About the region
The Drawa and the Wałcz Lake Districts are located in north-western Poland, in the eastern part of the West Pomerania Voivodeship. The main factors making this region attractive to tourists are its geographical location and natural conditions. As this is a post-glacial region, there are numerous lakes, rivers and other natural watercourses, as well as fertile lands and diverse terrain relief with plenty of forests.
The LAG’s operating area includes the Drawa Plain covered by dense pine woods, known as the Drawa Forest. To protect the unique natural values of this area, the Drawa National Park was established.
The Wałcz Lake District has around 160 lakes with more than 1 hectare of surface area. It is also a post-glacial region, with dense forests, including the Landscape Protection Area of the Gwda Valley. Other popular tourist destinations include Lake Zdbiczno and Lake Dobre, and the Rurzyca river valley. Due to its diverse terrain relief, numerous lakes and forests, and the vicinity of the Pomeranian Wall, the authorities of the West Pomerania Voivodeship have granted the region the first category of tourist attractiveness. Hiking, cycling and horse-riding trails, environmental discovery paths and kayak trails offer a range of options for active leisure.
Characteristic for the operating area of the LAG are the local products, such as Kalisz Pomorski cucumbers pickled in barrels on the bottom of the lake, drahimski honey, the Swedish potato sausage, traditional bread, freshwater fish (mainly vendace and schelly), and local fruit - apples, pears and raspberries.
Nobody coming to visit the Drawa and the Wałcz Lake Districts will leave dissatisfied.
About the association
The Local Action Group “Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim” was founded in 2006 in Złocieniec. In 2015, the LAG accepted the “Lider Wałecki” Association from Wałcz and changed its name and area of operation accordingly. Currently, the LAG includes 11 communes from the Wałcz and the Drawa Lake Districts: Czaplinek, Człopa, Drawno, Drawsko Pomorskie, Kalisz Pomorski, Mirosławiec, Ostrowice, Szczecinek, Tuczno, Wierzchowo, the rural commune of Wałcz, and Złocieniec.
The main purpose of the Local Action Group “Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim” is implementing the Local Development Strategy (LSR), including the implementation of the communication plan co-financed by the European Union as part of Action 19 “Supporting the local development under the Leader initiative” under the Rural Development Plan for 2014-2020. The Local Development Strategy is based on a multi-fund approach, i.e. acquires funding both from the European Rural Development Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The Leader Programme is a cross-sectional initiative aimed at activating the inhabitants of rural areas by building the community potential in small towns and villages.
Activation of rural communities requires the participation of community partners. The LAG “Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim” currently has 159 members from the social sector (NGOs, natural persons), the public sector (local government units, culture centres, libraries) and the business sector (local businesses). The LAG also implements numerous projects and initiatives for its members and their local communities, for instance the “Działaj lokalnie” (Act Locally) grant competition, supported by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland.
The activities of the LAG “Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim” include publishing a variety of publications (albums, maps, guides and guidebooks, board games), and organising training sessions, conferences, and cultural and tourist events. The LAG also initiates, supports and assists in the implementation of various local project, and motivates the local communities to actively participate in the rural development process, and distributes and exchanges information on the initiatives related to the activation of local citizens.
The Local Action Group brings together the people who want to use the local resources to make the region a better place to live for all of its inhabitants. The LAG has four permanent employees and an office with all necessary facilities. Detailed information on the activities and achievements of the Local Action Group “Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim” can be found on the LAG’s website.
Stowarzyszenie Lokalna Grupa Działania Partnerstwo Drawy z Liderem Wałeckim
ul. Stary Rynek 6, 78-520 Złocieniec
www.partnerstwodrawy.pl
