General information
Debica is an old industrial town in South East Poland lying on the main cross-European highway that connects Germany and the Ukraine. With a population of approximately 50,000 Debica, located within a wider country-‘Powiat’- of 130,000 people, still remains is previous industrial character. Building and manufacturing accounts for 48% of the local employment, a far higher proportion than in most parts of the European Union, with the private services sector then is common elsewhere in Europe. While its economic structure remains heavily reliant on manufacturing, the unemployment level is 9% and is lower than in the wider region. The municipality has responsibilities in education, social care, planning and economic development, housing culture and sport, as well as legal and financial affairs. The third sector plays a considerable role: about 100 dynamically operating clubs, associations etc, dealing also with such problems as health care, social and mutual aid, support for those in danger of those of being excluded, education, culture people with disabilities.
Local challenges
1. Free time 2. Legal and psychological assistance 3. Overcoming exclusion of some social groups 4. Providing secondary labor market opportunities for the persons in disadvantageous 5. Activating and educating youth 6. Generation gap
Coordination group (Local Support Group)
The Local Support Group set up in Dębica is the essential piece of the Urbact Together project. It integrates the diverse actors of the territory or representatives into the same structure of dialogue and coordinates the whole process.
The Coordination group are composed of members of:
1. Welfare organizations 2. Educational establishments including higher educational establishments 3. Youth centers 4. Care centers including those for the elderly and the disabled 5. Non-Governmental organizations/associations including those working in the cultural sector 6. Volunteers
Social cohesion action plan (pilot actions)
Social integration club
Target group: people excluded from society for example long term unemployed reintegrate into training to the labor market . The task: to provide them vocational training and short term employments to reintegrate them into the labor market. Here, a range of partners under the leadership of the municipality set up a new legal body the Centre of Social Integration to undertake the activity
Generation Gap
This is an intergenerational initiative. It is a small scale project were young people and senior citizens meet on a weekly basis and exchange skills (e.g. knitting). Furthermore, exchanges take place in the form of voluntary lessons between youth and elderly people in educational establishments.
Social care
The main day center for elderly people is based in a modern building near the city center. In terms of co-responsibility, some of the activities are suggested and organized by the users themselves, for instance barbecues, when the users get sponsorship from local bakers and butchers. The needs of those with a mental disability or psychiatric disorders are met in a day center. Here a range of activities are undertaken, tailored to meet the specific needs of different users. Some users are trained in the small to kitchen to prepare food and several are given the responsibility to run the cafeterias budget. The users are responsible for the organization of the production of various goods and the sale of them.
Activating the youth in the voluntary job: The youth supports the kids from children’s home or foster families.
Sources:
- URBACT Territories of Coresponsibility Together Final Report (October 2012) -URBACT Territories of Coresponsibility Lead Expert’s Report on Meetings TOGETHER’s Project Partners Cities (December 2010-September 2012)