An autumn fest started on the 3rd of October 2015 in the conference hall of the local public organization “Public-cultural Centre” in Petrozavodsk in the program “Territorial Resource Centres on work with elderly people”.

All who wanted to spend interesting time and had some fun were invited to take part in this event, to take place in competitions, to share the poems, songs and other kinds of art with other people.

A welcoming speech was made by the activists and the head of PCC, the representatives of the environment protection department and environmental education activity of the urban district, Administration of Petrozavodsk and NP “Karelian Resource Centre of NGOs”.

The participants of the event were congratulated by dance team “Spring patterns” and vocal team “Soulful tune”, who made the performances. All participants feasted theirs eyes on the dance performances (Norwegian dance and polka) and autumnal songs.

 The gala award ceremony was held in nominations: “The best autumn costume”, “The most beautiful autumn bouquet”, “The most delicious pickle”. The participants of the event got memorable prizes and certificates

In conclusion opened microphone was accessible and all interested people could sing and read poems about autumn.

The regional charity fund “Samara province” supported the program.

A class in a clown-therapy within the project “The Academy of practical art therapy “MIRACLE” took place in Petrozavodsk on September 9, 2015.

The employees of fund “Petrozavodsk” organized clown’s performance in endocrinological office of Children's republican hospital.

An actress of The National Theatre of Karelia, who’s name is Olga Portretova, held the fascinating event for little patients. Children have taken part in cheerful games, tried to make figures of balloons.

The purpose of clown therapy is to make children happy and healthy. Clowns help to patient to forget about medical problems, intensifying recovery processes. Hospital clowns help the children’s rehabilitation not with the medicine, but by the creation of positive emotions. The child, who is loaded with energy, radiates cheerfulness, shows interest in the world around, in game, and that way the child is less inclined to the experience of pain.

The doctor-clown becomes for the child the guide from the endured sufferings to the healthy and balanced psychological state, supports and increases motivation of the child on treatment and the fight against a disease.

We hope that our clown helped children to distract from diseases and adjusted them on the harmony.

The project is realized with assistance of The Ministry of health and social development of the Republic of Karelia.

Bicycle Olympiad started for Karelian cyclists In summer 2015 — the competition, demanding from participants skills of driving bicycle and knowledge of culture and history of  Karelian cities, in which the Olympiad was held.

The calendar of cycle adventures was saturated: May, 30 — Kondopoga, June, 13 — Medvezhyegorsk, June, 14 — Segezha, June, 28 — Sortavala, July, 12 — Pryazha, August, 2 — Kostomuksha, August, 8 — Belomorsk, August, 9 — Kem’, August, 16 — Olonets, August, 23 — Suoyarvi, September, 20 — Petrozavodsk.

We decided to question firsthand from winners, participants, and organizers, how the Olympiad was held!!

Dmitry Brovin, team “Chains Don't Creak!” Medvezhyegorsk: “Tasks of “The Bicycle Olympiad” were different: from very simple to very difficult, demanding not only strong feet, but first of all the head. The most interesting task at sports school of Medvezhyegorsk was a search of sign. How cute it was ciphered: “there, on unknown paths, bow to Chichikov, you will see a white sail, it isn't necessary for you to go so far , look for a beam in the dark Kingdom”, etc. We understood that the streets are named after famous writers are ciphered here and ran to look for it, great!

Andrey Norikov, team “A Day to Remember”, Segezha: The Bicycle Olympiad's participant is a person who is rushing at full speed through the city and only he knows, where he is rushing! My mood was lightened up by interesting competitions before the start. For example, “Chelovel”! One of control points was remembered: It was on a beach, relay race. Usually the baton is transferred on the run, and here on bikes!”

Mikhail Kargapolov, team “Veselopedista”, Sortavala: “I would like to thank the organizers, the volunteers and the participants for this holiday! We liked the tasks very much. While we were performing the tasks to addresses, we forgot about riddles, that’s why it was necessary to pass a route once again. While we were looking for mailboxes on South Lane, local old women asked us: “Children are you new postmen?” Emotions ran high!”

 Ekaterina Shepetovskaya, team “Arctic Monkeys”, Kostomuksha: “The cycle-quest has remained in the memory. Tasks were fascinating! Carrying out them, we traveled over the city and saw it on the other way! It is necessary to note that pouring rain didn't hinder us and we have finished! I received a lot of positive emotions on a holiday of cyclists; I couldn’t find words to express my emotions!”

Yulya Mukhina, “Olonets’ Ladies” team, Olonets: “I’ve taken part in the cycle parade for the first time. We passed on the main city’s streets! And then the cycle-quest started! Intriguingly! What do lie ahead really? The most fascinating tasks and a lot of positive!”

Alexander Bazhenov, “Bad grease monkeys” team, Suoyarvi: “I liked The Bicycle Olympiad very much. Me and my team didn't expect to win. When we had reached to the finish, we breathed with relief. We overcame about 20 kilometers during the race. It is daily norm for us, the only thing is, that we didn’t constantly ride with such a high speed as today. It was an amazing day, because you couldn’t see so many people in Suoyarvi on other days.

Denis Skavinsky, “The Night Furies” team, Petrozavodsk: the team “Night furies” became the participant of the Bicycle Olympiad in 10 different cities: “I’ve learned from the Internet about the Bicycle Olympiad, I was invited for the meeting in social web “Vkontakte” and I lit up at the idea of participation. I think that Kondopoga has remained firmly in our memory.

There is very beautiful city. We didn't know what it is The Olympiad, and it was cheerful and interesting to us. Kondopoga was the first try and I think it remains in my memory like the best game of the Bicycle Olympiad”.

Darina Dominikan, the organizer in Medvezhyegorsk: “The Bicycle Olympiad is one of the most remarkable events of last summer! It helped me to see the history of the city on the other way and I had fallen in love with this city again”.

The Bicycle Olympiad’s organizers are: Bicycle movement “VELOVE”, “Running City” project, Youth organization “Veloekstrim” and Petrozavodsk State University. The Bicycle Olympiad took place with support of the Ministry youth affairs, physical culture and sport of the Republic of Karelia.

The seminar «Effective practices for promoting high quality living standards for elderly people» was held on August 27, 2015 within the framework of the program «Territorial Resource Centers for Elderly People».

Representatives of non-profit organizations of the Republic of Karelia as well as representatives of the City Polyclinic №1, the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia and the Center for social services ‘Istoki’ participated in the event.

During the seminar speakers presented various effective practices that promote high quality living standards for elderly people in different spheres: accessible environment, creative activity, geronto volunteering, healthy lifestyle etc.

The puppet therapy workshop took place on August 12, 2015 within the project “Academy of practical art therapy “MIRACLE”. The representatives of fund “Petrozavodsk” organized fascinating action for children who stay on treatment in neurologic office of The Children’s Republican Hospital.

Natalia Vasilyeva, the actress of Puppet Theater of the Republic of Karelia, carried out with children different exercises on development of a small motility, after all to operate puppets there are necessary to have very good coordination and developed motility. Children got acquainted with mysterious puppets of theater, and also they took part in cheerful competitions. Moreover, children took part in a performance of the fairytale “Turnip” with help of the offered requisite.

Positive influence of a puppet therapy is widely known in many countries. The puppet therapy is a correction of children’s problems. By using this special methodic there is a liquidation of painful children’s experiences, mental health becomes stronger, social adaptation improves, plasticity and the small motility ability to creative thinking develop, the concentration of attention improves.

The project is realized with assistance of the Ministry of health and social development of the Republic of Karelia.

The action of the project “Academy of practical art therapy “MIRACLE” took place on July 29 in Children’s republican hospital took place. The representatives of fund Petrozavodsk organized paint-therapy class in allergo-pulmonary office of hospital.

Children were offered to try as designer. They had an opportunity to choose the favorite toy from wooden cats, hippopotamuses, elephants and other animals to paint it. Little patients learned, what acrylic paints is and how to work with it. Also children got the information how to use thin brushes. Toys turned out fantastic because they were painted not only with a variety of acrylic paints, but also with color volume contours and multi-colored spangles.

Children were keen on making the masterpieces, and we believe that they forgot about all diseases for a while. After all the art therapy is widely known to promote process of treatment and rehabilitation, introduction of positive emotions into children’s life, who have serious diseases.

 The project is realized with assistance of the Ministry of health and social development of the Republic of Karelia.

Seminar devoted to the relevant NGOs activity: attracting of volunteers and fund raising was held on July 10, 2015 and was organized by Karelian Resource Center of NGOs in cooperation with the association «Lawyers for Civil Society» as a part of the program «Territorial Resource Centers for Elderly People».

The Representatives of more than 10 Karelian NGOs participated in the event as well as the representatives of the City Polyclinic №1 and the Petrozavodsk City Administration.

The seminar participants were provided with information on legislation stating the notions of volunteers activity and legal acts stating the activity of NGO in sphere of attracting of volunteers.

Besides, they took part in the training «Effective Work with Volunteers: attracting, motivating, supervision» and formulated the main ways of working with volunteers and, afterwards, the moderator commented the results of the short “brainstorming” of participants.

The second part of the seminar was devoted to NGOs activity that makes profit. Vladimir Kharchenko, the lawyer of Association «Lawyers for Civil Society» from Moscow was invited to present this theme.

The second international youth forum “In the City” opened on July 6, 2015.  The forum will be held on June 6-10 in the tourist center “Urozero”. 10 topical platforms will function at the forum. As a result, project ideas which could be implemented in the city with a small amount of resources will be formulated. The self-development workshops will allow to extrinsically look at your way of developing, to analyze your emotional intellect and to elaborate a personal development strategy.

Ksenia Chumak, a leading specialist of The Karelian Resource Center of NGOs, has delivered a lecture “City without Barriers, People without Limitations”. Ksenia has presented the accessible environment projects which are implemented during the last 3 years by the KRC, namely: “Learning Lab for Accessibility in Built Environment” as a part of ENPI CBC “Karelia” program, “Barrier free Environment” and “Accessible environment at tourist facilities: example of an open-air museum “Kizhi” financed by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Republic of Karelia. Ksenia told about the results of the projects and the prospects of further work in this sphere.

Besides, Anastasiya Davydova, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives representative, and Inessa Arutyunyan, the chief of a rehabilitation center for disabled children and adults from Armenia, have delivered their lectures.

The training took place on  June 7, 2015 as a part of the program «Territorial Resource Centers for Elderly People». Aleksandr Berdino, an experienced management trainer, was invited to moderate the training. The goal of this event was to teach NGOs specialists and activists the way how to make the « problem tree» and the «purpose tree» of projects devoted to the problem of raising the level of elderly people’s living conditions.

The seminar «Second Wind: new prospects for NGO» and training «From project idea to project proposal» took place on  July 3, 2015 supported by Karelian Resource Center of NCOs and the association «Lawyers for Civil Society» as a part of the program  «Territorial Resource Centers for Elderly People». About 20 representatives of socially oriented NGOs participated in the event as well as the representatives of the College of Culture and Arts and the Petrozavodsk City Administration.

The participants learned out about the latest trends and changes in the laws that regulate NGOs activity, about the legal procedures for registration of changes. Also speakers presented information on how to pass through the state revision of NGO as well as information about the main sources of NGOs’ projects financing and NGOs’ strategic planning.

Aleksandr Berdino, an experienced management trainer, was invited to moderate the training. During this training participants got information on the main notions of project management, the projects lifecycle, implementation stages etc.