Supported projects

Broumov - The City of Broumov implemented the project, “Our Garden 2007.”

Project: Naše zahrada 2007
Organization: Město Broumov

Broumov’s town government has taken the lead in erecting new traditions and building the foundations of an active community life. In 2006, it submitted an application to Via’s “Helping People to Improve their Communities” fund. The goal was not only to renovate a large neglected park, but also to reintroduce the concept that residents can work together to improve their community. The application was successful and the project launched.

The local daily newspaper printed an article reporting the town hall’s intention to revitalize the park along with an invitation to a public event entitled “Wandering through the Garden with the Three Kings,” at which members of the public could suggest potential uses for the site. The individuals who initiated the project were skeptical at first, for public participation in community affairs lacks history in Broumov. The skepticism was dispelled when the project met with enthusiastic interest and more and more new faces appeared at successive events.

Today, those involved with the project proudly claim that there isn’t a single person in Broumov who doesn’t know the “Our Garden” project. As public participation grew in the revitalization of the park, so did the scope of the project, and consequently, so did the cost. The Broumov community then initiated a local fundraising campaign to cover the new costs. This was no ordinary achievement: not only was the campaign successful in raising several million Crowns in a short time, the park was completed by its original grand opening date in November 2007. On the day of the dedication ceremony, television cameras captured the event through the flurries of an early snow. While a student band played and local residents gave speeches, the citizens of Broumov looked on with pride. They had, after all, accomplished no small feat: the rebirth of their community.

Project was support by "Helping People to Improve Their Communities Program".

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