Company has already signed letters of intent for 15 reactors has signed an agreement with nuclear startup Steady Energy to develop nuclear-powered district heating for the city of Kerava near the capital Helsinki in the south of the country Steady Energy said Kerava is the third Finnish city to consider small modular reactor (SMR) technology for heating purposes construction of the SMR could begin as early as 2029 with district heating operations anticipated to start in 2032 In Kuopio nuclear heating is already in the pre-investment phase with zoning and environmental permitting expected to begin soon Steady Energy said in June that it plans to start construction of its first LDR-50 district heating SMR pilot plant in Finland next year the pilot unit will use an electric element to produce heat inside the reactor capsule instead of nuclear fuel comparable in size to an upright shipping container can be built entirely underground or on an existing industrial site The company has already signed letters of intent for the delivery of up to 15 reactors for district heating with Helsinki’s local utility Helen and Kuopio Energy Finland is largely heated by district heating District heating systems take energy released as heat from a range of energy sources – in this case an SMR – and connect it to energy consumers through a system of highly insulated pipes One advantage of SMRs would be their low emissions Finnish energy utility Keravan Energia has signed an agreement with Steady Energy Oy a start-up company spun out from the VTT Technical Research to develop nuclear-powered district heating based on small modular reactor (SMR) technology Kerava is the third Finnish city to take this path following earlier initiatives by Kuopio and Helsinki construction could begin as early as 2029 for operation in 2032 In Eastern Finland’s Kuopio nuclear heating is already in pre-investment phase with zoning and environmental permitting starting soon Finnish energy group Helen established a nuclear energy programme in September and preparation for a SMR heating project in Helsinki is now beginning Helen already has a letter of intent with Steady Energy but is also considering other possible SMR suppliers “We have a strategic goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030,” said Jussi Lehto we need to minimise our emissions affordably and ensure that our city’s energy supply remains secure in all circumstances.” The agreement is a first step towards evaluating the feasibility of deploying SMR technology in Kerava The next step will include assessing site suitability and the technical and economic viability of a nuclear heat plant tailored to Kerava’s energy needs “Think of district heating as a large system of hot water pipes where heat flows to radiators from a giant boiler where the heat source now is biomass and peat,” explained Lehto “While green electricity is a good back-up we need more stable solutions to counter electricity price volatility Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman said: “Keravan Energia has long been at the forefront of the energy transition We’re thrilled to bring Steady Energy’s SMR technology into its growing portfolio of green solutions.” He added: “The climate crisis won’t abate until we heat our homes cleanly over 80 percent of energy still comes from fossil sources with nearly half of that going towards heating and cooling Finnish energy companies are taking the lead in moving away from combustion-based energy altogether.” Steady Energy is seeking to construct a heating plant in Finland based on its LDR-50 reactor technology The LDR-50 district heating SMR has been under development at VTT since 2020 It is designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi) The LDR-50 reactor module comprises two nested pressure vessels with their intermediate space partially filled with water When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised water in the intermediate space begins to boil forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts which could fail and prevent the cooling function The innovation was awarded a patent in 2021 Nyman emphasised the simplicity of the system: “Heating water to 150 degrees accounts for 10% of global emissions making it possibly the world’s simplest commercial nuclear reactor This design ensures that SMR-produced heat is cost-competitive compared to other alternatives.” Steady Energy’s initial market focus is Finland and wider Europe but the company also envisions its reactors addressing industrial steam and desalination needs globally and Europe alone could quickly need 300 of these units There is a need for another 300 if we are to decarbonise desalination as well as industrial heat production,” Nyman said Steady Energy will start constructing a pilot plant in Finland next year where its functionality and Steady Energy’s project management capabilities will be tested which will differ from an actual reactor only in that it will use an electric heater instead of nuclear fuel will pave the way for further installations Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the Progressive Media network. © Business Trade Media International Limited. All Rights Reserved 2025 Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article The popularity of weapons training in the Nordic country has soared in recent months. Few places tell the story of the rise in Finnish affinity for self-defense more than shooting ranges that are riding a boom of interest. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — another big Russian neighbor — in February 2022 continues to resonate in many Finnish minds, and partially explains the ballistics binge. The Vantaa Reservist Assn., which operates a gun range in a warehouse once used to make sex toys, in Kerava, north of Helsinki, has more than doubled its membership over the last two years and now counts over 2,100 members. World & Nation Finland received the green light to join NATO when Turkey became the final country in the alliance to sign off on the Nordic nation’s membership. “They have something in the back of their head ringing that this is the skill I have to learn now,” said association chairman Antti Kettunen, standing among bullet-riddled targets. “I think that the wind has changed. Now it’s blowing from the east.” Earlier this year, the coalition government announced plans to open more than 300 new ranges — a big jump from the 670 in operation today. Authorities are encouraging citizens to take up interest in national defense in the country with an 830-mile border with Russia, where firing shots in ice hockey has been more of a pastime than shooting bullets. “Interest in national defense is traditionally very high in Finland and especially these days with the Russian aggression on Ukraine, the interest has risen even more,” lawmaker Jukka Kopra, who chairs Finland’s defense committee, told AP earlier in December. Inspired largely by concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland became the 31st member of the NATO military alliance last year. Western neighbor Sweden followed suit in March. The two countries last month announced plans to boost their civil defense strategies, without mentioning Russia by name. The allies will work together to build up their icebreaker fleets to bolster their defenses in the Arctic, where Russia is increasingly active. The surge in self-defense strategies doesn’t stop at shooting ranges. The National Defense Training Assn. says it has hosted a collective total of 120,000 training days this year, more than double the number three years ago. The national reservists’ association, which is about 90% military reservists but also some hobbyists, has grown by more than two-thirds to over 50,000 members since the invasion of Ukraine. And unlike some other European countries, Finland has kept around 50,000 Cold-War era civil defense shelters, which could accommodate roughly 85% of the population of about 5.5 million. “This is the new era of civil defense shelters, which is against the newest developments of war,” said Tomi Rask, of Helsinki Rescue Services, during a recent tour of one shelter in the capital. “We know that all of our neighbors have the capability of harming us, of harming our citizens, and we think that we need to prepare.” Finnish border guards erect barriers including concrete obstacles topped with barbed-wire at crossing points on the country’s border with Russia. Wearing camouflage at the range in Kerava, military reservists and firearm hobbyists bob and weave their way through an obstacle course, at times opening fire with deafening Glock handguns against human-shaped targets. “Some people do this just for fun,” said member Miikka Kallio, a 38-year-old firefighter. “Some [do] maybe because of our eastern neighbor: I’ve heard comments that they’ve joined the reservists because of the Russian attack” on Ukraine. Finland is no stranger to tensions with Russia, and a big part of the country’s national identity was forged battling its eastern neighbor — gaining independence from the Russian empire in 1917 and then fending off a large Soviet force with its tiny, ill-equipped army in what become known as the Winter War at the start of the Second World War. Kettunen said learning to shoot guns is a bit like learning to swim: Both require training and preparation. “When you need to know how to shoot or swim, and you don’t, it’s too late,” he said. Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Joanna Rengel would give this advice to international students and job seekers who want to stay in Finland. When Rengel herself came from Spain to Finland as an exchange student in the fall of 2017, she didn't know a word of Finnish. Even the cold weather surprised her. The young woman was only going to be in Finland for a short time. Then she met her Finnish husband, and her plans changed. Joanna Rengel had graduated in Spain as a social worker and early childhood educator. However, finding employment in Finland was difficult due to the lack of language skills. – I didn't want to stay in Finland without a job. I first worked as an intern in Sweden and as a youth coach in Åland. After that, I got a job in a kindergarten in Finland, where I could work in English. I also learned some Finnish there. However, Rengel did not want to stay working at kindergarten. She started looking for postgraduate studies that would help her create networks and learn more about the social sector in Finland. At TAMK, she found the Community Work and Multicultural Development studies in English, which led to a master’s degree. – The education was a perfect combination for me, because it dealt with multiculturalism and community work. As an immigrant, multiculturalism is present in my everyday life, but it is also something that interests me a lot. Now Joanna Rengel works as a social worker in Wellbeing services county of Vantaa and Kerava, in youth intensive work team. She started to work there in the summer of 2023. – We are the last step in open care before placement. We do intensive work, which means we meet young people and their families several times a week for a maximum of six months. Rengel likes working with young people, because she can really discuss things with them. Sometimes she and the young person disagree, but often they think about things the same way. – Young people are very intelligent. They are just not always understood. The work is also tough, because many young people have problems with drugs, criminal activity and mental health issues. Also, not everyone wants to accept help, even if it is offered to them. The working language is Finnish, which Rengel thinks is still the scariest thing at work. Her Finnish language skills have improved, but she still finds the language difficult. Rengel has learned Finnish especially at work. – I have taken Finnish language courses, but I learn more when I hear and speak Finnish at work every day. I'm still not perfect, but I'm improving all the time. Even if the working language was English, she sees that it would still be important for people moving to Finland to learn Finnish. Language is needed in everyday life anyway. In Joanna Rengel's opinion, the best thing at TAMK was the warm, open and conversational atmosphere. Here you could say out loud even if you disagreed with something. – We didn't just study theory from books, but we talked a lot and learned from each other. Different opinions could be brought forward. It was valuable, she reflects. The studies of multiculturalism have been very useful for Rengel in her current work, as many of the clients have an immigrant background. From the studies, she got more skills to meet people with different backgrounds, ideologies, religions and perspectives. In the future, Rengel would like to study more, maybe a doctorate. MDFT (Multidimensional Family Therapy) training also interests her, as does specialization as Specialist Social Worker in child protection. Before that, however, she plans to focus on a new phase of her life as a mother of a small child. – The estimated due date is in January. It's very exciting, she says with a smile. Degree: Master of Social Services, Community Work and Multicultural Development, TAMK 2023. Has also graduated in Spain as a social worker and early childhood educator. Job: Social worker, Wellbeing services county of Vantaa and Kerava, youth intensive work. Free time: Enjoys yoga, reading and nice walks in the forest. "When they say that Finland is the happiest country in the world, people here don't believe it. I always say that the surveys have been answered by people who spend time in the forest!” Tampere UniversityProfessor Sanna Kumpulainen investigates how we seek and use information in the changing worldPublished on 5.5.2025News Tampere UniversityNelli Piattoeva appointed as a new congress ambassadorPublished on 29.4.2025News Tampere UniversityPiia Sormunen becomes associate professor in building services engineeringPublished on 28.4.2025All news in categoryLatest news in category EducationNews News Tampere UniversityPiia Sormunen becomes associate professor in building services engineeringPublished on 28.4.2025News Tampere UniversityFinal call for student applications: Join the 11th Korea Arctic Academy in South Korea (7-12 July 2025) – apply by 25 AprilPublished on 22.4.2025All news in categoryLatest newsNews Tampere UniversityProfessor Sanna Kumpulainen investigates how we seek and use information in the changing worldPublished on 5.5.2025News Tampere UniversitiesTraining: Evaluating the quality of publication channels 13.5.2025Published on 5.5.2025News Tampere UniversitiesExplore the accessibility theme collectionPublished on 5.5.2025News Tampere UniversityProfiling areas in focus: PHOTO-ELEC integrates photonics and microelectronics to develop more energy-efficient semiconductor technologyPublished on 29.4.2025News Tampere UniversityNelli Piattoeva appointed as a new congress ambassadorPublished on 29.4.2025News All newsShow Form We continue to build our site and welcome all feedback Please also let us know if you spot any mistakes on our site remember to include your email address in your feedback message If you have questions about studying with us, please contact admissions.tau@tuni.fi (Tampere University) or admissions.tamk@tuni.fi (Tampere University of Applied Sciences). If you have problems with your user account or other IT-related issues, get in touch with our IT Helpdesk Tampere university / Tampere university of applied sciencesTampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) constitute the Tampere Universities community Our areas of priority in research and education are technology health and society.Tampere University: +358 (0)294 5211Tampere University of Applied Sciences : +358 (0)294 5222 The City of Kerava (Finland) is organizing an international architectural competition to develop the area of the Kerava Station The competition form is an open idea competition and it will start in November 2021 and end in February 2022 the city will seek diverse views on the long-term construction of the western and eastern side of Kerava Station in a high-quality and climate-wise manner Questions concerning the competition must be submitted by this link by 8 December 2021 Replies to the questions will be provided no later than 21 December 2021 An open-access webinar will be arranged on 29 November 2021 at 12:00 noon–2:00 p.m This competition was submitted by an ArchDaily user. If you'd like to submit a competition, call for submissions or other architectural 'opportunity' please use our "Submit a Competition" form The views expressed in announcements submitted by ArchDaily users do not necessarily reflect the views of ArchDaily You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email To find the inmates at the prison in Kerava just walk down a tree-lined path and open the door to the greenhouse “It’s quite relaxing to be here,” says Hannu Kallio The 70 inmates in this facility go to work every day in the greenhouse they’re potting seedlings in preparation for a big spring sale there’s a pen of bunnies to hang out with and pet locks or uniforms — this is an open prison Everyone at the Kerava open prison applied to be here do their grocery shopping in town and get three days of vacation every couple of months They pay rent to the prison; they choose to study for a university degree in town instead of working they get a subsidy for it; they sometimes take supervised camping and fishing trips Inmates know it wouldn’t be hard to escape "You can go if you want,” Kallio says Open prisons have been around in Finland since about the 1930s they’re the last step of a prison sentence before inmates make the transition back to regular life "There is no idea that we are locking people up for the rest of their lives," says Tapio Lappi-Seppälä head of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Helsinki you really should invest and make sure that there is the possibility of rehabilitation.” It wasn’t always like this. A few decades ago, Finland had one of the highest rates of imprisonment in Europe researchers across the Nordic countries started investigating how much punishment really helps reduce crime “This was the first time that you had critical research showing that imprisonment really doesn’t work,” Lappi-Seppälä says Over the next three decades, Finland remade its penal policy bit by bit. By the end of this period of “decarceration," Finland had one of the lowest rates of imprisonment on the continent Lappi-Seppälä says crime didn’t increase as a result “The lesson from Finland was that it was perfectly possible to drop the use of imprisonment [by two-thirds,]” he says “and that did not disturb the crime trend development in Finland.” What did work was a gradual reintroduction into normal life About a third of Finnish inmates are housed in open prison and Finland’s Criminal Sanctions Agency says inmates who go through open prisons are less likely to be arrested again The reoffending rate drops almost 20 percent head of the country's Criminal Sanctions Agency says that by eliminating the need for extra security systems and personnel — and by housing people in what are essentially dorms — the cost per prisoner drops almost a third It isn’t the main reason for having these kinds of prisons if you can make something cheaper that’s good nowadays.”                                                                                      There's even an open prison at Helsinki’s top tourist attraction The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Yet the only thing that separates the prison grounds from a block of residential apartments and museums is a yellow picket fence “You really don’t realize that you are walking in the middle of an open prison,” Lappi-Seppälä says But I don’t think even the American tourists find it scary." When I talk to residents near the Kerava and Suomenlinna open prisons most seem confused when I ask if they’re concerned about sharing the town with convicts Some tell me that the prisoners improve the community by restoring historic sites or cleaning up public spaces It’s tempting to wonder how this system might work in other countries — notably the US which incarcerates more people than any other country in the world a professor of history at Temple University who studies mass incarceration and prison populations says it’s hard to know because the US isn’t having that discussion “We're just now getting to the point of recognizing that we're incarcerating far too many people We have yet to have a conversation about the actual conditions of confinement what it is that people actually experience in prison so they can be whole human beings when they return.” When I spoke with Hannu Kallio at Kerava open prison he was about to move out to spend the last months of his sentence at home working at a recycling center and living with his wife who doesn't want to give his last name but most such sentences in Finland are commuted to 10 or 15 years “but I don’t know when I’m going to get out Juha’s not sure when he’ll be able to go home to his new family And for someone who started out in maximum-security prison with a life sentence delivered to your inbox every weekday morning Thanks to our sponsor PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402 Cosmos » Climate Natalie Parletta is a freelance science writer based in Adelaide and an adjunct senior research fellow with the University of South Australia Airborne planes can increase precipitation from clouds by around 10-fold and under certain conditions can increase rain and snow storms over airports as planes pass through clouds during take-off or landing Finnish researchers have confirmed this phenomenon, and captured its underlying features, using 11 years of weather radar, satellite and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data recorded a trail of heightened precipitation – the yellow streak to the left – on the aircraft approach path to Helsinki-Vantaa airport The findings are reported in a paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres from the University of Helsinki and Finnish Meteorological Institute straight patterns of intense rainfall that veered toward the Helsinki-Vantaa airport against a backdrop of lighter rain or snow.  Curiously, their shapes looked like the inverse of cloud formations known as hole-punch, canal clouds or fall-streak holes, formed when aircrafts create ice particles while flying through supercooled liquid clouds Clouds are formed by condensation of tiny water droplets and ice crystals suspended water droplets can stay liquid to –40 degrees Celsius so when they condense they form clouds much colder than the normal freezing point of zero degrees These supercooled liquid clouds are common in low- to mid-level cloud layers Planes generate air pressure changes that drop the temperature below –40 causing a chain reaction of ice crystal formation from supercooled water droplets surrounding the aircraft’s flight path The extra ice crystals increase the rate at which they collide to form larger snowflakes What is interesting is that this doesn’t only occur when the plane flies through a cloud The researchers detected the effect starting well above the clouds that were already raining or snowing at temperatures that facilitate ice crystal formation.  They report data collected from 23 observations over six days of intensified local precipitation ranging from 30 to 60 minutes spanning several kilometres and matched their features with planes flying in and out of the airport Their analysis showed that the crystals fall from an upper liquid cloud layer that is not visible via radar triggering increased rain or snow from clouds below “This process appears to be responsible for the abrupt intensification of snowfall by a factor of six to 14,” the authors write The effect is created not by fuel emissions “The interesting thing about this feature is that it is caused by aircraft but it is not caused by pollution,” explains Moisseev “Even if there would be absolutely ecological planes The natural formation of ice crystals by the physical passage of planes can offer useful insights for studying the formation of rain and snow These observations could help meteorologists “nowcast” rain and snow conditions two to six hours in advance, which is critical for airport controllers. Open image viewerFile photo of Kerava train station Image: Kari Ahotupa / YleYle News10.12.2018 15:27Police in eastern Uusimaa reported on Sunday that a man died from injuries suffered in what authorities said was a fight between a number of people at a train station in Kerava A man and a woman were taken into custody near the train station shortly after the alleged fight took place in the early hours of Sunday morning Both are suspected of having contributed to the man's death According to preliminary investigation the deceased male victim was around 56 years old The male suspect is about 32 years old while the female suspect is around 37 Police said a preliminary investigation suggests that two suspects had caused the individual's death together Police said all involved in the incident have "foreign backgrounds," without elaborating Police said they were notified about a fight involving several individuals was taking place at the Kerava train station around 2 am Sunday they found an unconscious man they suspected was the victim of violence Detective Chief Inspector Mikko Kiiski at the Eastern Uusimaa police department would not reveal the number of people investigators suspect were involved in the incident “Our initial understanding of the situation was that several people were involved Now we are trying to clarify what happened and get an idea of the course of events,” Kiiski said “I would not say this is a completely unique case my view is that this is not a typical one,” Kiiski said crochet artist olek has covered the façades of two houses in a pink yarn-bombed art installation the artist used her emblematic material to canvas the entire exterior of two homes in woven neon pink fabric wars and natural disasters,’ olek said about the artwork’s inspiration ‘but I like to think that it’s also a world filled with love.’ image courtesy of koptercam oy in collaboration with syrian and ukrainian refugees, olek covered ‘our pink house’ in an intricate lacework featuring ornate floral patterns and geometric motifs doors and even chimneys of the architectural structures olek intends the installation to interweave themes of community home and hope for those without a physical house to call their own ‘our pink house is about the journey not just about the artwork itself,’ olek says ‘it’s about us coming together as a community in the small swedish community of avesta we proved that we are stronger together people from all walks of life came together to make this project possible another one fixed the electricity and red heart yarns donated the materials many women joined us in the effort to make my dream a reality.’ AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style HELSINKI FINLAND JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 80 The exterior of the soon-to-be-demolished building in Kerava (Image: Lehtikuva) A SOON-TO-BE-DEMOLISHED FIVE-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING IN KERAVA has been given a colourful new lease of life after dozens of artists took over the abandoned rooms to project their own artistic visions known as the House of Art (taiteen kotitalo) is the brainchild of the Finnish graffiti artist Jouni Väänänen who wanted to use the building to showcase as diverse a range of art as possible spanning many genres Each room of the building has been claimed by a different artist who has transformed their designated space with paints The building is open to the public from today although some areas of the building are restricted to over-18s owing to the adult nature of some of the works It is unclear when exactly the condemned building will be subject to demolition You can see more of the House of Art by scrolling through the images below Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. the Kerava exercise project builds social networks and even friendships Open image viewer8.10.2016 16:31•Updated 8.10.2016 16:34At a gym in Kerava Areena a group of women are learning a Finnish folk dance called "Letkajenkka" It's part of a sports project that aims to welcome newcomers to Finland by introducing them to their community through group exercise Not only does it speed up the integration process According to the project's fitness coordinator the approach is based on the idea that exercise is key to overall wellbeing it's a great way to meet new people who live in your neighbourhood Schneider-Lehto is tasked with the job of encouraging immigrant women to come out and participate "For some women exercising together is a totally new experience," says Schneider-Lehto Studies indicate that immigrant women tend to exercise less than immigrant men Though cultural and religious issues may have prevented women for participating in sports in the past the most common reason is universal - a lack of time Newcomers to Kerava may not have a social network that allows them to find a babysitter organised childcare for the Kerava project meant that Gülistan Kaymaz was able to participate in the classes "It's fantastic that childcare was organised it means that I really have my own time," says Kaymaz And it's not just about song and dance Different types of sports activities are also available "We walk together and go to the gym," says Göcedemir called Kerava Kodiksi (which roughly translates to "Kerava It has been so popular that a second group will be added next spring JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 58 The Malmi social and health care centre in Pietarsaari on 18 June 2023 13 of Finland’s well-being services counties have launched or are planning to launch consultative negotiations to reduce costs and meet the financial requirements imposed by the central administration A BIT OF A REBELLION against the spending cuts the government has forced on well-being services counties is brewing in Vantaa and Kerava Timo Aronkytö, the director of the well-being services county of Vantaa and Kerava, told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that the county intends to devise a budget with a deficit of tens of millions of euros for next year Its budget for this year shows a deficit of 62 million euros Decision-makers in the county are scheduled discuss a reform programme later this autumn that is expected to reduce the deficit slightly that the programme is not a series of spending cuts but a genuine development programme the effects of which will not be evident until years from now – too late for the budgetary targets imposed on the well-being counties The Finnish government has declared that the counties should eradicate their budget deficits by the end of 2026 Calculations by the Ministry of Finance indicate that the counties will have a combined deficit of 1.2 billion euros in 2023 You can’t cut something that’s already lean,” retorted Aronkytö three facilities with inpatient wards and too little nursing capacity for the elderly.” Pirkanmaa, the largest well-being services county in Finland, announced recently that it will reduce its headcount by 500 person years to create cost savings STT has reported that 13 of the 21 well-being services counties have launched or are planning to launch consultative negotiations in pursuit of cost savings Established in 2021 to take over the responsibility for organising social and health care services from municipalities joint municipal authorities and hospital districts the well-being services counties are all in economic trouble Several county directors told the newspaper that they are helplessly underfunded possibly facing a ministry assessment of their ability to perform their statutory duties Such an assessment inevitably involves a probe of the merits of consolidations The notion of consolidations was shot down by county directors on Friday “The possible consolidation of counties won’t create any savings. We’ve just carried out a major administrative reform that created the systems for the current structures. If counties were consolidated, billions of euros would be spent on new patient systems, investments and wage harmonisation,” Santeri Seppälä, the county director in Southern Savonia, stated to Helsingin Sanomat “The funding base has been insufficient in all regions and the difficulties were more or less given Even a county that succeeds may face the assessment because the catching up we have to do to balance finances is absurd,” said Sally Leskinen Consolidating two or three poor well-being services counties won’t create a single rich one but one that’s even poorer,” predicted Tero Järvinen from South Ostrobothnia The central administration will initially fund the well-being services counties based on how much the municipalities joint municipal authorities and hospital districts that were previously responsible for organising social and health care services spent on the services in 2022 the last year before the responsibility was transferred to the counties the criteria will be gradually shifted toward service needs as determined by factors such as the age structure and morbidity of the county population The City of Vantaa managed its facility and staff costs carefully last year despite the obvious incentive to spend heavily leaving the county with more catching up to do than others but we’ve also raised them because we’re competing with our neighbours for the same professionals This has already started to have an effect on our reputation as an employer,” he said The shift to needs-based funding has been criticised as unfair in the capital region: it fails to take into account the actual need for child welfare services Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, a research director at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), said to Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday that she is not surprised by the cost-cutting plans of well-being services counties was expected to force social and health care providers to shutter facilities especially in small localities in the face of strained economic and human resources “This is precisely what many previous governments have wanted from the social and health care reform: that the rise in costs is slowed down.” © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 42 Kerava’s garlic festival spawns a local culinary delight IT TAKES just a short ride on a regional train to reach Kerava a small town only thirty kilometres away from Helsinki and home of the yearly garlic festival taking place on the third weekend of August This very unique one-day event fills the town with the strong sparks everyone’s culinary creativity to produce even the most astonishing and unconventional taste combinations: garlic can be found This lively event was established during the second half of the 80s thanks to the initiative of Yrjö Ahomaa he is also the father of Kerava’s regional specialty bearing his name: lammasta Yrjön tapaan in Finnish freely translated to English as “lamb à la Yrjö” its ‘premiere’ taking place at the national traditional food day exactly twenty-six years from today Believing in the existence of vampires hardly could have been the driving force of Yrjö Ahomaa’s love for garlic and the consequent establishment of the garlic festival Ahomaa was probably aware of the beneficial health effect of garlic nowadays supported by the findings of numerous scientific studies lamb à la Yrjö is indeed a very healthy option Its preparation actually involves an abundant amount of garlic cloves peeled and placed into cavities carved into lamb steak with a pointed knife The steak is then rubbed with a mixture of salt and oregano covered in meat stock and eventually left to cook in the oven for several hours its juices are thickened into a sauce by adding corn flour the garlicky ensemble could not have been complete without garlic potatoes lamb à la Yrjö easily wins the heart of even the most demanding garlic lover ANNA MARIA ALEXANDROUHELSINKI TIMESPHOTOS: KRAYBILL J.BLOGSPOT / KNOWINGBYSHARING.BLOGSPOT © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy The Finnish National Cricket Ground in Kerava has been a long time in the making Yesterday it was officially opened by honoured guests including the ex-governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King—now known as Baron King of Lothbury King says that the sport helped prepare him for his time managing monetary policy for one of the biggest economies in the world “What you learn in cricket is very important for life,” said King and then as soon as the game is over you're the best of friends and you have a drink together.” As president of the Chance to Shine charity he has helped bring cricket to schools across the UK and was much keener to advise Finns on how to spread the gospel of cricket than on how the country might emerge from recession “I wouldn’t dream of giving advice to my friends in Finland about the economy,” said King “What I would say is that I very much hope that you can find a way for children in schools to play cricket—boys and girls together because you can play together up until 13 or 14 That would do a huge amount to make life in Finland even more fun than it is already.” The Kerava facility was the brainchild of Finnish Cricket Association chairman Andrew Armitage He has an emotional and almost spiritual relationship with the game “I moved to Finland back in 1988 and I think I was probably a couple of years without cricket which were the first and last of my life,” explains Armitage “I said to my wife of the time that darling and that was when I decided that cricket should be a part of my life in the future as well as the past.” Playing cricket at a high level demands a large ground with a big outfield and Finland's cricket lovers spent some years looking for a municipality ready to host them where a former potato field is now the home of Finnish cricket Now the national team is looking to capitalise and move forward the long term plan is to qualify for World Cups,” said Jonathan Scamans “Doesn't matter what format of the game but on the ground's inauguration day they made a good start beating the Marylebone Cricket club by 34 runs Cricket’s allure reaches FinlandPublished 20112011Sources: Yle News Open image viewerFile photo of Helsinki City Hall Image: Silja Viitala / YleYle News5.8.2022 16:47In just a few months communities around Finland will start working on the wellbeing services counties that are replacing the country's old system of hundreds of individual municipal social and health care services When that happens at the beginning of next year more than 200,000 people will effectively have new employers that pay them for their work Nearly half of Finland's 21 new wellbeing service counties plan to use the same salary payment system that has continued to cause major problems in Helsinki since it rolled out in the spring Due to the salary database system's issues many capital city workers have been left unpaid underpaid and there have even been cases of former employees being paid for work they didn't do told Yle on Sunday that she wants to receive a comprehensive report about the problems in Helsinki so that similar issues do not happen as social and healthcare reforms roll out Some of the areas that are using — or are rolling out — the system that's caused so many headaches for city workers in the capital include Western Uusimaa Western Uusimaa's wellbeing services HR preparation director said he has followed the difficulties in Helsinki with a bit of concern Espoo is only using it partially and handling the rest of the job internally "Espoo has been using the system since last year and 60 percent of our payments have been made with that system," he explained it's likely we will see fewer mistakes," Sarekoski said the company behind the salary database system said he feels for the Helsinki city employees who have dealt with salary problems over the past months but that there's nothing wrong with the technology itself "The system pays salaries based on the information which is entered into it," he said new operations from the ground up is not easy Kantola said it is very important to train staff and get them used to new routines He added that he does not have concerns that the system will be strained by the heavy workload when welfare counties start using the system in earnest Another matter is for the regional services getting the new system up and running with the correct transfer of data from old databases we will correct all eventual errors as quickly as possible," Kantola said the county HR preparation director in Vantaa and Kerava said she was concerned about the problems in Helsinki the transition to set up the wellbeing county of Vantaa and Kerava will be easier as the city of Kerava already uses Sarastia for its payroll needs "The payroll workers will not have to learn a new system" she explained Sivula acknowledged that setting up the wellbeing county will still require a good deal of effort because while Kerava uses Sarastia for its payroll Vantaa's social and health care services currently shares another system with the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS) she said that dialogue with the Sarastia company has been continual "This will inevitably be a big change Everything probably won't go perfectly at the beginning of the year but work is being done to make the transition as smooth as possible for the employees," Sivula said Working lifeCity workers hit by major payroll glitches in Helsinki, VantaaPublished 20222022Sources: Yle Your browser does not support all the necessary functions Please update your browser to its latest version to ensure the best user experience The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has an exceptionally high number of railway network maintenance work ongoing this summer trains being replaced by buses and reduced services You can find up to date information from the trip search and the replacement buses page K-trains will be operated on an exceptional schedule from Jun 7 to Aug 29 5:30 am – 7:30 pm K-trains will operate only between Tikkurila and Kerava On weekdays between June 7–27 and Aug 16–29 the rush-hour traffic will be operated with 10 min intervals between approx evenings and weekends the K-trains will operate between Helsinki and with a 20-minute interval K-trains heading to Kerava do not stop at Pukinmäki on weekdays between 5:30 am – 11:00 pm nor on weekends between 7:30 am – 11:00 pm In the night time the trains operate ase usual Those travelling towards Helsinki on a K-train are advised to change onto a P-train already in Hiekkaharju Those travelling towards Kerava are advised to travel on an I-train up to Hiekkaharju P-trains operate with a 10-minute interval during the day and night time June 7 – Aug 29 but have a 20-minute interval in the evenings between approx During the weekends the P-trains operate with 20-min intervals between 7:30 am – 11:00 pm From Sat June 12 every second I-train goes straight from Tikkurila to Oulunkylä The departure times of these trains vary a little On weekdays from the departure at 5:45 am to the departure at 6:45 pm every second I-train (hourly departures at -05 The other I-trains in between (hourly departures at -15 On weekdays from the departure at 7:15 pm to the departure at 10:35 pm all I-trains pass by Pukinmäki Tapanila and Puistola can travel on K-trains During weekends from the departure at 7:55 am to the departure at 10:35 pm all I-trains pass by Pukinmäki During weekday evenings and weekend when the I-trains pass by several stations Passengers can also travel to their stations (Malmi and exceptionally do so with an AB-zone HSL-ticket These exceptions apply to I-trains until Aug 29.8 D-trains are cancelled between June 7 - Aug 15 The replacing rush-hour services from Hämeenlinna to Helsinki in the mornings and Helsinki to Hämeenlinna in the afternoons are operated with R-trains Between June 7 – Aug 15 the travel time on Z-trains between Helsinki & Lahti will be 6–8 minutes longer The majority of Z-train services are cancelled between Helsinki and Haarajoki during Jun 21 - Jul 6 as well as Jul 16 – 22 while the trains will only operate between Haarajoki and Lahti The rush-hour trains on route Kouvola–Helsinki–Kouvola will operate all the way to their destination as will also the first and last services of the day on the same route There is a between Kerava and Haarajoki (bus 979X) connecting passengers from R-trains to Z-trains Please follow the signs at Kerava train station to find your way to the buses heading to Haarajoki Travel time on R-trains is lengthened by 5 minutes between June 7 - Aug 15 R-trains are operated mainly with a 30-min interval Between Jun 7-27 as well as Aug 9 - 15 there will also be additional rush-hour trains from Riihimäki at 6:59 am and Helsinki at 4:24 pm You can find up to date information about your chosen route from the trip search here at vr.fi or in the VR Matkalla app. There's additional information on the replacement buses, Opens in a new tab and the train traffic right now, Opens in a new tab pages. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s Espoo Rail Line project will cause changes in train traffic between Helsinki and Turku, starting from May 2025. From Monday, 23 June to Sunday, 27 July 2025, there will be a traffic interruption between Helsinki and Karjaa. Trains between Karjaa and Turku will run at longer intervals. Due to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s Helsinki–Riihimäki track renovation project, there will be changes to the use of Ainola station as well as short interruptions during Easter and the summer. The railway project will also affect the use of Järvenpää and Saunakallio stations. From now on, Pännäinen railway station will be known as Pietarsaari-Pedersöre. Give us feedback and enable us to build a better service together. The proposal has been criticised by mayors of large and small municipalities across the region Open image viewerNeljän kunnan malli on metropolialueen seudullista yhteistyötä pohtineen ryhmän päällimmäinen suositus Image: Yle Uutisgrafiikka5.3.2013 17:39•Updated 6.3.2013 6:06Municipal mergers have been on the agenda for some time in Finland as a way to deal with demographic change in both rural and urban areas In rural areas an ageing population brings challenges in providing services which are funded by income-linked municipal taxes while in urban regions population growth presents housing and transport challenges The working group focused on the Helsinki region proposed that one municipality is formed by Helsinki and Sipoo Espoo and Kirkkonummi and a fourth comprising Hyvinkää Pornainen and the northern part of Tuusula One other option is worthy of consideration That proposal would create one greater Helsinki municipality and one central Uusimaa local authority including Vihti to bring the total number of current municipalities included to 14 The group’s report was released on Tuesday afternoon in Helsinki It immediately drew fire both from aggrieved Helsinkians who would like to enlarge their city’s boundaries and from a small-town mayor who feels services work well enough under the status quo are services provided by Kerava poor?” asked Kerava mayor Petri Härkönen “Kerava provides very high quality services considerably cheaper than Should this kind of structure be taken apart The leader of the region’s largest municipality was also unhappy with the report Helsinki mayor Jussi Pajunen did not warm to the idea of four separate municipalities as he claims it runs the risk of dividing the metropolitan area rather than uniting it Working group chair Jarmo Asikainen said on Tuesday that the group did not want to propose a model that would likely be rejected Espoo has long resisted the two-municipality model but a four-council structure would have more support there believes that local government in the region needs more consolidation He thanked the working group for keeping the two-municipality option alive “The only correct road is for us in the capital city region to be one city structure,” said the mayor “Residents don’t recognise municipal boundaries so why shouldn’t we have unified councils and responsibility.” VCC vs GHC Dream11: Vantaa Cricket Club vs Greater Helsinki CC– 1 August 2020 (Kerava) Vanta Cricket Club will take on Greater Helsinki CC in the league game of the Finnish T20 League 2020 which will be played at the Kerava National Cricket Ground in Kerava Both sides have not performed reasonably well in the tournament so far Greater Helsinki have won just two of their 11 games whereas Vantaa have won just three of their 11 games till now It will be very difficult for both the teams to now qualify for the playoff stages This can be a close game between two struggling teams Pitch Report – The pitch has shown variable behaviour throughout the tournament but still 120 will be a par score here Vanta Cricket Club – Ravi Sanjeeva Kahingala C Jayasinge (Price 9) will be our wicket-keeper He is the 2nd highest run-scorer of the team and has scored 137 runs in 10 games He will play in the top-order and will be a definite pick U Tavernier (Price 9) will be our batsmen from the Vantaa CC Tavernier is the best batsman of the Vantaa side and has scored 142 runs in 10 games so far in the tournament Tavernier is a must-have option in our team H Mukhtar (Price 9.5) and G Nazir (Price 9) will be our batsmen from the Greater Helsinki side Mukhtar has not done much in the batting department but he has picked five wickets in five games he can be a good player in this game whereas Nazir is the 3rd best batsman of the side and has scored 155 runs in 10 games A Hamsa Warsha (Price 9.5) will be our all-rounder from the Vantaa side Warsha is the best wicket-taker of the tournament and has taken 13 wickets so far in the tournament in just 9 games and has also scored 84 runs with the bat He will be the definite pick from the Vantaa side and N Shahid (Price 9.5) will be our all-rounders from the Greater Helsinki side Shahid has been the highest wicket-taker of the side 14 wickets in just 10 games and has been the 2nd best batsman with 170 runs in 10 games Rehman has been the best batsman of the tournament and has scored 280 runs in 10 games and has taken 9 wickets in his bowling too whereas Waris will open the innings for his side and has been really decent with both bat and the ball K Muhammad (Price 8.5) will be our bowler from the Greater Helsinki side Muhammad has picked 9 wickets till now in the tournament and should be picked M Milan Hettiarachilage (Price 8.5) and N Hangamuwe (Price 8) will be our bowlers from the Vantaa side and will complete our squad Milan has picked 7 wickets till now whereas Hangamuwe has picked 5 wickets till now in the tournament Match Prediction: Greater Helsinki Cricket Club will be the favourites to win this game Both the captain’s pick + A Hamsa Warsha and A Waris Note: For Updated teams after the lineup announcement, join The SportsRush Premium on our mobile app. SportsRush Small-League Dream 11 Team for the Game Click Here for more Dream11 Teams Prediction All our selections are based on in-depth and astute analysis of the players partaking in the match and a perusal of other reasoning Please incorporate a slew of factors while crafting your own side with this article serving as a guide to the match and players Rishikesh Sharma An engineering graduate and an ardent sports fan Rishikesh Sharma is covering cricket for three years now after not making peace with a corporate life and has written more than 5000 articles While Sourav Ganguly made him fall in love with the sport Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir enhanced it HCC vs VCC Dream11 Prediction: Helsinki Cricket Club vs Vantaa Cricket Club – 1 June 2020 (Kerava) Helsinki Cricket Club will take on Vantaa Cricket Club in the first game of the Finnish Premier T20 League 2020 which will be played at the Kearava National Cricket Ground in Kerava Helsinki Cricket Club were the best team of the tournament last year and also won the championship and they would like to do the same this year they have brilliant players in their side to bolster them whereas Vantaa were not that good last year and would be determined to do better this Helsinki will have an advantage in this game Pitch Report – This is a very good batting wicket and the winning captain would be tempted to bowl first on this wicket T Jayanath (Price 9) will be our wicket-keeper He is a decent middle-order batsman and due to credit issues S Peththahandi (Price 8.5) and T Senanayke (Price 8.5) will be our batsman from the Vantaa Peththahandi is a decent player who can bat well in middle-order and take wickets with the ball too whereas Senanayke is a bowler who took 11 wickets in 8 games last season and will be a very good pick S Metha (Price 9.5) will be our batsman from the Helsinki Mehta bats in the top-order and scored 236 runs last season with a brilliant average of 29.5 and A Syed (Price 9) will be our all-rounders from the Helsinki side Pushtay and Butt are the best players of the side Pushtay was the 4th highest run-scorer of the last season and also took 11 wickets with the ball whereas Butt was in the list of top-10 highest run-scorers and he was the 2nd highest wicket-taker of the league with 28 wickets under his belt Syed was the 6th highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets under his name A Hamsha Warsha (Price 10) will be our all-rounder from the Vantaa Harsha batted with an average of 23 last season and also took 11 wickets with the ball A Arjunan (Price 9) and K Rahman Mangal (Price 9) will be our bowlers from the Helsinki side Arjunan picked 8 wickets in 8 games last season with his best figures of 3/8 whereas Mangal opens for the side sometimes and can a decent option with the ball too P Suranjan De Karunamuny (Price 8.5) will be our bowler from the Vantaa side and will complete our squad He picked 12 wickets last season and was one of the most important bowlers of the side Match Prediction: Helsinki Cricket Club will be the favourites to win this game Both the captain’s pick + A Hamsha Warsha and S Metha Click Here for more Dream11 Teams Prediction Please incorporate a slew of factors while crafting your own side with this article serving as a guide to the match and players who are expected to dole out the maximum points VCC vs FPC Dream11 Prediction: Vantaa Cricket Club vs Finnish Pakistani Club– 3 August 2020 (Kerava) Vanta Cricket Club will take on Finnish Pakistani Club in the league game of the Finnish T20 League 2020 which will be played at the Kerava National Cricket Ground in Kerava Both sides have not performed reasonably well in the tournament so far and have won just three of their twelve games so far in the tournament It will be really difficult for both of them to qualify for the next stages and this can be just like an exhibition game for both sides M Aqeel (Price 8.5) will be our wicket-keeper He has scored 110 runs in 8 games and should be a definite pick in our squad for this game The Batsmen in this game have not done much till now and that’s why only 3 players are picked to complete the mandatory 3 batsmen quota and S Sadaqat are picked in our team for this game A Hamsa Warsha (Price 9.5) and R Shiran Fernando (Price 10) will be our all-rounders from the Vantaa side Warsha is the best wicket-taker of the tournament and has taken 13 wickets so far in the tournament in just 10 games and has also scored 93 runs with the bat whereas Fernando is also a wonderful bowler and has picked 12 wickets so far in the tournament and has been really good with the bat as well B Khan (Price 10) and N Qureshi (Price 9.5) will be our all-rounders from the Pakistani side Khan is the highest wicket-taker of the side and has picked 12 wickets in ten games he has been the highest run-scorer of the side too whereas Qureshi has picked 8 wickets in 9 games and is the 2nd highest run-scorer of the side A Khan (Price 8.5) and S Sarfaraz (Price 8) will be our bowlers from the Pakistani side Khan opens the batting and also is a very good bowler whereas Sarfaraz has picked 7 wickets in 5 games in the tournament N Hangamuwe (Price 8) will be our bowler from the Vantaa side and will complete our squad Hangamuwe has picked 7 wickets till now in the tournament and should be picked Match Prediction: Finnish Pakistani Club will be the favourites to win this game Both the captain’s pick + A Hamsa Warsha and R Shiran Fernando ECC vs GHC Dream11 Prediction: Empire Cricket Club vs Greater Helsinki Cricket Club– 9 June 2020 (Kerava) Greater Helsinki Cricket Club will take on Empire Cricket Club in the league game of the Finnish T20 League 2020 which will be played at the Kerava National Cricket Ground in Kerava Empire CC have started their season well with a comfortable victory in the last game and would like to continue their winning momentum in this game too whereas the Helsinki side will be looking to get their first win of the season Empire CC were brilliant in the last season too and will definitely have an upper hand here Greater Helsinki Cricket Club – Ziaur Rehman J Scamans (Price 8) will be our wicket-keeper He will bat at number 3 and was brilliant in the last T20 game he played and will be a very good pick in the keeper’s category C Shabbir (Price 9) will be our batsman from the Greater Helsinki He will bat at the number 4 position and is definitely a good pick with the bat He was in the 6th highest scorer of the Helsinki side last season and would be a good pick in this game He is not picked by many people and will be a wildcard pick V Padhal (Price 8.5) and Z Ijaz (Price 9.5) will be our batsmen from the Empire CC Padhal was the highest run-scorer of the Empire side last season He scored 506 runs with an average of 28.11 last season and will be a really good pick in this game He opens the innings for his team whereas Ijaz plays at number 3 position and would definitely be a good pick in this game Z Rehman (Price 10) will be our all-rounder from the Greater Helsinki Rehman is the best player of the Helsinki side and will be eager to play a good brand of cricket Rehman was the highest run-scorer of the side and scored with ab average of almost 40 whereas he picked 17 wickets with the ball In the last game too he batted brilliantly as an opener and is a great bowler as well A Sher (Price 9.5) and M Tambe (Price 8.5) will be our all-rounders from the Empire CC Both of them are tremendous bowlers and were brilliant last season Sher had 42 wickets in 27 matches whereas Tambe had 38 wickets in 34 games Both of them were in the top-5 batting list too of the Empire Side and N Shahid (Price 9.5) will be our bowlers from the Greater Helsinki side and will complete our squad Shahid and Muhammad are wicket-taking factories and must be in the team Shahid had 34 wickets last year whereas Muhammad had 33 wickets S Amin picked 25 wickets last season and will open the innings too with the bat A Gaffar (Price 9) will be our bowler from the Empire side Gaffar had 30 wickets in 24 games last year and will be a good player to complete our team Match Prediction: Empire Cricket Club will be the favourites to win this game Both the captain’s pick + A Sher and S Amin