2. Population of Helsinki 2013
and youth work
Total population of Helsinki, 603 968
of which immigrants 73 608 (12%)
Main target group of
youth work
13–17 year-olds 26 251
Target group according to
The Youth Work Act
0–28 year-olds 205 751

3. Deputy Mayor for
Cultural and Personnel Affairs
Elected auditors
Deputy Mayor for
City Planning and Real Estate
Deputy Mayor for
Social Affairs and Public Health
Deputy Mayor for Public Works
and Environmental Affairs
City Council
City Board
Mayor
Audit Committee
Youth Committee
Youth Department

4. Local
Services
11 Local Youth
Work Units
Klaari Helsinki
Centralised
Services
Social Youth Work
Cultural Youth Work
Civil Society Support
Youth Committee
Director
Administration
Human Resources
Finance
IT
Communications
Development
Team
Structure of the Youth Department
Ruuti – a new youth agency
Verke – National Development Centre For Online
Youth Work

5. 1 402 929 visits (2013)
10 111 members (2013)
Personnel 2013 461 employees
Budget 2014 30,3 million Euros
Youth Department in figures

7. The Youth Department supports youths in
becoming active citizens.
Activities are directed at all youths in
Helsinki, with the aim of encouraging them
to find the forms of activity and recreational
spaces that suite them best.
The Youth Department constantly updates
its working methods by monitoring youth
phenomena and changes in the living
conditions of young people.
Mission

8. Room to be young, to be heard and to shine!
For youths, Helsinki is a city that offers a wide
range of experiences and the freedom to boldly be
true to oneself. Local youths and the Youth
Department together create their own unique urban
culture.
Vision
Our values are
joy in living, listening to the voice of the
citizens, ecology, an entrepreneurial
approach, fairness, economy and safety.

9. “The Local Services Department
supports youths’ life
management and promotes a
spirit of community and social
participation among them.”
Ordinance 9§
Local Services

10. A network of 11 Youth Work Units covering all of Helsinki.
 The activities unit consists of 3–6 youth facilities.
 Approximately 50 youth facilities total.
 Opportunities for a broad range of recreational activities
including skateboarding, caring for domestic animals, moped
activities and theatre, music and band activities.
 Activities also in the summer: Fallkulla Domestic Animal Farm,
Pihlajamäki Youth Park and summer activities at Vartiosaari.
 248 employees.
 Projects in participation and democracy education
including Avara, Voice of the Young editorial board and volunteer
training and support.
 Klaari Helsinki – Youth’s Substance Abuse Prevention.
Local Services

11.  Activities for Helsinki residents aged 10–17, with an
emphasis on youths aged 13 and older.
 Open activities on weekdays and weekends.
 Small group and club activities.
 Holiday activities: training courses, trips, camps,
excursions.
 Events.
 Youth work online.
 Opportunities for participation and influence.
 Regional responsibility: activities in cooperation with youths,
youth organizations, parents and guardians, partners,
neighboring municipalities and other regional actors.
Local Services

12. The task of the Centralised Services is to empower young
people and to support cultural youth work and the activity
of non-governmental youth organisations and non-
organised youth groups.
Centralised Services consists of
Social Youth Work
Cultural Youth Work
Civil Society Support
117 employees.
Centralised Services

13.  Social strengthening of youths.
 Interprofessional collaboration.
 Early intervention (Itäluotsi, Koillisluotsi, Länsiluotsi).
 Positive discrimination: influencing areas, youth groups and
circumstances where the risk of exclusion is the highest.
 Gender-specific group work for boys and girls (e.g. Girls’
Centre).
 Adventure House, Night basketball.
 Flexible basic education groups.
 Specialized centres, e.g.:
• work with immigrants and unemployed youths
• traffic activities at the Tattarisuo traffic education centre and
Children’s Traffic Town in Laakso.
Centralised Services

14.  Promote participation and empowerment through cultural
youth work.
 Specialised centres: Gloria Cultural Arena - the stage for
young people’s own productions, Harju Youth Centre
(music and art).
 Youth Activity Centre Happi: Visual skills and arts,
HattuMedia (media), Narri (theatre), Room for gaming,
Participation Centre Avara, recording community Helsinki
Freedom Records, Voice of the Young editorial board.
 Annual events
• Sound and Frenzy, contest for youth musicians and bands
• JunnuVimma, contest for junior musicians and bands
• Shine! Art and Music City Festival
• Reaktori, an event during the early spring break from schools.
Cultural Youth Work

15. The most important task of the Office for Civic Activity by Young
People is to promote and facilitate the work and activities of youth
organisations and youth groups in the city and to promote social
participation and youth influence in civil society.
The Youth Department’s services are used every year by over 400
youth organisations and youth groups, in which some 30,000
youths under the age of 25 are involved.
Office for Civic Activity by the Young
 does preparatory work on matters pertaining to grants for youth
organisations and youth groups
 supports the development of the activities of youth organisations and
youth groups by organising training
 works to offer better opportunities for organisations to use youth
centres and other facilities, manages the home centres of
organisations and is responsible for the camps and training centres
under the Youth Department
 promotes ways of working that are in line with the principles of
sustainable development.
Civil Society Support

16. The services include:
Grants 2013 (EUR 1,365,000 )
• General grants
• Operation grants
• Grants for wages and compensation
• Camp grants
• Project grants.
Home centres for 18 organisations which arrange a broad range of
activities.
Other services
• Free use of Youth Department facilities
• Bengtsår camp island
• A copy shop and DTP workshop
• A lending centre for AV and camp equipment
• Environmental services at the Young People’s Nature House.
Organisation-led youth centres and partner centres
• The Uusimaa district organization of Kaleva Youth Association, Helsinki
YMCA, Tapanilan Erä, Kalliola Settlement Youth Association, The National
Organization for the Children – Helsinki, The Finnish Falcon Movement –
Helsinki (district).
Civil Society Support

17. Ruuti – a New Youth Agency
Ruuti is a new unique model providing young people with
opportunities to influence and take part in the Helsinki city´s
decision- making.
The aim of Ruuti is to give the young an opportunity to discuss
and challenge matters they consider important with the city´s
decision-makers. Ruuti offers the young a chance to influence
decisions using traditional as well as cultural and artistic
methods.
It is also possible to make an impact on the decision-making
process through the internet and social media.
Ruuti is open to all young people. Only the core group has an
age limit which is 13–17.
Channels:
 RuutiExpo event and Ruuti.net (Ruuti on the internet)
 yearly meetings with the city´s decision-makers and the
Mayor´s meetings
 open activity groups.

18. Verke – National Development
Centre For Online Youth Work
Verke creates, produces and develops youth-oriented work
and activities that can be performed with the help of the
internet. In addition, the centre acts as an expert and support
service by concentrating on increasing information and know-
how related to its area of expertise.
The target groups of these operations are young people
themselves as well as professionals in youth-oriented fields.
Functions and development areas:
 youth-oriented work and activities online
 multi-professional work online
 gaming activities online
 competence and skills development.
The activities of the centre are being developed through
national and multidisciplinary cooperative work between the
public, private and third sectors.

19. “The Administrative Department is responsible for
the Department’s human resource and financial
administration services, communication and
public relations, IT services and supporting the
activity centres under the Youth Department.”
Ordinance 9§
 The department consists of the human resources
team, the financial office, the IT unit, the
communications unit and the development team.
 36 employees.
Administration