Working Together to Tackle Social Exclusion in Helsingborg
With support from Kavli Trust, Erikshjälpen will work to counter social exclusion among children, young people and parents at risk.
NOK 2.5 million has been allocated to the project, which is based on creating and supporting local social initiatives.
A significant part of the work will take place in the Adolfsberg area of Helsingborg, where social exclusion presents major challenges.
Building from the second-hand shop
In the new project, Erikshjälpen, in collaboration with local residents, partners, authorities and other organisations, will contribute to several initiatives aimed at reducing social exclusion.
Together with the organisations Hela Människan RIA (a Swedish non-profit supporting people with social and personal challenges) and Änglaverket (a local community initiative in Helsingborg), Erikshjälpen runs a second-hand clothing shop in Adolfsberg.
Using the shop as a starting point, activities will be developed with active participation from the participants themselves, with the aim of strengthening community cohesion and creating new opportunities and hope for the future.
Management and staff
Erikshjälpen
Long-term change
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to develop the unique platform provided by our shops to even greater effect in countering social exclusion. We are already engaged in productive discussions with municipal leadership, social services and existing stakeholders. We are confident that, together with the residents of Adolfsberg, we can create long-term, lasting change,” says Birgitta Johansson, Head of Programmes for Erikshjälpen’s work in Sweden.
“Kavli Trust is delighted to enter into this partnership with Erikshjälpen on an exciting project with important goals. Preventing social exclusion is a consistent focus in Kavli Trust’s funding, as it is closely linked to values such as inclusion and positive diversity, which we aim to promote. It is also important for mental health, another key area of focus for Kavli Trust,” says Inger Elise Iversen, CEO of Kavli Trust.
The work will be led by Erikshjälpen’s Sweden office but will be carried out in close collaboration with Erikshjälpen Second Hand in Helsingborg.
The hope is that the shop will increasingly become a place where people can form connections, build social networks, develop personally, and practise skills that will be valuable for future employment.
MEETING PLACE: Volunteers and employees at Erikshjälpen’s shop in Helsingborg. The shops provide an exciting meeting place for people from diverse backgrounds and life situations. Photo: Erikshjälpen
Supporting local initiatives
“Erikshjälpen believes in the power of the local community and that many societal challenges could be solved locally if we start talking and work together to develop solutions to shared problems,” says Birgitta Johansson.
As part of the project, a forum called “Shark Tank” will be established, allowing target groups to influence and address problems in their area. Local initiatives to reduce social exclusion will be encouraged and supported.
Welcomed by the municipality
“The city of Helsingborg welcomes Erikshjälpen’s initiative to make a difference, especially for children and young people in the Adolfsberg district,” says Lars Thunberg, municipal councillor and head of the city’s quality of life planning.
“We will follow the project with interest and see multiple opportunities for synergies with our ongoing work. The efforts and creative engagement of civil society and non-profit organisations are an invaluable resource and a highly welcome complement to public sector initiatives.”