Ten kilometers from the U. S. Steel complex is the village of Cestice with approximately 900 inhabitants. Our grant program Together for the Region also helped here. In the center of the village, the area of the municipal park has come to life, which is especially enjoyed by families with children. We were convinced of this with our own eyes recently, during its opening ceremony and a nice program prepared for us by children from the local kindergarten and elementary school.

"The impulse to improve the municipal park arose at the request of residents who lacked the opportunity to spend their free time actively and in the community. In the village, we have long perceived the need to improve the quality of public space and create a dignified and safe space for relaxation and social life," says the mayor of the village, Ladislav Viszlay, who is also an employee of USSK in DZ Energetika (third from the left in the photo).

A lot of music for little money

A Slovak proverb says: Little music for little money. In this case, however, this is not the case, there is definitely a lot of music here. What the village managed to build on a large fenced area surprised us. The relaxation area consists of a gazebo with seating. The dominant feature of the entertainment part is a wooden house with slides, set on one of the trees. A complex playground with swings, trapezes, slides and two zipline cable cars has been built here. There are also structures with climbing elements that support children's movement, coordination and balance.

Almost all work was carried out on their own. Volunteers from the ranks of the inhabitants of the village, many of whom are employees of USSK, joined forces with the employees of the municipality, the civic association V plus, the local organization Csemadok in Cestice, as well as employees of the municipality performing community service. The municipality received part of the material from partners, whether wood or corrugated pipe, which is used for road construction, and a tunnel was created from it, which is popular with the little ones. Recycled waste containers that would otherwise end up in a landfill have also found use here. Thanks to the wooden cladding, they fit naturally into the park environment.

In the photo, Loránt Gazsi from DZ Energetika, Ladislav Aboši - a member of the municipal council, Dávid Aboši and Tomáš Pósa from DZ Teplá Valcovňa and Milan Jusko, a member of the municipal council, who worked many hours in the park with other volunteers.

Local character of the project

"A young local carpenter, Dávid Aboši, who works at DZ Teplá valcovňa, participated in the production of wooden components of playground elements and park furniture.
For example, the structures of gazebos, benches, birdhouses and insect houses passed through his hands. He also renovated the old carousel, which was dismantled more than 15 years ago. His work underlines the authentic and local character of this project," revealed Ladislav Viszlay. An interesting fact is that wood from risky trees, removed during the remediation of the park, was also used for the production of wooden components. For example, a bicycle rack was created from the entire trunk. Even the bark from the felled trees was not wasted, it served as organic mulch. The trees returned to the park in a different form.

"We perceive the USSK Together for the Region grant program as an extremely valuable and effective tool for supporting local initiatives, which enables the implementation of meaningful projects with a real impact on the quality of life in the region. The grant contributed not only financially, but also motivationally – it created space for belonging and active civic engagement," says the mayor of the village.

The project was called The Heart of the Village of Cestice. There is no other way but to point out that the locals have put a piece of their heart into it.

Photogallery: František Gregor / archive of the village of Cestice