Lapinlahden Lähde has won second place in the European Civil Society Awards – the award was received in Brussels
Press Release 7.3.2024
Lapinlahden Lähde & Pro Lapinlahti Mental Health Association from Helsinki has been awarded second place in the European Civil Society Prize.
Lapinlahden Lähde has been awarded second place in the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) Civil Society Prize. The award was presented on 7 March in Brussels at a gala ceremony as part of the Civil Society Week. Lapinlahden Lähde is a mental health centre run by the Pro Lapinlahti Mental Health Association, a local branch of the Finnish Mental Health Association, in a former psychiatric hospital in Lapinlahti, Helsinki.
The prize is awarded annually to non-profit and innovative projects that promote European values. This year’s prize, the 14th in total, has the theme of mental health. The prize aims to highlight the key role of NGOs in addressing and preventing mental health problems.
The EU-wide competition attracted over 100 entries from 23 countries and the five winners were selected on the basis of their creativity, commitment and criteria for helping people with mental health problems. At European level, attention is focused on joint efforts to improve the mental health situation, which has become a ‘silent epidemic’.
The Grand Prize was awarded to Ireland’s Age Well project, which aims to prevent the exclusion of older people. From Finland, Lapinlahden Lähde and Lilinkoti Foundation’s game The World of Recovery was among the five winners, placing the game in a respectable fourth place. The other winners are third-placed Crazy? So What!, an initiative to support young people with mental health problems, from Slovakia, and Animenta, an eating disorders initiative from Italy, which came fifth.
The €50,000 prize money was divided between the five winners. The grand prize was €14,000, while Lapinlahden Lähde and the other three winners received €9,000 each.
Nonni Mäkikärki, Executive Director of the mental health association Pro Lapinlahti, and Siru Valleala, Communications Specialist, represented Lapinlahden Lähde to the public and press in Brussels on Thursday, bringing Lapinlahti’s message of mental well-being to a large audience.
Lapinlahden Lähde congratulates the grand prize winner and all the other winners! Lapinlahden Lähde thanks the European Economic and Social Committee for this great honour and the City of Helsinki for its long-term support.
“This is an incredible recognition of ten years of tireless and heartfelt work by hundreds and even thousands of people over the years! The award goes to all those who have been involved in developing Lapinlahden Lähde into the centre of mental wellbeing and vibrant urban culture that it is today. I hope that we can continue to develop our activities for the next 180 years,” says Nonni Mäkikärki, Executive Director of Pro Lapinlahti, who received the award.
Lapinlahden Lähde is a mental well-being centre open to everyone, offering opportunities for inclusion and empowerment in a low-threshold environment of nature and culture. At Lähde everyone can enjoy encounters and cultural experiences, regardless of their background.
Lapinlahden Lähde organises events, workshops, courses, art exhibitions, employment and other activities to support the mental well-being of tens of thousands of visitors each year. Cooperation with the City of Helsinki is close. The activities in Finland’s first psychiatric hospital continue the 180-year history of mental health work in the protected area.
A citizens’ initiative is currently underway in Lapinlahti to secure the future of this award-winning operation.
For more information, please visit
European Civil Society Award: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/news-media/press-releases/irelands-third-age-foundation-wins-eesc-civil-society-prize-mental-health
Lapinlahti Citizens’ Initiative Campaign: https://www.kuntalaisaloite.fi/fi/aloite/35731
Lapinlahden Lähde: https://lapinlahdenlahde.fi/
Interview requests and photos: https://lapinlahdenlahde.fi/medialle/
The Lilinkoti Foundation’s World of Recovery game: https://www.theworldofrecovery.fi/
Subject tags: #etsk #kansalaisyhteiskuntapalkinto #kaikkienlapinlahti #mielenterveystoipuja
Contact
Siru Valleala
Communications Specialist
[email protected]
+358 40 555 8568
Pro Lapinlahti mielenterveysseura ry
Nonni Mäkikärki
Executive Director
[email protected]
+358 40 045 0065
Pro Lapinlahti mielenterveysseura ry