The demographic trend of, on the one hand, an ever -increasing number 50 years old and over coupled with, on the other hand, a simultaneous “brain drain” of younger people is becoming more and more of a problem in many rural areas within Europe.

What can be done to maintain the social, economic and cultural environment of a rural area which is worth living in country regions where there is an ageing yet at the same time a decreasing population? 

And also:

What can those older citizens do who stay in these places out of choice and who are looking for opportunities for worthwhile, paid employment? 

There is a significant number of older people in rural areas who have neither paid nor unpaid work,  but who could play a crucial role in “revitalising” the area in which they live. 

The basic idea of this project is to reactivate the idling resources of a region for example by:

• reviving old trades and services
• giving more attention to the cultural heritage and identity of a region
• thereby creating opportunities for paid and voluntary work especially for senior citizens. 

In this way, for example an old, disused village hall or church could be renovated and developed into a cultural centre with a café, exhibitions and a rich cultural programme. An old sports ground could be redeveloped or the local cultural heritage researched and made accessible to visitors and tourists. 

Adult Education can support such activities by: 

• offering workshops on developing new, unconventional ideas
• encouraging a sense of solidarity amongst local groups
• initiating social networks
• providing the necessary professional and managerial know-how to successfully implement the projects. 

The Learning Partnership ”Vitalise” (2011-2013) provides the framework for an exchange of experiences and ideas on this topic between eight regions in Europe.

• Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione, Italy
• Fundación PAIDEIA Galiza, Spain
• Järva County Vocational Centre, Estonia
• Obrtnicko uciliste-ustanova za obrazovanje odrashlih, Croatia
• Europahaus Burgenland, Austria
• Akademia vzdelavania, Slovakia
• Magyar Népföiskolai Társaság, Hungary
• Bildungshaus Zeppelin –Heimvolkshochschule Goslar, Germany

Regional learning partners in Lower-Saxony are:

• Agentur für Erwachsenen- und Weiterbildung Niedersachsen (Agency for Adult and Further Education in Lower Saxony),
• Evangelische Erwachsenenbildung Ostfriesland (Prostestant Adult Education East Frisia) and
• Ländliche Erwachsenenbildung Niedersachsen-Süd (Rural Adult Education Lower-saxony, Region South).

<//span>The European learning partners are: