February Newsletter

19.2.2026

Another edition of Deeds of Hope is here! 🍀

This month, on Monday February 23rd, we will be talking about the importance of mental health. 🌿 Together with volunteers from Taksvärkki, we will host a workshop on the theme of mental well-being, which is also the theme of their 2026 campaign "Miten sä voit?"

We will start, as usual, by presenting the organisation and the project, have discussions about youth mental well-being 🗣️ and finish off with a practical workshop where we will make demonstration posters which will later be used for Taksvärkki events. 🎨

As is our tradition, a free vegan dinner made by our volunteers will be included! 🥗

Program of the evening:

🕠 18:00–19:00 – Introduction of Taksvärkki and discussion
🍲 19:00–19:45 – Dinner break – free vegan food!
🥁 19:45 onwards – Creating demonstration posters together

Practical Info
📆 Date: Monday, February 23rd
🕕 Time: 18:00-21:00

📍 Location: Allianssi-talo, Asemapäällikönkatu 1 00520 Helsinki. Allianssi-talo is wheelchair accessible and has accessible toilets.
💰 Cost: Free! But registration is required—sign up here.
🌍 Language: The event is in English, but no worries if you’re not fluent. Finnish-speaking volunteers will be around to help.
🗣️ Tapahtuma järjestetään englanniksi, mutta pärjäät tapahtumassa myös ilman kummempaa kielitaitoa.

📝 Registration form

🎟️ The event is free of charge, but registration is required for organizational purposes. Please register 1 day before the event at the latest. You can find more information about the event and the registration form at this link.

Deeds of Hope 🌼 is a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) solidarity project. It's created by youth, run by volunteers, and co-funded by the European Union.
It consists of a series of monthly events where we meet to share knowledge about activism and social engagement, explore the impact of Helsinki’s changemakers, and learn how to become part of movements for change.
We’ll get our hands dirty in practical workshops, where each month’s featured movement or organization shares hands-on skills and knowledge gained from their experience in activism.

We also offer free plant-based meals 🌱, cooked by our volunteers with primarily seasonal and locally produced ingredients.

Do you want to join our volunteer crew, too? 🤸‍♀️ Send us an email youth@alli.fi to get on board!

We don’t ask for any specific requirements — just the motivation to contribute to a meaningful project, even through small acts that make a difference.

On Tuesday we'll keep dancing together at Allianssi-talo one more time! 💜

Thank you everyone who attended the first Folk it Up! February session and moved with us to the rhythms of south Italy and Poland. For our next session we are, as usual, bringing you some new dances, this time from Karelia and Estonia, as well as coming back to some of our favourite ones.

Do you have a dance you'd like to see included? Let us know! The only rule: dances should be beginner-friendly and as accessible as possible. If yours fits the vibe, feel free to suggest it, before the event or during the session.

Never danced folk before? No worries at all. Our volunteers will happily teach the steps and get you moving on the dance floor. 💃

See you February 24th in Allianssi-talo 🕺

Practical Info
📆 Date: Tuesday, February 24th
🕕 Time: 18:00–21:00
📍 Location: Allianssi-talo, Asemapäällikönkatu 1 00520 Helsinki. Allianssi-talo is wheelchair accessible and has accessible toilets.
💰 Cost: Free! But registration is required - sign up here.
🌍 Language: The event is in English, but no worries if you’re not fluent—dance is universal! Plus, Finnish-speaking volunteers will be around to help.
🗣️ Tapahtuma järjestetään englanniksi, mutta pärjäät tapahtumassa myös ilman kummempaa kielitaitoa.

🌱 What is Folk it Up?

Folk it Up! is a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) Solidarity Project, co-funded by the European Union. It’s free of charge, targeted to youth but open to everyone and volunteer-led. The project runs from September 2025 to March 2026, and you’re welcome to join at any time.

👉 Want to join the volunteer team? Send us an email at youth@alli.fi—we'd love to hear from you!

📲 Follow us on social media or check our website for updates on locations and program details. Read more about the project here.

📝 Registration form

🎟️ The event is free, but registration is mandatory.

🌈 Folk it up is a European Solidarity Corps solidarity project, run by volunteers. The bi-monthly events bring together international and local youth to learn about balfolk. During each event we learn new folk dances originating from different countries around the world and practice previously learned ones. We socialise, connect and, of course, enjoy some vegan snacks together!
🌈 The events have become a joyful and vibrant community where everyone is welcome.
🌈 We follow safer space principles at the events and only serve vegan food. The event will have a designated safer space contact person available.

Folk it Up! is not done yet! This wonderful project that brought together a fantastic community full of joy and dance deserves a big finale so we will give it one 👀

Mark your calendars, on 21.-22. March we are hosting the Folk it Up Equinox festival!! ✨ A two-day event filled with dance workshops and music, open to anyone regardless of age, skill level or which language they speak. Keep an eye on our socials and website, more information and the full programme of the festival is coming soon!

The event will be held in Oranssi, Suvilahti. See you there!

Summer is slowly making its way towards us through the calendar, which can only mean one thing - new workcamp season is about to begin!

The official season open day is on March 5th, on this day all of our 2026 camps, as well as all the camps of our partner organisations, will be published online for the first time.

Here is a sneak peak of our first planned camps in Finland:

🥜 Nut Orchards EYA - Karjalohja, 26.4. - 9.5.2026 🌳

Set in a rural village Karjalohja, your work at this camp will include gardening in and taking care of a nut tree nursery, making new growing beds, transplanting trees, mulching, potting the plants etc. The organisers, GEN Finland, are experts on permaculture design, plant nursing and creating forest gardens. During the camp you can learn about different methods of sustainable gardening and plant nursing while working on diverse tasks.

This camp is a part of the project European Youth in Action: policymakers for climate justice, supported by the CERV programme, improving competences in concrete actions for climate justice. The horizontal theme of this camp is biodiversity.

🎉 World Village EYA - Helsinki, 12.5. - 20.5.2026 🙌

Fingo (Finnish Development NGOs) organizes the yearly World Village Festival in Helsinki which is Finland’s leading event for global action for the whole family, a free cultural festival and a trade fair for sustainable development. World Village raises global challenges and solutions, increases understanding and provides concrete ways to take action to create change. The program will consist of concerts, discussions, and workshops. As a volunteer during this workcamp, you will help build up the festival, set up tents, install the signs and banners, keep the festival grounds tidy and then help take down the festival.

Detailed guide on how to find the workcamps and how to apply can be found on our social media or website

Here's a short overview of what's coming up next with Allianssi Youth Exchanges:

Folk it up! Equinox festival 21.-22.03. 💫 While the detailed progamme of the festival will be released at the beginning of March, we hope you will save the date already. A wonderful weekend filled with dancing and fun, don't miss out!
Deeds of Hope will be back for a March event. Our activism solidarity project will continue its monthly events with all the important information about the next collaboration published on our website and social media closer to the event! Next time we will once again venture outside of the Allianssi-talo spaces 👀 Stay tuned!
Workcamp season officially starts on March 5th so remember to check the website for available spots!

As always, follow our social media and our website 🤳 to stay up to date on current events!

See you in the March edition! 🐸

February Newsletter

Allianssi Youth Exchanges newsletter in English

❄ February Newsletter: winter magic all around 💙

😥 Mental wellbeing February: Deeds of Hope x Taksvärkki 🤭

💃 Folk it up! February: love (of folk dance) is in the air 💕

🌱 What is Folk it Up?

📝 Registration form

🔅 One last dance: The Folk it Up! Equinox Festival 🌙

💪 Get ready for workcamp season 2026! 🦋

🎀 Upcoming events 🎀