ABOUT THE LAG
Development association Nouseva Rannikkoseutu ry is a Local Action Group from Northern Finland. We carry LEADER-program out in the area of nine municipalities and approximately 53 000 inhabitants. Our aim is to encourage local people to develop their native region, enhance region’s pleasance and to create new employment opportunities and companies.

Association was founded in 2000 and it has its own developing plan for years 2007 – 2013. The plan is carried out by funding developing projects and enterpreunal projects. In addition association educates, informs, activates and helps people who apply funding and carry out projects. Together with the office personnel the board of the association is responsible for the activity in practice. Activity is open for everyone so that anybody can become a member of the association.   

THE AREA
Our area is situated in the North-Ostrobothnia, south of Oulu, which is the sixth biggest city in Finland. Oulu as a technological cluster with its university and comprehensive services has a great influence on the region. The counties surrounding Oulu are growing fast and have young age structure whereas counties further away have problems with ageing and decreasing population. As our name reveals we are situated at the coast of Gulf of Bothnia, sub-region of Baltic Sea. The area is low-lying but the scenes vary greatly from fields striped by river plains to marshes and forests.

SOURCES OF LIVING
Significance of farming has decreased. Milk and beef productions are the strongest fields in farming sector. Diverse potato production has traditions in the area. Majority work in services, metal industry is important as well as information technology. Many travel daily to work at Raahe and Oulu. Population density of the whole area is 10,6 inhabitants per km2. Transport connection are good though public transport services are quite scarce in many parts. Finland’s second airport is found in the neighbouring county of Oulunsalo, closest  harbours are in Raahe and Oulu and train stops in Vihanti and Ruukki. In the area of ten counties has about 80 villages. Many of them have registered as associations and made out written plans for villages. Villages have more and more responsibilities and possibilities in offering and ensuring services for locals as the counties transfer their public services to private sector. 

OBJECTIVES
Our objectives according to our new plan for the years 2007-2013 are:

• area has socially stable and coherent culture of activity that is based on a national as well as international co-operation
• area has dynamic and collaborating sources of income and business life that is based on specialized and efficient units of primary production and diverse companies
• stable demographique progress leans on the increasing preference of countryside as a living and working environment

FOCUS
Nouseva Rannikkoseutu association focuses on two kinds of actions strongly influencing to one another:

1) Actions that improve employment and diversify sources of income and lines of business.

2) Actions that improve the quality of life in general: strengthens pleasance, vitality and co-    operation in the countryside.

Association has defined several “entity of actions”

1. business
2. tourism
3. bio energy
4. surroundings of countryside and activity in villages

CONTACT
Nouseva Rannikkoseutu ry
Mrs. Soila Haapsaari
Ruukinkuja 2
92400 RUUKKI

Tel: +358 40 5629 164

E-mail: norsu@nousevarannikkoseutu.fi
soila.haapsaari@nousevarannikkoseutu.fi