The international consortium led by Gyöngyös City Deveépment non-profit Ltd. won a total of EUR 210 480 in the framework of the project. The consortium includes the Municipality of Gyöngyös, the Municipality of Lucenec (Slovakia), the Municipality of Lodygowice (Poland) and the Municipality of Targu Secuiesc, with the Municipality of Lendava (Slovenia) and the Municipality of Sanok (Poland) as its follower cities. The aim of the project is to present EU values, to get to know each other, to build new economic and social relations and to submit further joint applications. During the implementation 8 local and 4 on-line events will be organised. The competition focuses mainly on NGOs in cities, with the aim of creating new collaborations and joint projects based on European values.
Projectnumber: 101138259
What is
Citizens4Towns?
Consortium members:
GYÖNGYÖS,
HUNGARY
With a population of approximately 27.000 inhabitants, Gyöngyös is the second biggest town in Heves County and the centre of the District of Gyöngyös. The first written record of the name of the town dates back to the 13th century but according to the latest historical research, the area was already inhabited at the time of the Hungarian Conquest, in the 9th and 10th centuries. The history of Gyöngyös is tightly interwoven with viticulture and wine-production that provide a living for a lot of people in and around the town to date. Gyöngyös is the centre of the Mátra Wine Region, which is the second largest wine region in Hungary and of the Hungarian mountain wine regions, it has the largest territory. The town, which is situated on the boundary between the Great Hungarian Plain and the North Hungarian Mountains, is also referred to as the Gate of the Mátras, and efforts have been made in recent years to render the settlement the capital of the Mátras. Kékestető, the hight peak in Hungary, and Sástó, the highest lake in the country, are located within the administrative division of Gyöngyös. With their excellent characteristics, fresh air and high-quality accommodations, the Mátras are among the most popular tourist destinations in Hungary.
TÂRGU SECUIESC,
ROMANIA
The name ‘Kézdivásárhely’ was first mentioned in 1407 and King Sigismund of Luxembourg declared it a market town in 1427. The town had an extensive network of guilds in the Middle Ages. A unique characteristic of Kézdivásárhely is its main square, originally the market square, surrounded by buildings whose gates are all the ends of streets. These are called “court squares”. Today there are 70 “court squares” in the town. Kézdivásárhely has been called the town of guilds, cobblers, “court squares” and Paris of Háromszék.
The majority of the buildings in the main square of Kézdivásárhely was erected in the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Incze László Museum of the History of Guilds is housed by the former town hall, built in 1857. The exhibitions of the museum comprise artefacts of the local handicraft industry, traditional costumes on puppets as well as relics of the 1848/49 war of independence.
ŁODYGOWICE,
POLAND
Lodygowice is in Southern Poland and has more than 14 thousand inhabitans. The settlement, situated in a picturesque natural environment, has a direct connection to Zywieck Lake. Due to the well-developed mountain road network, the town is easily accessible for tourists. There are several architectural monuments in Lodygowice, namely the neogothic Castle and parks or the Roman Catholic wooden church built between 1631 and 1634. The town is famous for its folk-dance group called Magurzanie and choir bearing the same name. The folk-dance group has performed 550 times and the choir has performed 720 times since they were started.
LUČENEC,
SLOVAKIA
Lučenec is the cultural and economic centre of Nógrád County and the centre of the Southern parts of Mid-Slovakia. Its first written record is from 1247 where the town was described as an important junction of trade routes and the cultural centre of the historical Nógrád region. Due to the development in the 19th century, T. G. Masaryk Street is lined with beautiful secessionist buildings. Numerous banks, mercantile buildings and the Nógrád Library are also based here. The heart of the historical centre of the town is Kubínyi Square, which was built in the location of the old market, probably in the Middle Ages. The building of the historical ‘Vigadó’, two churches, the Nógrád Museum and Gallery are also here, and the old Town Hall is nearby. One of the most frequented and fascinating buildings of our town is the renovated Synagogue. If you wish to sit and relax in a beautifully arranged natural environment, you must visit one of the most marvellous parks in Slovakia, built in French and English landscaping styles. You are cordially invited to Lucenec!
NEWS
The opening event of the Citizens for Towns project (#CFT) was held in Losonc, Slovakia, on 27-28 July 2024. Delegations from all four cities attended the meeting. Hungary was represented by Gyöngyös, Romania by Targu Secuiesc and Poland by Lodygowice, alongside the host town of Lucenec. The event - Artistic Days - Competition of Creativity took place in the framework of the International Novohrad Folklore Festival 2024. During the festival, there were a number of performances, craft fairs, family activities and gastronomic events. ADuring the opening conference on the first day, the partners discussed the details of the project, followed by a joint press briefing. The mayors of the participating cities discussed the results they expect from the project. The workshops included presentations by NGOs, craftspeople and a craft fair.
1. Project opening event in Lucenec
Events implemented
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
2. NGO training in Gyöngyös
Leaders of civil society organisations from four cities met in Gyöngyös in the framework of the Citizens for Towns project, 09-11 August 2024. At the Hungarian meeting, delegations from Gyöngyös, Targu Secuiesc (Transylvania, Romania), Lodygowice (Poland) and Lucenec (Slovakia) took part in a full-day training session, in addition to cultural and gastronomic programmes. The programme started with a city quiz on Friday, during which foreign visitors had to answer questions about the city in a playful way, and ended with dinner and wine tasting. On Saturday, the programme continued with a full day of training. With the help of trainers Katalin Fekete and Katalin Sabján, the present members of national and foreign NGOs took part in a one-day training in a playful way. The aim of the programme was to enable the members of the delegations to get to know each other better and to brainstorm and create a development strategy together. During the morning, the towns were organised into teams, and in the afternoon, with the help of the trainers, the training continued in mixed teams, with the organisers occasionally adding team games. In the programme, the trainers focused primarily on what can be achieved by the civil society organisations of a city without any special financial investment, simply by joining forces. During the programme, it soon became clear that the protection of the environment and the improvement and beautification of their immediate surroundings was a priority for the civic community. By the end of the day, they had created a joint project repository of ideas for improvement that they had developed together. The programme ended with a gala performance by the Tomory Gábor Folk Dance School, where members of the delegations themselves joined the dance on stage at the end of the evening.
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
Sajtómegjelenések
https://www.we4eu2022.hu/post/gy%C3%B6ngy%C3%B6sre-l%C3%A1togattak-a-civilszervezetek
https://www.facebook.com/krisztina.toth.7737
https://www.gyvt.hu/citizens-for-towns
Citizens For Towns - Gyöngyösi civil találkozó
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122132431664383038&set=a.122132429876383038
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122132432546383038&set=a.122132429876383038
3. City Days in Lucenec
The Citizens for Towns project (project number: 101138259) continued in Losonc, with the third event taking place in the framework of the Losonc Town Days Festival (Slovakia). This time, the visiting delegations were able to learn about the cultural traditions and tourist good practices of Losonc. The project included a visit to local tourist attractions renovated with the help of EU funding, such as a veteran car meeting, a visit to the renovated building of the old municipality, now a museum, and a visit to the new interactive exhibition of the town's history. As part of the workshop, they also visited the village of Gács, where, in addition to the famous castle, they had the opportunity to see the interactive exhibition in the new Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar Memorial House. The famous painter spent part of his life in the village, and during the guided tour the participants were also informed about some of the most interesting facts and secrets of his life. The consortium partners also took part in the City Days programme, where the Polish partner Lodygowice's folk dance group Magurzanie was also presented on stage. The meeting ended with the presentation of the Novohrad local product trademark.
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
Sajtómegjelenések
INTERNET:
https://www.lucenec.sk/mid/359910/2024-16-2024.html#m_359910
Közösségi média:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/EQMmbmBqfTR2ZHdP/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/cAiYgXkGrXPhosLr/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/zb3MVQbCjqd1LNJT/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qJiUjGxdBDCePrFJ/
WEBOLDAL:
https://www.lucenec.sk/kalendar-podujati/ca/197473/ma0/2024-08-23/.html
https://www.lucenec.sk/citizens4towns.html
https://www.folklorfest.sk/17204-xi-lucenecke-hodovanie-2024-lucenec/
https://www.ajdnes.sk/lucenske-hodovanie-2024/lucenec/139155
Újság:
Mestské noviny, 20/16, 30.08.2024
4. Lodygowice Harvest Festival
On September 7-9, 2024, the penultimate stationary event in 2024 took place in Łodygowice, hosted by the Łodygowice Commune. Three foreign delegations came to Łodygowice: from Hungary (Gyöngyös), Slovakia(Lucenec) and Romania(Targu Secuiesc), a total of over 75 people represented by representatives of social organizations operating in their area. The topic of the meeting was called: "Through culture to friendship." The organizations participating in the project included entities dealing with: culture, sports, education, health prevention, and grassroots social initiatives, which had the opportunity to present their activities during the opening conference of the "Citizens for Towns" project on September 7 2024. The conference participants included representatives of organizations from Łodygowice commune who actively participated in the partnership project, taking part both in trips abroad this year as well as in planned events in Łodygowice commune. During the Conference, the participants symbolically created a work in the form of a common tree, which was a reference to the trees planted as part of the partnership in the city of Gyöngyös. The first day of the project ended with a joint sports event in which all delegations took part. Integration through sport was an opportunity to build cooperation, despite the language barrier.
The second day of the guests' visit was an opportunity for them to participate in the Municipal Harvest Festival organized this year in Pietrzykowice, which gathered many residents and observers. The project participants took part in the Parade and then in the official harvest festival ceremonies. They had the opportunity to meet residents and organizations from the Łodygowice area again, this time acting as hosts who proudly presented their local heritage during the Municipal Harvest Festival. Then the delegations went together to visit the Żywiec Brewery Museum, exploring the traditions of brewing, and to know good practice to use these traditions in the tourism. The event in Łodygowice was an opportunity to get to know each other about Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian and Slovenian cultures, and for non-governmental organizations it was an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation. The aim of the project is to create opportunities to deepen cooperation. Project participants took advantage of this opportunity during project events in Łodygowice.
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
Videos
Sajtómegjelenések
Újság:
https://beskidzka24.pl/wiadomosci-z-gminy-lodygowice-wideo-zdjecia/
https://beskidzka24.pl/wiadomosci-z-gminy-lodygowice-zdjecia/
Közösségi média:
https://www.facebook.com/gminalodygowice?locale=pl_PL
Rádió:
https://www.radiobielsko.pl/wiadomosci/przyjechalo-ponad-70-osob/60506
5. The civil organisations visited Târgu Mureș
As part of the "Citizens for towns" programme, a three-day meeting was held in October 2024 in Târgu Mureș (Kézdivásárhely), attended by representatives of Hungarian civils organisations from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia and Hungary. The aim of the event was to promote international cooperation, strengthen relations between civils and deepen the partnership between cities. The programme of the event included a conference, a professional civil organisation forum, a visit to local small producers and a folklore lecture.
Detailed programme: an opening conference on Saturday 5 October, where the lead partner will present the project, followed by a presentation by delegations from the participating municipalities. Presentations were given by NGOs from the host municipality, followed by a round table discussion on networking opportunities. This was followed by a city tour. On Sunday, the participants visited the local civil organisation founded by Stephanie Szentkereszty in 1872, where they learned about the workings of the institution. This was followed by a visit to the gingerbread-making workshop of József Szántó to learn about traditional cake-making, a feature of the town and part of its cultural heritage. In the evening, the delegations were treated to a gala evening of folk dance and music performed by the Gábor Áron Folk Dance Ensemble, with performances by the delegations. On Monday, the final discussion of the event was held, in preparation for the next meeting.The event created valuable links between civil organisations, laying the foundations for future cooperation and sharing best practices that can support long-term partnerships and development initiatives between cities.
The meeting provided an opportunity to foster links between cities and local civil organisations and to discuss possible areas of cooperation. The cultural activities, the shared meals and organised visits all strengthened trust and partnership between participants. The programme was successful and contributed to strengthening the links between the participating cities, with a particular emphasis on the involvement of local civil society.
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
Sajtómegjelenések
https://www.kezdi.ro/hirek/osszefoglalo-a-citizens-for-towns-eu-s-palyazat-programrol/
https://www.kezdi.ro/ro/cultura/rezumatul-programului-citizens-for-towns/
Közösségi média, videó összefoglaló vagy dokumentumfilm a Green Sun Egyesület által:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQ1Z8M67So
6. First online Citizens 4 Towns meeting in Gyöngyös
On 5 February, the first Citizens 4 Towns event of the year took place, which was also the first online meeting in the history of the project. The aim of the event was to introduce Gyöngyös-based civil organisations and to network with representatives from the twin towns of Târgu Mureş, Łodygowice and Losonc. The online partners were thus given the opportunity to gain an insight into the diversity of civil life in Gyöngyös and the work of its active communities.
The programme was opened by Tamás Kobzi, the new head of the Gyöngyös Urban Area Development Nonprofit Ltd. and as the new lead representative of the consortium, who stressed the importance of the Citizens 4 Towns initiative and the fact that this event is an excellent opportunity for civil organisations to present themselves and to think together. In the first block of the event, four civil organisations were presented, each active in a different field but all playing an important role in the life of the local community.
• „Vachott Kör Irodalombarát és Alkotói Egyesület” – (Vachott Circle Literary and Creative Association)
Founded in 2022, the organisation is still young but already boasts a large number of literary and creative members. Their aim is to boost the local literary and artistic life and organise community-building programmes.
• BlackJam! Dance Association
The leader of the dance club spoke about the difficulties they have faced during the pandemic and their plans for the future, in particular their desire to start new groups for different age groups. He stressed that dance education is not only about movement, but also about community building and personal development.
• Anti-Cancer League of Gyöngyös
In a sensitive yet inspiring presentation, the president of the organisation stressed that cancer is not a taboo subject and that it is important for everyone to participate in regular screening. He confirmed that among the members of the League there are many people who have successfully overcome the disease and set an example to others through the power of hope and perseverance.
• Mátra Large Family Association
The association's leader gave an insight into the challenges and beauty of life for families with several children. He also used scientific and historical examples to illustrate the important role that strong extended family communities play in society and the benefits for children of growing up in a supportive family environment.
In the afternoon, three more organisations were presented, which are involved in the preservation of urban traditions, amateur art and environmental awareness.
• Friends of the City of Gyöngyös
This long-established association is the organiser of many local events, such as the 19th century market and the annual Opera Gala Evening. Their work was recognised by the city with the Pro Civitate award in 2016.
• CASINO TEAM Amateur Arts Association
The troupe operates in the Mátra Honvéd Casino, where they create vocal and stage productions that are performed not only in Gyöngyös but also in several places in the country. Their performances range from classical pieces to rock music, including Queen songs.
• Environmental Association for a Livable Mátra
Representatives of the organisation stressed the importance of sustainability and environmental protection. They talked about their achievements so far, such as the tree planting programmes and regular litter picking activities. They stressed that inland afforestation is a particular challenge, as without proper aftercare the long-term success of initiatives is not guaranteed. The organisation is open to cooperation with other civil organisations with similar objectives
Summary and lessons learned
The day clearly showed that the civic life of Gyöngyös is extremely rich and diverse. Organisations from different fields contribute to the development of the community, be it culture, arts, social issues or environmental protection.
One of the important achievements of the Citizens 4 Towns project is that it not only helps to build links abroad, but also strengthens cooperation between local organisations. During the event, several organisations expressed the need to get to know each other better and to meet regularly, and this event was an excellent starting point.
All in all, a successful and inspiring day was concluded, confirming that the commitment and cooperation of civil society is essential for the development of the city and its region. The programme will continue next time with a presentation of Losonc's civil organisations.
EVENT DESCRIPTION SHEET
Gallery
Contact
Gyöngyös City Development Non-profit Ltd.
3200 Gyöngyös Fő tér 10., Hungary
Mobile: +36302323704