The project will contribute promotion of active civil society in Ventspils city and Ventspils district.
The Project will support NGO activity in Ventspils city and Ventspils region organizing common public events, promote new NGO activities, attract new members and volunteers and disseminate information about the possibilities to engage in NGO activities. Representatives of the Organization will regularly participate in decision making processes at the municipality level and provide expert consultations on the NGO sector to the municipality.
In cooperation with the Association for the National Culture Societies of Ventspils the Project promoter will monitor several Russian speaking NGOs, train and consult their members in order foster integration process in the region.
Target group: inhabitants of Ventspils city and the region, young people and national minorities.

Project results: The aim of the Project was to promote the development of the public sector and activation in Ventspils city and Ventspils district.
During the project local NGOs and municipalities have been regularly and systematically provided with consultative, educational, methodical support in the field of civil society development, and with basic infrastructure for NGO activity. This motivated the local organized society (NGO representatives) for collaboration and representation of NGOs in processes of planning Ventspils regional development and decision making. Results of the programme:
• Provided support for Ventspils city and region NGOs (office informative, technical events, consultations, training), strengthened the unity of organizations by organizing common events (3 Christmas events, a 3-year participation in city festival march, 2 seminars, 3 experience exchange trips, public quiz, 15 informative days).
• 5 new organizations joined to Ventspils regional NGO SC; the centre has provided support for development of new organizations, obtaining status of public benefit and preparation of project applications for the organizations.
• An informative campaign about NGO opportunities has been organized (creation of project website and regular information posting in the official websites of the city and the region with a reference to the project website; photo exhibition „NGO stories” in four public places of the city where also the project booklets about the NGO SC partner organizations were available; informative events).
• NGO representatives with voting rights have regularly actively operated in Ventspils City council commissions and committees. City and regional council meetings have been regularly attended.
• The informative services about NGOs for the municipalities have been successful. They were used in particular by Ventspils Social service, in cooperation with other NGO service providers.
• Provided help in arrangement of documentation for 5 member organization of the VeNKB association. It was intended to monitor these Russian-speaking organizations, but they declined it. Monitoring was done in those NGOs of Ventspils region that were willing to have it.
• The involvement of public and individuals in political process on the level of municipality and state was promoted. The number of interested people who took part in city’s strategic planning meeting was especially high. The activity was lower in public discussions of regional planning.
• In order to promote civic involvement of youth, it was planned to raise additional funds for holding youth trainings and informing at least 12 schools, and organize a final contest about the NGO work among the school teams. Funding was attracted only partially, but an alternative idea was developed – training about NGO opportunities for young people who are truly interested and planning to engage in NGO activities.
• The youth activity was promoted by organizing 2 training courses about Erasmus+ project application preparation. Within the training youngsters were provided with information about NGO opportunities and visits to successful youth NGOs of Ventspils and Liepaja. In cooperation with Ventspils Youth house a public quiz about Latvia, Ventspils and NGO current events was organized.
• During the project 9 project applications for fund raising were prepared in NGO support centre. 6 of them were approved.
• Cooperation with partners in Bulgaria in preparation of new project applications.
By implementing the project in year 2013-2015 member organizations are activated and ensured uniform circulation of information about current NGOs events in the city and Ventspils region.
Cooperation between NGOs has been promoted by enhancing their satisfaction on the progress made.
Member organizations now have the opportunity to use the equipment purchased during the project in its activities and projects.
Acquired experience in various Latvian regions has made it possible to compare and adopt best practices, get new ideas for future action.
Activities of the organization long-term general objectives were fully achieved.