FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

Images © Martin Gärdemalm, 2018 WHY? People coming from other EU countries are an important immigrant group in Sweden, but social and economic integration in the northern regions of the country comes with a specific set of challenges. This includes sparsely populated areas, poor infrastructure and difficult life conditions due to the harsh northernmost climate. This inspired the Make Sense project, which runs meeting centres dedicated to EU citizens in vulnerable social and economic conditions in the northern cities of Sundsvall, Örnsköldsvik and Umeå, with the aim to promote their social inclusion and empowerment . WHAT? Make Sense proposes activities, basic education and counselling for better health and social orientation in designated meeting places across the three cities in which the project operates. The project tailors its services to the individual’s needs and hence the help offered ranges from more immediate support, such as guiding clients to shelters for the night and ensuring that clients receive medical assistance, to assisting clients in setting up a bank account. HOW? The personnel of each centre includes a local manager and a number of field workers with cultural and linguistic skills to interact with the EU mobile citizens. Fieldworkers facilitate contact between the clients and health care providers, dentists, local authorities, banks and the Swedish public employment service. Because health care is one of the project’s cornerstones, the project has developed a range of health and wellbeing- oriented activities in particular. In the short term, the project offers end recipients the possibility to shower and wash clothes at the meeting places, which also makes it easier for participants to engage in other activities. Sweden – ‘Make Sense’: Social inclusion and empowerment of EU citizens living in vulnerable conditions Association of Local Authorities in Västernorrland County (ALAV) Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018 62