On 20-21 September 2022, representatives of the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres network met for their annual meeting of a European Platform of Youth Centres that aims at sharing knowledge and experiences in strategic management of youth centres recognised with the Quality Label and those aspiring to its acquisition.

The meeting is organised in the beautiful setting of Marttinen Youth Centre in Finland which was awarded the Quality Label in 2019. This year’s Platfrom is a special occasion for participants present from labelled youth centres and candidate centres from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Finland to reconnect after two years of online/hybrid events, to exchange experiences and to identify potential areas for future collaboration. It is also an occasion for the participants to learn more about the mission and operations of Marttinen Youth Centre.

This year’s Platform is addressing the strategic role of non-formal education as well how to sustain innovative practices developed in recent years as a response to the challenges caused by pandemic. The Platform is also holding an exchange with Olena Chernykh, project coordinator of the Council of Europe “Youth for Democracy” project in Ukraine to explore support and cooperation possibilities between the Quality Label network and the youth centres in Ukraine.

 Marttinen Youth Centre is part of a network of 14 youth centres across Europe that are currently holding the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres. Marttinen Youth Centre was the second Finnish youth centre who was awarded the label after Villa Elba Youth Centre in Kokkola. The main mission of Marttinen Youth Centre is to support the growth and development of young people by enriching them with useful experiences through pedagogic skills and functional procedures.