at home in Espoo.
” More than half of
the new residents
said they feel at
home in Espoo.
7

theme
Young Espoo
Espoo Youth Services
offers activities, opportunities
to influence and
help in everyday problem
situations to young
people older than 12.
Text Tiina Parikka Photos Timo Porthan
belongs to
young people
Young people need friends
around them, adult support
and sensible activities – and
if problems still occur, a place
where they can get help.
Mariam likes
to come to the
youth centre.
In addition to
Suvela, she
sometimes
hangs out at the
Kirkkojärvi youth
centre.
The City of Espoo
i
guarantees a place of
further education for
every young person ending
the comprehensive school.
After the comprehensive
school, most of the students
continue to general upper
secondary school or vocational
education or training.
Applications to them are
submitted through the joint
application process.
Voluntary additional
basic education or the 10th
grade is primarily intended
to those under 18-year-olds
who have completed their
basic education but have
been left outside education
or training in the joint
application process. During
additional basic education,
the students may figure out
their own plans and improve
their chances of being
admitted to further education
or training.
On average, young people living in Espoo are doing well.
According to a school health survey, 78.5 per cent
of them are satisfied with their lives. But that leaves
slightly over one fifth of youths who are not doing so
well. And a small share of them are doing really badly.
A total of 4.5 per cent of children living in Espoo are customers of
child welfare services.
“The number of child welfare notifications has increased in
recent years, and currently we receive about 500 notifications a
year. Typical reasons include mental health and substance abuse
problems that young people themselves or their parents have,” says
Manager of Youth Services Merja Nordling.
Even though Espoo residents have a higher socio-economic
status than Finns on average, poverty in families with children,
loneliness and increasing drug abuse are problems recognised here
as well.
“For example, according to studies, the level of education of the
parents has an impact on the well-being of young people,” Nordling
points out.
Espoo Youth Services focuses on providing services to young
people aged 12–17.
“We get a lot of inquiries about services for children below that
age, but we have a lot of leisure activities and other services available
to them through other channels. The Ohjaamotalo One-Stop
Guidance Centre, on the other hand, provides services to young
people older than 16,” Nordling says . ›
You can find leisure
activities you like
through the
harrastushaku.fi
service or on the City
of Espoo website.
8 A magazine for Espoo residents

“It’s easy to come here”
Mariam, 15, participates in the activities of
the Girls only group on Wednesday afternoons.
There the girls cook, do their nails,
and sometimes listen to guest speakers.
Sometimes, they also have confidential
discussions with the youth workers.
Mariam, who also goes to girl scouts
every week, does not feel that she needs
any other hobbies.
“Sometimes I have gone to fitness
classes for free trials. It’s good that you
can try different things to see what they
are about. There’s certainly something
sensible to do for everyone.”
Mariam is in her final year at the Kirkkojärven
koulu joint comprehensive school,
and she has been visiting the Suvela youth
centre since she was 12. She spends her
evenings listening to music and hanging
out with her friends. There are also youth
workers present at the youth centre with
whom people can talk if they want to.
Sometimes, the youth centres also
offer some small tasks to the regular visitors.
Mariam has also participated in, for
example, arranging different events.
“It looks good on the CV, and you also
get a pay for it.”
Mariam is also a new member of the
Espoo Youth Council.
“A fried of mine has been involved in
the Youth Council activities and likes it.
People here at the youth centre encouraged
me to run for the council, and when
there were no other candidates in the
area, and people know me, I was elected,”
Mariam says happily.
Mariam, who aims to go to general
upper secondary school, wants to improve
the availability of special needs support at
schools.
“Large class sizes make learning more
difficult, and currently it’s difficult to apply
for special needs support. The threshold
of being granted support should be much
lower.”
Cooking is one
of the favourite
activities of the
Girls only group.
Sometimes the
girls also have
confidential discussions
with the
youth workers.
9

theme
1
Something
nice to do
The City of Espoo offers a lot of leisure activities
and opportunities for spending time free
of charge. For example, the city has been offering
a lot of opportunities for leisure time activities
particularly to secondary school pupils
on Wednesdays, when school at all secondary
schools in Espoo ends at 14:30 at the latest. In
addition, the offering also includes activities
for small groups, trips, events and camps.
Other service providers in addition to the
city include different organisations and the
church. According to the school health survey,
almost all young people have some kind of a
hobby.
Nuori Espoo
(Young Espoo)
activities are
based on five
cornerstones:
The City of
i
Espoo offers
young women
under the age of 25
combined oral contraceptive
pills, mini pills
or a contraceptive
ring for the first year,
or the first copper
IUD, hormonal IUD or
contraceptive implant
free of charge. School
nurses and student
health nurses and
health centres hand
out condoms free of
charge in connections
with health appointments.
You can book
an appointment at
the family-planning
clinic online at
espoo.fi/e-healthcentre
or through
the health centres'
telephone service.
2
Time
with adults in everyday
situations
Even though friends are important, and young
people need their own space, they are still children
who need adults to be there for them and
to support them.
“When young people go to secondary
school, there is a major drop in the number
of adult contacts they have. They no longer
have ‘their own teacher’ as they used to, and
in puberty they easily quit their leisure time
activities. We want to offer adult contacts to
young people’s leisure time,” Nordling says.
To better reach young people, Espoo Youth
Services has taken to the streets in the midst of
young people.
“We go to the places where young people
hang our, such as shopping centres. Mobile
youth work brings services to areas without
youth centres of their own,” Nordling says, giving
an example.
4
Support in everyday
problem situations
3
Together with friends
Even if everything is all right at home and with
the parents, sometimes it’s just not enough.
Young people need a peer group of their own.
“It’s a catastrophe for young people if they
don’t have any friends. It will lower the threshold
of doing something stupid if that seems to
be the only way of gaining acceptance in the
peer group,” Nordling points out.
The City of Espoo also offers several premises
where young people are welcome to spend
time together. In addition to youth centres,
such facilities can be found, for example, in
libraries.
5
Naturally, not even all these measures can reach
those who have remained outside all activities. Merja
Nordling is deeply concerned about the school health
survey result according to which only slightly over
half (53%) of the respondents feel that they are part
of the school community.
“The Ohjaamotalo One-Stop Guidance Centre is
doing great work in supporting young people older
than 16. Youths below that age are mainly reached
through student welfare services.”
Another challenge is rapid access to services.
Access to specialised health care and mental health
services takes too long.
“Our outreach youth work carries young people
until they can reach proper services. Our support is
always available to young people until they get help,”
Nordling promises.
Inclusion of youths at the
core of activities
Still, the most important thing of all is that the
activities offered are something young people
can find as their own. Next year, the City of
Espoo will pilot a method of inclusive piloting,
in which young people themselves plan activities
for youth centres and apply funding for it.
“Everything will be planned and done
together. Of course, if the frequent visitors to
the youth centre have just changed, this cannot
be implemented as such, but the starting
point is that young people could produce their
own activities themselves,” Nordling says.
10 A magazine for Espoo residents

To support him in
his rehabilitation
process, Karri
Laitinen has
been assigned a
personal social
worker and an
expert from
TE Office by
Ohjaamotalo.
“Good services, once you find them”
Karri Laitinen, 27, has been coming to the Ohjaamotalo
One-Stop Guidance Centre for a few years. He is seeking
his way back to working life with a personal counsellor,
and different groups have given him good peer support
and brought meaning to his days.
“I had never heard about Ohjaamotalo before one
of the workers at Jorvi Hospital mentioned it to me. I
thought that I have nothing to lose if I come here to see
what it’s about. It has brought me a lot of good things.”
Laitinen has completed even a couple of degrees, but
became too burdened in working life. He got a burn-out
and finally became so depressed that he did not even
leave his home.
“Over these past two years, I have become more
independent, made a lot of new social contacts and
found something meaningful to do,” says a grateful
Laitinen.
One thing always leads to another.
“I’ve been in a group for people suffering from social
anxiety even on couple of occasions, in the KAMU group
and now I’m in the ONNI joint developer group where
we can influence how this place operates. That’s where
I also heard about ValoEMY, a meeting place for people
with mental health issues in Olari, where I sometimes go
to hang out. It’s the kind of meeting place where you can,
for example, play something with other people or just
hang out.”
Laitinen has nothing but good things to say about
Ohjaamotalo and its staff. The only thing he would hope
for is a more active approach to advertising the activities.
“The idea to seek this kind of help on your own simply
doesn’t pop into your head out of nowhere. Ohjaamotalo
and other services could, for example, go to schools to
talk about their activities,” he suggests.
11

theme
19% of secondary school, general
upper secondary school and
vocational education institution
students feel lonely.
20% of boys studying in
secondary school and vocational
education institutions have
experienced violence.
At the end of
2019, there
i
were 992
young people under
the age of 25 without
employment in Espoo.
This was 4.4% less
than a year earlier.
Preparatory
i education for
immigrants and
other foreign-language
students gives
students applying
to general upper
secondary school the
linguistic skills and
other preparedness
required for general
upper secondary
studies. Preparatory
education for general
upper secondary
takes one academic
year and includes 25
courses. The students
also have the opportunity
to raise the
grades of their basic
education certificate
and/or to complete
general upper secondary
courses.
A thirds of girls have
experienced sexual harassment
or abuse.
More than half of vocational
education institution students
skip breakfast or school meals.
Almost half of secondary-level
students sleep less than eight
hours per night.
Two thirds of secondary school
pupils do not drink. The figure has
increased by more than one fifth
over the past 10 years.
The dialogue with parents has
improved: almost half of the girls
and more than half of the boys
consider it good.
Bullying has reduced by half in
secondary schools over the past
10 years.
Extracts from the
school health survey.
” You will always meet
friends and youth
workers at different
events.
Tasks available to young people
Elena Dukov arrives at the Soukka youth centre after completing a day
of on-the-job training. The 17-year-old from Espoo is studying for a double
degree at Omnia and has been coming to the youth centre since she was in
5th grade.
“There was a club that I joined, and then the youth worker persuaded us
to come here, and that is where it all began.”
A group from the youth centre also participated in the Uneton48 short
film competition.
This sparked Elena’s interest in filming and editing, and she has even
been asked to film at youth events since then. Videos made by Elena have
also been published on the Nuori Espoo’s Youtube channel.
“I acted as a host at the School Action event and at an Ohjaamotalo
event, and later created some social media content,” Elena Dukov says.
She has participated in the Uneton48 competition four times already with
a team. The last time, Elena was responsible for the whole editing process.
Every now and then, some other small work gigs are also being offered
to active youth centre visitors. At first, there was always a group of three girls
carrying out the tasks together, but now Elena does not minding doing them
on her own.
“You’ll always find other young people you know and youth workers in
such events,” she says.
Filming and editing has become a favourite hobby for Elena. Elena, who
is completing her general upper secondary and Business and Administration
studies at the same time, does not need any other structured hobbies.
“It’s enough for me that I come here to the youth centre whenever I have
time for it.”
12 A magazine for Espoo residents

Elena Dukov is
an active You-
Tuber. However,
she likes it better
behind the camera
than in front
of it – and she
especially likes
working at the
editing desk.
13

at your service
In this section of the
magazine, meet
employees and close
partners of the City of
Espoo.
Promoting
the interests
of young
people
Youth worker Kirsi Hartikainen
works at the Ohjaamotalo One-Stop
Guidance Centre’s Starttipiste in Iso
Omena and helps young people in
different life situations.
”
“I’ve been working as a youth worker since 2005. At the
Ohjaamotalo One-Stop Guidance Centre I’ve been working
for two years. Ohjaamotalo is a multi-professional network
for all Espoo residents under the age of 30. It includes
specialists from many different fields, from career counselling psychologists
to housing counsellors, and cooperation partners, such as
Vamos Espoo, Omnia Youth Workshops and Tyttöjen Talo of Espoo.
I provide guidance and counselling to young people at Starttipiste
on any matters concerning young people, whether they are related
to studies, spare time, health, housing or working life. I may, for
example, help someone draft a CV or search for a job. Young people
in need of more help than we can provide we refer to the services
suited to their situation.
People can come to Starttipiste without an appointment, even
anonymously. You never know who will come through the door
and with what kind of a matter. When a young person comes to
Starttipiste, we give priority to the matter at hand and examine the
issue together. Everything is based on the voluntary participation of
the youth.
The best part about my job is meeting young people. Today, young
people clearly have a lower threshold to seek help than before.
Often, they come to visit us afterwards and tell about how they are
doing.”
Text Mia Weckström Photo Timo Porthan
“People can also
contact us by
email or telephone,
through WhatsApp,
for example,” says
Youth Worker Kirsi
Hartikainen.
Ohjaamotalo
One-Stop
Guidance Centre
› Two Starttipiste service points in Espoo,
located in Iso Omena and Leppävaara.
› Starttipiste service points reach almost
200 young people a month.
› There are about 60 professionals
working at Ohjaamotalo.
› Counselling in 11 different languages.
› Free of charge.
14 A magazine for Espoo residents

15 In situ 16 Things to do 19 Sports and exercise tips
Things to do
in Espoo
Culture,
sports and
exercise from
March to
May.
Last summer, the
Athlete of the Year
Emil Soravuo won
gold in the men’s
artistic gymnastics
floor exercise
competition at the
European Games.
DCA employees
and students. Alex
Komulainen, a
protégé, dancer and
teacher at DCA, was
elected Role Model
of the Year by public
vote.
The First
Sports Gala
› Espoo organised its first ever Sports Gala on 13 February at Dipoli
in Otaniemi. At the Gala, some magnificent Espoo-based athletes and
sports actions were awarded, and the audience also enjoyed skilful performances,
listened to inspiring speeches and experienced the power of
the Espoo sports community.
Espoo-based Emil Soravuo, 22, a protégé of the gymnastics club Espoon
Telinetaiturit, was elected the Espoo Athlete of the Year by public vote.
“I was a little surprised to be elected, but I feel I deserve it. I’m flattered
and truly appreciate it. The atmosphere at the Gala was great! The best
thing was the community spirit and spending time with other athletes,”
Soravuo says.
Soravuo, who started gymnastics at six years old, has his eyes on the
future and intends to spend the spring training. He has the Tokyo Olympics
in sight.
“I’m focusing on future competitions. Right now I’m training for the
Gymnastics World Cup in Baku and Doha. Over the spring, I will find out if I
have been selected to compete in the Olympics.”
The Espoo Sports
Gala was presented
by Minna Korkka.
The Sports Gala
awarded the 2019
Young Athlete,
Coach, Sports
Action and Sports
Club, elected by
the Sports and
Exercise and Youth
Committees. In
addition, the Mayor
and the Sports and
Youth Director also
awarded other
high-flyers.
15

Where to go
✱
Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else
The number of visits to Espoo’s six
cultural centres and city events increased
by 7.2 per cent from 2018.
Folk music
in Espoo ✱
The JuuriJuhla-RotFest folk music
festival from 28 March to 4 April
brings on stage both local talents
and leading folk musicians from
across in Finland. Expect to hear
verbal acrobatics and musical fireworks
from, for example, Paleface
and Värttinä in Sellosali. This year,
the theme of the JuuriJuhla-Rot-
Fest festival is the Baltic Sea. The
main festival venue is Sellosali, but
folk music will also be heard in such
places as old manors, churches
and public halls of Espoo.
› juurijuhla.fi
May Day Eve
concert ✱
According to tradition, Tapiola Sinfonietta
will declare the official May
Day mead and ‘tippaleipä’ season
opened in its May Day Eve concert.
This year, we will hear music from
the icon of bebop-jazz, saxophonist
and composer Charlie Parker.
In setting the mood for jazz,
Tapiola Sinfonietta will be joined by
saxophonist Jukka Perko.
The ticket price includes a
glass of sparkling wine.
›Thu 30 April at 18:00–19:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Tapiolasali.
Tickets: lippu.fi
Modern-day
Macbeth ♥
The co-operation of director Antti
Mikkola, Tiiti Hynninen and
Karmo Mende generated a version
of William Shakespeare’s
tragedy Macbeth brought to the
modern day. The play takes place
in an unnamed Nordic country
and the events revolve around the
voluntary sports association of
winter swimmers.
› Thu 5 March at 19:00,
Fri 6 March at 19:00 and
Sat 7 March at 14:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Louhisali
Tickets: lippu.fi
Macbeth shown at Louhisali is
part of the Estonia Weeks of the
Espoo City Theatre.
April Jazz is
here again ✱
Chamber music
in chapels ✱
Oblivia
20 years ♥
The 34th April Jazz festival will
be held in Espoo on 22–26 April.
The concert venues include the
Espoo Cultural Centre and EMMA
– Espoo Museum of Modern Art
in Tapiola, Haltia – The Finnish
Nature Centre, April Jazz Club in
Tapiola Garden and Sellosali in
Leppävaara. The event is organised
by Espoo Big Band.
› apriljazz.fi
The series of chamber music concerts
by Tapiola Sinfonietta invites
audiences to Espoo chapels in
May. The most beautiful pieces of
chamber music in skilful renditions
by Tapiola Sinfonietta’s musicians
can be heard on Saturday 9 May
in Perkkaa chapel at 18:00, and
on Sunday 10 May in Kauklahti
chapel at 15:00 and in Olari
chapel at 18:00.
›Tickets: lippu.fi
The Finnish performance company
of minimalist aesthetics
Oblivia is celebrating its 20-year
history with the performance
Verdrängen Verdrängen Verdrängen.
In its works, Oblivia combines
elements from modern dance,
modern theatre and performance
art.
› Thu 27 March at 19:00–20:00
and Fri 28 March at 15:00–16:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Louhisali
Tickets: lippu.fi
The Finnish performance company
Oblivia, believes in the power of art
and the intelligence of the spectators.
Remember at least these!
1 2 3 4 5 6
Mobile information
point in
Karatalo
A mobile information
point gives
guidance on the use
of smartphones,
tablets and computers
and tips on
how to use online
services and social
media on Tuesday
24 March and 28
April at 10:00–
12:00.
Story time at
Villa Elfvik
Nature House
The guide reads
fairy tales to
children at Nature
House Villa Elfvik
in the Badger’s
Forest on the first
weekend of each
month, in April-May
on Sundays and in
June on Saturdays
at 11:00.
The Espoo
villa
lifestyle
The Villa Museum
Villa Rulludd
is open on the
first Sunday of
each month from
11:00–15:00. Villa
Rulludd is located
on a beautiful
peninsula along the
Espoo Waterfront
Walkway.
Afternoons for
seniors at KAMU
The Historical
Afternoons for
Seniors at KAMU
offer lectures
related to history
and museum work
in the Museopeda
room of KAMU on
Wednesdays at
14:00. Coffee and
a sweet roll before
the lecture.
Weaving Wednesdays
at Glims
On Weaving
Wednesdays
held in the Glims
Farmstead Museum
living room, visitors
can try weaving
with a loom or
using some other
weaving technique
assisted by a guide
from 4 March to
29 April at 13:00–
15:00.
Pram meet-ups
at KAMU
On the first Thursday
of each month,
on 5 March, 2 April
and 7 May, KAMU –
Espoo City Museum
runs a meet-up
for parents with
babies at 12:00. The
participants have an
opportunity to learn
about Espoo history
with other parents.
16 A magazine for Espoo residents

928,398
In 2019, the events of the Espoo Cultural Centre,
Exhibition Centre WeeGee, Children’s Cultural
Centre Aurora, Sellosali, Kannusali and Karatalo,
and the city events open to the public were
visited by 928,398 Espoo residents.
The Kahden kauppa (Duets) offers witty
humour with a big heart and celebrates the
folly and strength of the human hearth.
The works of Odd Nerdrum’s with their
Rembrandian light have a mysterious feel to
them. Odd Nerdrum: Tourette, 2011.
The Bodom Ämmässuo exhibition gives
you an opportunity to get acquainted with
Espoo’s changing cityscapes.
The various forms
of love ♥
The hit comedy by Peter Quilter’s
performed around the world
now adapted in Finnish for the
first time. Kahden kauppa (Duets)
is a hilarious study of the chaotic
world of love, friendship and relationships.
The star duo of the play
is the real-life couple Kari-Pekka
Toivonen and Merja Larivaara.
› Sat 25 April at 19:00–21:15,
Sellosali, Tickets: lippu.fi
Questions of time
and eternity •
The Nordic Noir exhibition is an
encounter of six Finnish and Norwegian
artists transcending the
limits of time. Akseli Gallen-Kallela
is visited by Sverre Malling,
Louis Moe, Jarmo Mäkilä, Odd
Nerdrum and Hugo Simberg.
What the artists on display have
in common are myths, dream-like
visions and images emerging from
the subconscious combined with
great technical skills.
› Guided tours on Sundays at
13:00. Exhibition open at Gallen-
Kallelan Museum until 26 April.
Espoo in
Images •
What do photographs tell about
the changing city? The Bodom
Ämmässuo – Espoo in Images
exhibition, to open at Exhibition
Centre WeeGee on 18 March,
is based on a popular series
of photos of Espoo’s districts
published on social media in 2017.
The exhibition showcases the
most beloved of the photos in the
collection.
› 18 March–13 September,
Exhibition Centre WeeGee
Guided tours
in Glims ♦
During the guided tour ‘Spring
at a Farm’ in Glims Farmstead
Museum, we wonder what people
did on a self-sufficient homestead
at this time of the year and how
different annual feasts and holidays
offered natural breaks to the
everyday chores on a farm.
› Sun 15 March, 29 March and 19
April at 14:00–15:00.
The Cosmos
of Colours for
Children ✘
The Cosmos of Colours of Hupsansaa
ry is a jump into the great
joy of art and play. Different art
programme every day, plus a
sensory room the Cosmos of
Colours that remains open while
the programme lasts. On Friday
and Saturday 20–21 March at
10:00–12:00 in Karatalo, the
yellow giggles, the green goes wild
and the blue get mixed up. The art
workshops are open free of charge
for children of all ages together
with an accompanying adult.
Behind the
Songs ♦
The intimate and atmospheric
Behind the Songs club, arranged
since the beginning of last year,
will continue in Sellosali. The host
Venla Kokkonen will interview Aki
Tykki, known as the foreman of the
band Happoradio. The singer will tell
about his career and maybe reveal
some secrets behind his texts. He
will have the other songwriter of the
band, guitarist AH Haapasalo, and
the keyboardist Klaus Suominen
with him. After the interview, the
musicians will play live as a trio in
the intimate setting.
› Fri 13 March at 19:00–21:00,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Jazz for Kids ✘
Jazz for Kids is a series of jazz
concerts welcoming everyone,
from babies to seniors. The musicians
will play a full jazz concert
with a repertoire consisting of the
best pieces of every musician’s
own production with the volume
kept at a child-friendly level. The
series of concerts is arranged by
Espoo Cultural Centre and the
pop/jazz line of study Ebeli of
Espoo Music Institute.
› Sat 28 March and 18 April at
11:00, Espoo Cultural Centre,
Flyygeliaula
Showcasing the
pearls of Espoo =
What kind of places are the
nationally valuable buildings and
cultural environments of Espoo?
What do they tell us about the
history and the growth of Espoo?
The series of lectures introduces
some built heritage sites defined
as culturally valuable by the Finnish
Heritage Agency. Lecturer MA,
researcher Heli Haavisto.
› Thu 12 March–7 May (not on
9 April) at 17:30–18:30,
Exhibition Centre WeeGee
Cultural tour in
the Metro =
The popular historical walks of
KAMU – Espoo City Museum tell
about the multi-layered past of
Espoo out in the field. The cultural
tour arranged on Thursday 14 May
at 17:30 will tell about the works of
art found on the stations of West
Metro, and the architecture and
history of the areas. There is room
for the first 30 people to arrive.
Departure is from the main entrance
of WeeGee, and the tour ends at the
Matinkylä metro station. You need
an HSL ticked for the zone AB or BC.
17

Where to go
✱
Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else
The exhibitions of the four museums and the
Futuro house of WeeGee Exhibition Centre
were visited by 404,901 people in 2019.
During his long career that began in the
mid-80s, Frank Gambale has published
about 20 solo albums.
Direct selling of organic products in Villa
Elfvik on the third Sunday of each month,
except in June-August or on public holidays.
Museum guests enjoy the various
approaches to the past showcased in the
exhibition A Thousand Stories about Espoo.
Jazz in Sellosali ✱
One of the world’s most significant
innovators of guitar playing
Frank Gambale will visit Finland
for the first time with his solo
band. The guitar virtuoso, one of
the brightest stars of the world of
jazz since the mid-80s, will bring
his fusion quartet consisting of top
musicians on the Sellosali stage.
In addition to Gambale, the other
members of the quarter are the
keyboard wizard George Whitty,
the bass virtuoso Hadrien
Feraud and the powerful drummer
Damien Schmitt.
› Wed 1 April at 19:00–20:30,
Sellosali, Tickets: lippu.fi
Direct sale of
organic products ♦
The Villa Elfvik Nature House
offers the possibility of purchasing
delicious organic products directly
from the farmer. Products on sale
include root vegetables, dried
nettle, rusks, bread and spelt
products. You can also purchase
high-quality, Finnish natural
creams, soaps and shampoos in
addition to resin, tar, beeswax and
peat products. You can also enjoy
an organic lunch at Café Elfvik.
› Sun 15 March, 19 April and
10 May at 10:00–15:00.
Animal stories
from Espoo =
A Thousand Stories about Espoo
tells stories about people and
animals of Espoo in different eras.
See the exhibition and find all the
animals! Can you find the Easter
bunnies hiding in the exhibitions?
› Sat 11 April and Sun 12 April at
11:00–17:00, WeeGee Exhibition
Centre
Dancing for
babies ✘
BabyTango leads babies and
toddlers with their companions
into a tango mood. A dancer and
an accordionist absorb them into
a performance experience where
communication takes place with
movements, gestures, emotions,
voices and sounds. The experience
culminates with everyone
dancing together.
› Tue 28 April at 10:00–10:40,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Flyygeliaula
Funniest improvisation
in Finland ♥
The experienced improv actors
Roope Salminen and Ernest
Lawson conquer Tapiolasali with
their guest Christoffer Strandberg.
The night of comedy
consists of short scenes, sketches
and musical numbers for which
the audience are asked to suggest
settings, characters and other
attributes throughout the evening.
The music for the improvisational
acts is played by the group’s
regular musician Olli Äkräs. Age
recommendation: 16 or over.
› Fri 20 March at 19:00–21:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Tapiolasali.
Tickets: lippu.fi
Children’s
museum festival ✘
The children’s museum festival is
held at WeeGee Exhibition Centre
on 21–22 March. This year’s
theme Space Odyssey 2020 will
transform WeeGee into a space
station. The festival performers
will arrive to WeeGee by the
spaceship of Captain Futuro that
has landed on the backyard of
the museum. The programme will
include Sisidisko’s performance
Diskoraketti and the ventriloquist
Sari Aalto’s Cosmic Show.
› 21–22 March at 11:00–15:00,
WeeGee Exhibition Centre
Safe everyday
life =
The prevention of problems is
the number one priority for a safe
Espoo. Everyday safety primarily
requires awareness of various
phenomena around you and skills
to take care of yourself and people
close to you. Come to the free public
event “You are the guarantee of
your everyday safety”, where we
discuss everyday safety, and how
everyone can contribute to it.
› Wed 29 April at 17:30–19:00,
Kalajärvi Service Centre
› Tue 5 May at 17:30–19:00,
Iso Omena Service Centre
› Wed 9 June at 17:30–19:00,
Entresse Library
Communal
film club ✓
Open Cinema will continue its
operation in the meeting room on
the ground floor of Espoo Cultural
Centre, welcoming everyone
interested in films. The participants
have a chance to influence the
programme, which consists of
documentaries, short films, feature
films and some rarely seen film
content. In the film club, people
watch different films together and
discuss the thoughts they evoke.
There is no age limit, but the club
is not intended for children. Open
Cinema is a communal film club
that requires nothing more than a
suitable space, a projector/television
and, first and foremost, people
interested in films.
› Mon 9 March, 30 March, 6 April,
27 April and 11 May at 18:00–
20:00, Espoo Cultural Centre,
meeting room
18 A magazine for Espoo residents

The day starts
with exercise
In March, the exercise classes
will still be held indoors, but the
theme for the spring is outdoor
exercise.
› In the spring season, Espoo Sports
Services arranges morning exercise
classes for seniors free of charge.
There is a different theme every
week, and about half of the classes
are held outdoors. This is the fourth
year Espoo is organising morning
exercise classes, and they are held in
three different areas: Espoonlahti,
Matinkylä and Tapiola. The duration
of the class is 60–90 minutes,
and they always begin at 9:30.
In Tapiola, the classes are run
by physical-education instructor
Antti Kropsu.
“The classes are intended for
seniors, but we don’t ask you to
show your pension decision. The
weather affects how actively people
participate, particularly if the
plan is to exercise outdoors.”
There have been 10–20 participants
per class. According to
Kropsu, the most popular forms
of exercise have been related to
body care and mobility.
“When we have arranged
classes according to people’s
requests, the wishes have
included dancelike exercise, Latin
dance, Finnish pavilion dances or
body care based on yoga.
In Tapiola, most of the participants
are women, but in other
areas also men have dared to
come to the class.
exercising in Espoo
Antti Kropsu
instructing a body
care class in the
shooting range of
Tuulimäki sports
hall (civil defence
shelter).
”
The age of the
participants
has varied
from 60 to 80
years of age.
The purpose of exercise
groups for seniors is to
support and develop the
mobility and ability to
function of people over
pension age.
Text and photo Jari F. Lampén
Matinkylä
Mondays at 9:00–10:30
Matinkylä activity centre, Matinraitti 17
Themes of morning exercise classes in spring 2020
9 March Seniors on the move: Dance exercise
16 March Muscle tone (outdoors)
23 March Walking & mobility exercises (outdoors)
30 March Walking & balance (outdoors)
6 April Nordic walking, bring your own
walking poles (outdoors)
13 April EASTER, no class
20 April Games (outdoors)
27 April Walking & circuit training
4 May Nordic walking & workout
with poles (outdoors)
11 May Walking & interval training (outdoors)
18 May Walking & muscle tone (outdoors)
25 May Walking & balance (outdoors)
1 June Walking & circuit training (outdoors)
8 June Olympic games (outdoors)
15 June End of season:
walking & coffee (self-paid)
Espoonlahti
Tuesdays at 10:30–12:00
Espoonlahti swimming hall, Espoonlahdenkuja 4
10 March Water running (in the pool)
17 March Gym exercises + tips for neck and shoulders
24 March Gym exercises + tips for core region
31 March Balance and body control (indoors)
7 April Walking & muscle tone (outdoors)
14 April Walking & balance (outdoors)
21 April Nordic walking & workout
with poles (outdoors)
28 April Walking & muscle tone (outdoors)
5 May Nordic walking & workout
with poles (outdoors)
12 May Walking & mobility (outdoors)
19 May Games (outdoors)
26 May Walking and stretching
on the beach (outdoors)
2 June Circuit training (outdoors)
9 June Games (outdoors)
16 June End of season: walking & coffee (self-paid)
Tapiola
Wednesdays at 9:30–11:00
Tuulimäki sports hall (civil defence shelter),
shooting range, Itätuulenkuja 9
11 March Resistance band workout (indoors)
18 March Stick mobility workout (indoors)
25 March Balance and mobility
1 April Nordic walking (outdoors)
8 April Walking & muscle tone (outdoors)
15 April Walking & stair workout (outdoors)
22 April Nordic walking & workout
with poles (outdoors)
29 April Walking & muscle tone (outdoors)
6 May Walking & body care (outdoors)
13 May Walking & plogging (outdoors)
20 May Requested exercise (outdoors)
27 May End of season:
walking & coffee (self-paid)
All classes are
free of charge, no
advance registration
required.
19

topical issues
Galette des Rois
cake belongs on
the French menu for
Epiphany. The paper
crown adorning
the cake is used for
crowning the person
selected as the king
or queen of the day.
City of Espoo is highly
esteemed for how it fosters
culture. Local events
and operators support
the offering provided by
the city.
A shared
living room
Text Tiina Parikka Photos Olli Häkämies
Getting to know different
cultures and traditions in the
themed events at Trapesa.
The Trapesa premises located in the Station bridge building at the
Espoo train station are buzzing with action. The first event of the
year, the Epiphany celebration in French style is about to begin. Many
of the participants are clearly regular visitors, and they are welcomed
with a hug. The small space is crowded, but everyone finds a seat.
During the introduction round, at least 15 different nationalities are mentioned.
Small snacks have been set on the tables. Raisa Lindroos, secretary general
of Trapesa tells about how Epiphany is celebrated in France. Galette des Rois
cakes are brought to the tables. Each cake is adorned with a paper crown and
hides a small toy. The person who finds the toy in his or her piece of cake chooses
the king or queen of the day among the company present and goes and kisses
him or her on the cheek and places the crown on his or her head.
Rossin Jean-Luc, the French guest of the day, met Raisa Lindroos in the
Story Sharing Cafe event and heard about Trapesa’s activities.
“That was last autumn. I came here to celebrate the Finnish Swedish
Heritage Day and I have participated in these events ever since.
Fatima Miftari, born in Kosovo, has been living in Finland for 28 years, and
27 of them in Espoo. She was persuaded to come in once when she was just passing
by.
“I’ve been coming here for a few months, and sometimes I help with arranging
the events,” she says.
Getting to know different cultures. The themed events and multicultural
food celebrations are organised with the help of funding from the Funding
Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations and grants from the City of
Espoo.
“We celebrate the annual feasts and cultural holidays of Espoo residents
coming from different cultural backgrounds in the same manner as we highlight
the Finnish traditions and the commemorative days of our national minorities.
Our guests participate in arranging the events and they have been assigned different
tasks as teams,” Lindroos says.
In addition to events, Trapesa offers counselling services to immigrants with
limited language, digital and civics skills.
“We supplement the services offered by the city,” Lindroos says.
Trapesa, Espoo train station, Station bridge, 2nd floor, open Mon-Thu at 10:00–16:30.
20 A magazine for Espoo residents

Trapesa’s first event of
the year brought together
people representing
more than a dozen
nationalities. People from
Espoo and the neighbouring
areas gathered
around the tables filled
with delicacies.
Espoo
residents active
users of cultural
services
84% of Espoo residents
attend at least one cultural
event every year
In Espoo, men aged 15–44
are more active users of cultural
services than elsewhere in
Finland
Each cake hid a toy
and the person who
found it could crown
the king or queen of
the day from among
the people present.
The celebration was
filled with warmth.
44% of Espoo residents have
a hobby that requires working
with their hands
3% of Espoo residents have
never been to the cinema
Regional differences:
• People living in Tapiola and
Matinkylä particularly frequent
the cinema, concerts and
museums
• The residents of Leppävaara
are the most eager theatre-goers
• People living in the Kauklahti
area are the most interested in
dance and opera
This data can be found on
Fact Sheet 3 of the
EspooCult study.
›
21

The city acts
as an enabler
The City of Espoo awards cultural grants to
almost 100 cultural and local history societies
each year. In addition, different operators,
including unregistered groups, have a possibility
to apply for project grants for implementing
different events or projects. Project grants
can be applied for from February to the end of
August, and decisions on them are made flexibly
throughout the application period.
However, financial assistance is not the
only way in which the city supports local
operators.
“We aim to put public premises to good
use. For example, people are welcome to
arrange different events in libraries, and we
are constantly making efforts to develop
the practical use of school premises in the
evenings and at weekends,” says Katja
Koskela from Espoo Cultural Services, trying
to encourage operators.
The city also organises partner meetings
and training sessions for the operators and
brings different stakeholders together with
an aim to deepen cooperation and active
dialogue.
“We have given organisations training in
such matters as more efficient use of social
media and data protection. The needs have
derived directly from the organisations.”
Anyone can enter their own event in the City
of Espoo’s calendar of events. Events marked
with the hashtag #kulttuuriespoo can also be
highlighted in the social media channels of
Espoo Cultural Services,” Koskela points out.
The French guest
of the day Rossin
Jean-Luc participates
actively in the cultural
events arranged by
Trapesa.
A seat for everyone.
Every seat was taken,
when Trapesa opened
its doors after the
Christmas break.
The celebration was
filled with warmth.
People took a playful
approach to the cake
tradition and the
related crowning.
The toy has been
found. Now the finder
must choose the king
of the day whom he or
she can crown with a
“kiss on the cheek.
Espoo aims
to put public
premises to
good use.
22 A magazine for Espoo residents

Seeking
new steps
together
At the Employment Corner,
Sampada Chakraborty met Service
Coordinator Vilma Monto-Mattila.
Together they found new ideas for
promoting Sampada’s employment.
› Sampada Chakraborty from India meets the Service
Coordinator Vilma Monto-Mattila from the City of Espoo
Employment Services at the Employment Corner of Iso Omena.
“I heard about the Employment Corner from a friend of mine.
She told me that this is a place where you get any kind of help,
information and guidance for job-seeking,” Chakraborty says.
Language skills limit chances of finding employment.
Chakraborty has completed a degree in information technology
that corresponds to a bachelor’s degree obtained from a Finnish
university of applied sciences. In her home country, she worked
in banking for about four years.
Now, Chakraborty has been living in Finland for a few years.
She studies Finnish all the time and already speaks the language
a little. Her traineeship at the marketing of Opus Capita ended in
December.
Chakraborty is currently seeking a work trial place suited for
her.
“Both of us felt that a work trial might be a good option.
Hopefully, it will lead to employment, at first maybe with a pay
subsidy,” Monto-Mattila says.
It was easy to come to service guidance. According to
Chakraborty, she was warmly welcomed at the Employment
Corner.
There are three service coordinators and an expert from the
Uusimaa TE Office working at the Employment Corner of Iso
Omena. They are prepared to discuss any issues related to work
and finding employment.
“You don’t need to make an appointment with us or register in
advance. All you need to do is step in. We don’t gather names or
people’s contact information,” Monto-Mattila says.
The Employment Corner of Iso Omena is
open from Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 15:00.
More information at espoo.fi/employmentcorner
Sampada
Chakraborty (on the
right) met service
coordinator Vilma
Monto-Mattila at
the Employment
Corner.
encounters
The Employment Corner
at Iso Omena provides
guidance and new
perspectives to seeking
employment to over
30-year-olds.
Text Timo Hämäläinen Photo Sini-Maria Niska
23

pearl
Making Espoo an inviting
public space for everyone
with the help of art.
Art will be brought to
people’s everyday lives
along the routes they
take all the time.
Text Mia Weckström Photo Timo Porthan
24 A magazine for Espoo residents

A tunnel of a
thousand hearts
The work designed by the winner of the Leppävaara street
art competition Akseli Leinonen Love, Love (Tunnel of
Love) turned the grey underpass of Alberganportti into a
space that evokes emotions. The work, completed in the
summer of 2019, declares the message of love, human
values and caring for others.
The work was made of painted sheets of steel through
which shapes of thousands of hearts were cut. Behind
each steel sheet, there is lighting that reflects and multiplies
the heart shapes. Therefore, the space is particularly
spectacular in the dark.
The about 18-meter-long underpass under Leppävaarankatu
is part of the light traffic route of Alberganpromenadi.
Emma and Ilona
showing their feelings
with the lights from
the numerous hearts
in the Tunnel of Love
shining on them.
Many Espoo residents
go through the underpass
of Leppävaara
on a daily basis.
25

Espoo residents
Latokaski is a residential
area with small family
homes favoured by
families with children. It
is located on the southern
side of the Espoo
Central Park.
Text Ulla Ora Photo Olli Häkämies
A superb
community
The Meriluoto children, 9-year-old
Sisu and his 11-year-old big sister
Enni, play football in Espoon
Palloseura. Enni has practice four
times a week. Most of the sessions are
held in the Espoonlahti sports park, four kilometres
from home. Sisu is practicing football
and ice hockey in the same place about as often
as his sister. In addition, the children have home
games and away games at weekends.
How can working parents manage the whole
circus of the children’s hobbies?
“Both children have a lot of teammates living
in Latokaski, and we have our phones full
of WhatsApp groups where we coordinate the
transport rounds. Whenever necessary, we
can always find someone to take a carload of
children to practice or games,” says Tuomas
Meriluoto, the father of the family.
It also reflects the strong community spirit
of the area that the children often get together
after school to spend the afternoon in someone’s
home. Both the father and mother in the
Meriluoto family work in Helsinki, and the commute
takes about half an hour.
Tuomas Meriluoto went back to his roots. He moved
back to Latokaski in 2004, when he decided to settle
down with his live-in partner Tiina and start a family.
Latokaski had all the services a family with children
might need, such as maternity and child health clinic,
shops and a library, almost next door to the home. The
couple got married in 2007, and the first child was born
the next year.
“I moved with my childhood family to the house on
the opposite side of that road in 1983 when I started
Latokaski
• approx. 5,000 inhabitants
• residential area with small family homes
favoured by families with children located on
the southern side of Espoo Central Park,
part of the region of Espoonlahti
• The about 326-metres high Espoo radio
and television mast is located in Latokaski
The Meriluoto family
commends Latokaski
for its community spirit.
school. My children go to the same Latokasken koulu
primary school that I went to.”
Tuomas Meriluoto’s parents have moved away from
the area, but many of his former schoolmates have
returned to Latokaski.
“There are many children of my former schoolmates
on my children’s classes. There is also one teacher left in
the school that used to teach me as well,” Tuomas says.
Tiina Meriluoto is from Vantaa. She has adapted well
to Latokaski.
“My children’s school is 400 metres away, and there
are plenty of opportunities for sports here; the forest
and jogging trail are right by the house,” Tiina says with
gratitude.
Tiina Meriluoto also recommends the Latokaski
society which regularly organises events for the local
residents. One of the events is the annual Latokaski
Day. The Latokasken koulu primary school also publishes
its own digital Latokaski magazine.
“This is a safe and peaceful area. For example, if a
child has forgotten his or her belongings somewhere,
the next moment there is always someone posting
a picture of them on Facebook, trying to locate the
owner. People also recycle and borrow almost anything
through the same channel,” the mother of the family
says.
This winter, something has been missing: proper
winter. In the vicinity of the Meriluoto family home,
there is an ice hockey rink where Tuomas used to play
as a child as well.
“We have a group of pond hockey players comprising
about 180 Latokaski residents eagerly awaiting to
finally get ice in the rink, so that we could play hockey,”
Tuomas says.
“And a skateboard ramp would be nice,” Sisu adds.
The Swedish word Ladusved consists
of the words meaning ‘barn’ and ‘burnbeaten
area’, and the Finnish equivalent
Latokaski is a direct translation of the
word. In past centuries, the residents
practiced the burn-beating method of
cultivation, and this burn-beaten area
was named after its barn or barns.
According to ancient documents, the
name of the area has been the same at
least since the mid-18th century.
Latokaski was confirmed as the
name of the district on 1 March 1976.
The residential housing area that had
sprung up in the region was also referred
to as Teerelä and Teerimäki (names
stemming from ‘teeri’, black grouse), but
in 1970 the Espoo naming committee
decided that they could not be used
because bird-related names belonged to
Lintuvaara, Leppävaara and Karakallio.
The name Latokaski and the burnbeating
history of the area gave their
own theme to the area, giving rise to
other names related to the burn-beating
method of cultivation (Huhtakoukku,
Ohrakaski and Kulolaakso).
26 A magazine for Espoo residents

Latokaski
society
organises
events
for local
residents.
The Meriluoto family
got a new member
three months ago
when the Havanese
Piki moved into the
house. He is the apple
of the eye of every
member of the Meriluoto
household.
27

Swedish in Espoo
The health care centres
in Espoo offer services
in Swedish, but it is
not always possible to
guarantee that customers
will be received by a
native Swedish-speaking
healthcare professional.
Text Jenni von Frenckell Illustration Susanna Tuononen
Towards
uniform services
in Swedish
28 A magazine for Espoo residents

Kia Leidenius
• Specialist at the City of Espoo since
August 2019, employed on a
three-year contract.
• Works with development of services
provided in Swedish in the social
and health care sector.
• On leave from her position at the
Association of Finnish Local and
Regional Authorities. Kia works as a
specialist in charge of Swedish
issues and social and health care
issues.
• Holds an MA in Political Science
from the University of Helsinki.
• Resident of Espoo since 2014.“
A survey of social
and health care
services in Swedish is
underway in Espoo. The
City wants the Swedishlanguage
services to
function better and more
smoothly in the future.
We need more
staff who can
provide services
in Swedish, the
system is too
fragile as it is
now.
The City of Espoo’s obligations
include offering residents
social and healthcare services
in Swedish. At the moment,
however, the city cannot guarantee
services in Swedish in all health care
centres.
“Unfortunately, in practice, services are
not always available in Swedish. It works
well in some places but less well in others.
The challenge is to match supply and
demand,” says Kia Leidenius.
Leidenius has been working since
August on a survey of the social and health
care services provided in Swedish in
Espoo. The two-part survey conducted
during the winter was aimed at both staff
and residents.
“It is gratifying that over 70% of the
nearly 800 employees who responded
want to develop their language skills. The
attitude towards Swedish is positive, there
is a genuine desire to improve services
provided in Swedish,” Leidenius says.
A major challenge for Espoo is the lack
of Swedish-speaking staff. This year, the
City will invest in recruitment processes
and cooperation with educational institutions.
“We need more staff who can provide
services in Swedish, the system is too fragile
as it is now. In addition to recruiting
new Swedish-speaking staff, we need to
improve the language skills of the existing
staff,” Leidenius says.
The improvement effort aims to
ensure the smooth functioning of services
provided in Swedish. The City of Espoo
wants to boost the cooperation with other
municipalities, with or without a social
and healthcare reform. Many concrete
measures are already underway, such as
language courses, workshops and facilities
for staff.
What does all this mean for residents?
“Our actions will hopefully lead to
noticeable results in the services from
next autumn,” says Leidenius.
In spring, the City of Espoo will investigate
whether the Swedish services
should be reorganized. One possibility is
to centralize the Swedish-speaking, either
in whole or in part. The survey did not
provide a clear answer as to what residents
want.
“The answers were distributed very
evenly between residents who prioritize
the proximity to care, even if it is sometimes
provided in Finnish, and residents
who prioritize health care provided in
Swedish. Among the staff, a small majority
was in favour of centralizing the services,”
Leidenius says.
Leidenius notes that it is the city’s job
to offer the customer options. It should
be possible to choose services provided in
Swedish.
“Our goal is to be able to offer uniform
services in Swedish. From the initial
contact by phone or online, the customer
should receive services in the language
they choose. The objective is ambitious
and it may not be possible to achieve it
100%, but it is what we must strive for.”
29

Summer Job Voucher
us
10
/50
This summer, the
Summer Job Voucher
is intended for all
Espoo-based youths
born between 2001 and
2005.
Test your
Finnish with this
crossword puzzle!
Book prizes!
The City of Espoo will pay
EUR 300 to an employer
who hires a young person
living in Espoo to work for
them under the Summer
Job Voucher scheme
between 1 May and 30
September.
Summer jobs
crossword puzzle
The young person must
work at least 10 days
and at least 50 hours,
either stretching over
one continuous period or
several.
The largest summer job
employers in the city
are the Public Works
Department, which
provides jobs for about
80 summer workers
in park and street
maintenance, and...
A private household,
family or private person
cannot act as an
employer.
30
The City of Espoo will
give out a total of 1,300
Summer Job Voucher.
The number of vouchers
remaining (10 February at
noon): 797.
... care homes for the
elderly, which have
vacancies for 30 summer
workers as
organisers of leisure
activities for the care
home residents.
Mark the letters from the orange boxes (1–14) below and send the answer with
your name and address by e-mail to: espoolehti@omnipress.fi by 8th May 2020.
30 A magazine for Espoo residents

Getting the
voice of
youth heard
In Espoo, young people are involved in
all city decision-making processes of
the city government. Joel Vanhanen
has left his youth council days behind,
but he still wants to influence matters.
› Four years as a member of the Espoo Youth Council taught
Joel Vanhanen a lot about how the municipal decisionmaking
process works. When Vanhanen was heading the Youth
Council, it succeeded in getting through many issues considered
important by young people of Espoo.
“The absolutely most significant matter was the City of
Espoo granting the youth council the right to be present
and speak at the City Board meetings as well. This is one of
the greatest achievements in the history of the Espoo Youth
Council,” says Joel Vanhanen, who stepped down as chair of the
council at the turn of the year.
The decision is important, because now the voice of youth is
heard as from the early phases of the decision-making process.
Becoming familiar with decision-making. Vanhanen got
a chance to be involved in the activities of the Espoo Youth
Council for four years, the last two of them in the role of the
council chair.
“The Youth Council is a great place to learn how the municipal
decision-making system works in practice. I also learned to
know key decision-makers and MPs,” Vanhanen says.
During his Youth Council years, Vanhanen became also
familiar with the City Council. He feels that, in their meetings,
the members of the City Council really listen to the Youth
Council representative.
“Many council members do other things on their computers
during the meetings. But when Youth Council members speak,
they turn their attention to the rostrum. We got a lot of
commenting time, received thanks for the comments we
presented, and many board members came to discuss
with us after the meetings.”
Interested in the future. At the moment,
Vanhanen is in his final year of studies at the
Etelä-Tapiolan lukio general upper secondary
school. Even though he has left the work at
the Youth Council behind him, Vanhanen
is still interested in politics.
“I intend to run in the municipal elections
of 2021,” he reveals.
In January, Lauri Hietanen was
elected the new chair of the Espoo
Youth Council.
together
The Espoo Youth Council
consists of 40 active
youths between the ages
of 13 and 18. The youth
council tells how young
people feel about
various topical issues.
Text Jenni von Frenckell Photo Timo Porthan
“The key challenges
in Espoo include
access to mental
health services for
youth, substance
abuse among
young people and
prevention of the
marginalisation of
young people,” says
Joel Vanhanen.
” Young people
are smart and
interested in
influencing
matters, their
future and
common issues.
31

Learn
more at
bit.ly/
espoo_city
Learn about your neighbourhood!
The magazine Kaavoituskatsaus 2020 presents topical themes and projects in urban planning. Read
about the planning of the living future of Espoo. The magazine also shares information about nomenclature
planning. While the city grows and changes, place names are a good reminder of its history.