local AW meetings will take ideas to concrete plans
”Together for our community” is driven and funded by Leader Gute in collaboration with rural areas in Gotland. The project aims to lead to concrete plans for strengthened social cohesion.
The activities in the project ”Together for our community” mainly consist of a series of local AW meetings and are based on equal parts clear structure and fun socializing. Everyone in the participating communities is welcome to join and it costs nothing! A clear ambition is to include all ages – people ”in the middle of life,” youth, and the elderly. It is also important that the participating communities do not only concern one locality or one parish, but encompass areas with several parishes in collaboration.
In the spring of 2025, ”Together for our community” was launched in three areas:
- Hemse and surrounding areas
- Roma and surrounding areas
- An area with six parishes in collaboration – Stenkyrka, Lummelunda, Martebo, Tingstäde, Hangvar, and Hall
In the spring of 2026, two more areas joined:
- The parishes within Klintetraktenes Framtid as well as Tofta and Eskelhem
- A cluster with Etelhem, Garda, Stånga, När, Burs, and Eke
In the autumn of 2026, the last area will be formed and started. In total, there will be six areas participating in the project, which will conclude in the spring of 2027.
The core of ”Together for our community” is three types of AW meetings that are held in each participating area:
Idea-AW
This introductory AW meeting takes place, for example, at a local year-round open pub and begins with good food.
After that, it may include various types of elements to provide inspiration – for example, through interviews with rural heroes from the local area or from other communities.
Each participating area then develops ideas that can strengthen social cohesion in the community. This happens through discussions in groups – what we call ”table talk.”.
Each group briefly presents their ideas. All ideas that emerge are ”clustered” into idea themes. Some – usually four – of these themes are voted on to work further with and shape into concrete plans at the next AW.
Those who wish can conclude with mingling and after-talk.
EVERYONE who lives and works in the area is warmly welcome! It is also possible to arrange children's activities to make it easier for parents in families with young children to participate.
NOTE – the number of places is limited by each local fire safety regulations. Therefore, pre-registration is required.
Information about registration and the program for the Idea-AW in each participating area is published continuously further down this page and spread in other ways. After the Idea-AW has been held, summaries of them and which idea themes have been chosen to work further with will be published.
VIP-AW
Each area conducts the next step, the VIP-AW. Here, the community should together move Vforward from Iideas to Pplans!
Leader Gute provides support during the VIP-AW and there is also the opportunity to involve an external process leader.
One group per selected theme from the previous AW works in four steps to develop drafts for plans. Leader Gute then analyzes, processes, and structures the material into finished proposals and concrete plans.
Even for the VIP-AW:es, EVERYONE in the respective area is welcome and there will be an AW atmosphere with good food, mingling, and children's activities if desired! But even for the VIP-AW, pre-registration is required.
Information about and registration for the VIP-AW is spread well in advance of the events. Information about the VIP-AW is also published further down on this page.
Release-AW
Finally, it is time for the Release-AW in each area!
Here, the concrete plan proposals developed at the VIP-AW are presented and processed by Leader Gute.
The plan proposals are discussed and there is an opportunity to add suggestions and thoughts before the plans are finalized.
During the meeting, the initial work to realize each plan is also planned.
And of course, we continue with the AW atmosphere, good food, mingling, and possible children's activities! Like the other AW:es, pre-registration is required.
Information about and registration for the Release-AW is spread well in advance of the events. This is also published further down on this page. Final plans established at the Release-AW will also be published below under information about each participating area.
Local planning groups and overarching steering group
In each participating area, local planning groups with five to ten people have been formed. The planning groups have, in collaboration with Leader Gute, planned, communicated, and organized the AW meetings in their regions.
The planning groups have appointed one representative each to an overarching steering group for the project as a whole. The steering group also includes Leader Gute's project manager/operations manager and communicator, as well as the rural strategist of Region Gotland.
The steering group meets regularly to follow up and further develop the project/concept and exchange experiences.
Study visits, conferences, and final report
The project includes study visits and conferences where the steering group and representatives from participating areas take part. This is to exchange experiences between the areas and to gain new inspiration and ideas from other rural areas in Sweden.
The entire project, and what has been done in the six participating areas, will ultimately be summarized in a final report and a closing conference in the spring of 2027.
The final report shall, among other things, serve as inspiration and guidance for additional rural areas that wish to use this concept for local development.
Read about the activities carried out so far:
Conference and study visit Höga Kusten from September 16–19, 2025
Hemse and surrounding areas
The initial Idea-AW was held on April 7, 2025, at Bank o Mat, Hemse:
- See the summary of the AW meeting and which idea themes were chosen to continue working on HERE!
VIP-AW was held at Hemsgården on October 2, 2025.
Release-AW was held at Änggårde, Rone on November 20, 2025.was carried out at Änggårde, Rone on November 20, 2025 . See final established plans via the links below:
- Högby Äng – center for Fest and Dance
- Hela Hemse sings
- Preparedness & collaboration in the Hemse area
- Epa and moped mechanics in Hemse
Six parishes in collaboration: Stenkyrka, Lummelunda, Martebo, Tingstäde, Hangvar and Hall
Initial Idea-AW was conducted on April 24, 2025, at Gotland's Defense Museum, Tingstäde:
- See the summary of the AW meeting and which idea themes were chosen to continue working on HERE!
VIP-AW washeld at Kappelshamn's Folkets Hus on November 19, 2025.
Release-AW was held on March 19, 2026 at Gotland's Defense Museum, Tingstäde
See final established plans via the links below:
Roma and surrounding areas
Initial Idea-AW was held on May 15, 2025 at Romabrunnen, Roma:
- See summary of the AW meeting and which idea themes were chosen to continue working with HERE!
VIP-AW waswas held at Romabrunnen on January 22, 2026.
Release-AW was held on March 5, 2026 at Romabrunnen
See final established plans via the links below:
- Disc golf course – full throttle in Roma!
- NÄRA – A senior leisure center
- Romafesten: Motor, Food and Music!
- Let something out! – A popular cultural relay in the Romabygden
The Klint area as well as Tofta and Eskelhem
Initial Idea-AW was held on March 12, 2026 at Sanda community center:
- See summary of the AW meeting and which idea themes were chosen to continue working with HERE!
VIP-AW was conducted at Broman & Son in Gnisvärd on October 21, 2026.
Invitation to Release-AW will be coming soon!
Etelhem, Garda, Stånga, När, Burs and Eke
Initial Idea-AW was held on May 7, 2026 at Närs Krog:
- See summary of the AW meeting and which idea themes were chosen to continue working with HERE!
VIP-AW was conducted at Strandakar in När on September 10, 2026.
Invitation to Release-AW will be coming soon!
