The Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers had the privilege of coordinating the contact point for the Finnish model for leisure from 2021 until the end of April 2024. The Ministry of Education and Culture moved the contact point to the Finnish National Agency for Education starting on May 1st 2024.
Last year we had the pleasure to talk with a Scottish researcher Amy Woodhouse, who wanted to make a survey comparing the Finnish and Icelandic models for hobbies. Woodhouse’s report was published this year, and is called “Increasing Children and Young People’s Access to Hobbies and Leisure Activities”.
From the report, you can find out what the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities and the Icelandic model look like through the eyes of a Scottish researcher. What lessons could Scotland learn from the Finnish and Icelandic models? Woodhouse writes recommendations for the Scottish government and one of these recommendations highlights the participation of children.
Any Scottish hobby model should build participation from children and young people from the start and involve children and young people at all levels. This should be framed with a child rights lens.
According to the study, the Finnish and Icelandic models provide Scotland with confidence that increasing access to hobbies for children and young people is possible. They indicate what building blocks are necessary to make a nationwide system work, including participation, money, coordination, settings, providers, accessibility and evidence.
“The Finnish and Icelandic models can help provide us with confidence that solutions are possible. They can help give us ideas around the building blocks that are necessary to make a nationwide system work. What we need now is a collective will to make a difference.”
Amy Woodhouse
In the report, many examples and operations are highlighted, such as the Helsinki model for leisure and the Culture Centre PiiPoo, a member of the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers.
The “Increasing Children and Young People’s Access to Hobbies and Leisure Activities” report is available here.
Aleksi Valta,
Director of the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers
Photo by the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers. The hobby group of Tempo orchestra at Vuores Comprehensive School, Tampere.
