We continue to share stories of partnerships between Ukrainian hromadas and Swedish municipalities developed with grant support from the Polaris Programme. This time, we highlight the experience of Krolevets, Trostianets and Pivdennoukrainsk hromadas, which worked together with their Swedish partners to improve accessibility and inclusion — from adaptive sports and barrier-free spaces to support for children with disabilities.
- Krolevets — Berg
The partnership between Krolevets and Berg developed through regular meetings and exchanges of experience, including during visits to Tallinn and Berg with support from ICLD – Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy.
The Krolevets team learned from Swedish experience in inclusion and social support and, during their visit to Berg, explored approaches to providing assistive rehabilitation devices and practices for engaging residents. The Swedish partners, in turn, learned about Krolevets’ experience in supporting veterans and internally displaced persons.
With support from a Polaris grant, the hromada created the adaptive sports space “Strength in Unity”, with coaches, parents, veterans and volunteers contributing to its development. The space provides residents with new opportunities for physical activity and rehabilitation.
Cooperation between Krolevets and Berg continues to expand into new areas, including support for youth and sports. The partners also signed an Agreement on International Territorial Cooperation, formalising their intention to develop joint projects.
“This project became possible first and foremost thanks to the close partnership between Krolevets hromada and the Swedish municipality of Berg. This cooperation laid the foundation for implementing our initiative. By succeeding in the Polaris grant competition, we received the necessary equipment, and through the joint efforts of the hromada, we created a modern inclusive space for our residents,” said Viktor Lekhman, Mayor of Krolevets.
- Pivdennoukrainsk — Östhammar
Pivdennoukrainsk hromada in Mykolaiv Oblast and the Swedish municipality of Östhammar focused their cooperation on creating a more inclusive environment for children and young people with disabilities.
The partners exchanged practices in creating spaces for children: the Swedish side shared approaches to developing barrier-free infrastructure, while the Pivdennoukrainsk team shared its experience of maintaining basic services and supporting residents during the full-scale invasion.
With grant support, the hromada created an inclusive play space equipped with swings, a carousel, balance equipment, an obstacle course and other facilities. The space provides more opportunities for developing motor and communication skills, socialisation and emotional well-being. In September, the renovated Pivdennoukrainsk Centre for Rehabilitation and Social Services will become fully operational for children with disabilities, of whom there are currently 180 in the hromada.
During the project, the municipalities established cooperation among specialists across a range of areas, including social and civil protection, economic development, investment and environmental issues. In addition to a series of online events, the partners also discussed further cooperation during the Nordic-Ukrainian Municipal Partnership Forum.
Pivdennoukrainsk and Östhammar plan to continue exchanging experience in civil protection and organising youth meetings.
- Trostianets — Mora
In Trostianets hromada in Sumy Oblast, the partnership with the Swedish municipality of Mora helped improve access to cultural spaces. The second floor of the Tsukrozavodskyi Community Centre houses a library and a youth space, where cultural and educational events as well as volunteer initiatives take place.
Previously, people with disabilities faced difficulties accessing the Community Centre. With grant support, a platform lift was installed in the building. Residents now actively use it to attend events, take part in learning activities, and engage in community and volunteer life. This is particularly important for a hromada where more than 1,500 people with disabilities live, including 108 children.
The partners actively exchanged experience in education and inclusion. The Swedish side shared practices for ensuring equal access to public spaces, while Trostianets shared its experience of keeping local institutions operational and adapting services during the war.
Another important outcome was direct cooperation between the libraries of the two municipalities. Colleagues from Mora shared their experience of organising cultural and educational events and applying inclusive approaches, while librarians from Trostianets spoke about adapting their work during the war, including how the library became a space for communication and support for residents during power outages.
“The platform lift is easy to use: a visitor presses the call button, after which a member of the Community Centre staff comes out and helps them safely reach the second floor. Now that residents are aware of the new facility, they are already actively using the lift — coming to socialise, attend events and take part in volunteer initiatives supporting Ukrainian defenders,” said Olha Kosova, Head of the Tsukrozavodskyi Community Centre.
The Swedish-Ukrainian partnerships received grant support from the Polaris Programme, facilitated by the Cities4Cities initiative within the International Municipal Cooperation track.
