New campaign encourages Vaasa residents to talk to new people

The Talk to Someone New campaign is a continuation of the Good Deeds initiative launched last year. During the year, the residents of Vaasa recorded nearly 4,400 good deeds on the city’s website.

– We are delighted that the people of Vaasa embraced doing good deeds so enthusiastically. We wanted to stimulate a debate on the importance of small acts in promoting happiness, and in that we succeeded. Now we continue the good deeds initiative by encouraging the people of Vaasa to have positive encounters that promote happiness, says Leena Forsén, Director of Communication and Marketing of the City of Vaasa.

The main objective is to promote encounters

The Talk to Someone New campaign aims to promote the well-being of residents and a positive atmosphere in the city. The campaign is aimed at everyone in Vaasa, with a particular focus on increasing encounters between different population groups and generations. In particular, the campaign focuses on the groups most affected by loneliness.

– Even in Vaasa, many people suffer from loneliness. With this campaign, we want to draw attention to the importance of small everyday encounters, and how much of an impact a few kind words can have, explains Rebecca Åkers, Welfare Expert.

Encounters and conversations at events

The campaign is organised by the City of Vaasa Welfare Services together with other city services. Local associations and companies are also involved. During the campaign, different actors will organise a variety of events to lower the threshold for talking to new people.

– While meetings and discussions can take place almost anywhere, organised events are essential to the success of the campaign. That is why we hope that as many event organisers as possible will embrace the idea and get involved, says Åkers.

Tips on how to start talking to new people can be found on the campaign website. The website also contains information on current events, as well as campaign material for event organisers. You can also discuss the campaign during the Night of the Arts on 15 August at the City of Vaasa stand in the park by the City Hall.