Study visit to Sweden
On 11 – 15 September, Ewa Sadowska of Barka UK took part in the study visit to successful social enterprises and vocational integration schemes in Stockholm, Sweden. The visit was organised within a programme, commissioned by the Polish Government, to set up local standards for overcoming social exclusion. The study visit consisted of 12 representatives of a public-private partnership of the town of Lwowek (Western Poland) including the mayor’s office, local authority members, civil society organisations as well as business community representatives. The group visited a number of community projects in and around Stockholm such as BASTA! (enterprises run by recovering drug addicts), Spanga (innovative integration centres for immigrants), VERDANDI social cooperatives or Doctors of the World’s clinic, to name a few. The report from the visit and the findings of the study trip will be included in the recommendations addressed to the central government of Poland.