About the region
The operating area of the Local Action Group “Szanse Bezdroży Gmin Powiatu Goleniowskiego” is a particularly attractive region of the West Pomerania Voivodeships, with plenty of forests, lakes and rivers making up a very diverse landscape. Numerous lakes, among them Lake Nowogardzkie, Lake Przybiernowskie, Lake Lechickie and Lake Kościuszki, as well as the mild climate, provide excellent angling and active leisure options, making this region a popular tourist destination.
The Goleniów district also attracts birdwatchers, who come here in early Spring in the breeding season of grebes and ducks, in the Summer to witness the moulting of ducks, and in Autumn to watch the gathering of migratory birds coming to Poland from Eastern Europe, which come in massive flocks, sometimes counting as many, as 50 thousand birds. The most common species include the Mergini, scaups, tufted ducks and cormorants. The commune of Stepnica is also home to around 10 pairs of white-tailed eagles.
The Goleniów Forest is a perfect destination for hiking, cycling, mushroom hunting and hunting. The beauty of the Goleniów district can be experienced on numerous tourist trails, cycling routes and on the “Meandry Iny” (The Meanders of the Ina) kayak trail. The region is a popular tourist destination, offering excellent active leisure options.
About the association
The organisation was founded in 2008 as the “Szanse Bezdroży Gmin Goleniów, Osina, Przybiernów, Stepnica” Association and brought together four local communes (Goleniów, Osina, Przybiernów and Stepnica). In the years 2007–2008, the Association implemented a project under Scheme II of the Leader+ Pilot Programme, which included a number of training sessions and workshops.
In 2008, the Association decided to expand its area of operation to include the communes of Maszewo and Nowogard, as a result changing its name to “Szanse Bezdroży Gmin Powiatu Goleniowskiego” Association. As the Local Action Group and the territorial partnership of the public, private (business) and social (NGOs) sectors, the Association has around 60 members. A key phase in building the partnership within the LAG “Szanse Bezdroży Gmin Powiatu Goleniowskiego” was the development of the Local Development Strategy (LDS) - the document serving as the basis of all activities undertaken as part of the Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013 and 2014-2020.
Since 2011, the LAG supports educational initiatives which foster the local citizens’ interests. The programme is aimed at LAG associations, village administrations and informal groups which work together to make the lives of their communities better and more interesting. As part of the activation efforts, applicants can receive grants for workshops, classes and training sessions. Nearly 300 applications have already been submitted and the activities funded by the grants involved more than 4 thousand people.
The game allows students to try their hand at being businesspeople, develop negotiating skills, as well as economic risk assessment competences.
As part of the action “Implementation of cooperation projects”, the Association, together with its partners, has completed the following projects: I Leaderowskie Igrzyska Zachodniopomorskiego (I Leader Games of the West Pomerania Voivodeship) (2010), II Leaderowskie Igrzyska Zachodniopomorskiego (II Leader Games of the West Pomerania Voivodeship) (2011), Leaderowskie Zloty Rowerowe „Z rowerem za pan brat, bierz uśmiech i dawaj w świat” (Leader Bike Rally) (2012), Wojewódzkie Targi Wielobranżowe Aktywny Senior (Voivodeship Multidisciplinary Fair for Active Seniors) (2013) and Włóczykije Pojezierza (The Striders of the Lake District) (2014). The LAG has also implemented 7 projects under the Operational Programme Human Capital (OP HC). The goals of those projects was to stimulate the activity of the inhabitants of rural areas, support self-organisation and local initiatives aimed at improving the education level. In total, the training sessions and workshops organised by the LAG under the OP HC were attended by 364 citizens of the communes in the Goleniów district.
Since 2017, the LAG’s area of operation employs a local community organiser. A local newspaper titled “Wieści z Bezdroży” (News from the Hinterlands) is published, conventions of the heads of villages are organised and the idea of the Rural School of Business is being continued. The Association helps local citizens and organisations secure funding under the grant project, and also subsidies for setting up and developing a business.
The activity of the LAG “Szanse Bezdroży Gmin Powiatu Goleniowskiego” thus far has strengthened the local identity of the citizens, integrated and activated the local community, and demonstrated the validity and purposefulness of EU rural development funding.
