Civil association Topľanská Lúčka received a grant from the Together for the Region program for the project There are no cakes without work. Anna Sopková, project coordinator, talked about how the idea of connecting the floorball club and improving the village of Lúčka in the Svidník district came about.
"The name of the project describes everything we wanted to achieve. Thanks to the grant we received, we are doing well. Our civil association Topľanská Lúčka managed to establish a floorball club for boys in the village and thanks to grant programmes we were able to take club ’s "playing on the street" to another level - now they can train regularly and take part in friendly competitions. Our floorball club FBK Lúčka also needed funds for its progress to purchase training equipment that would enrich the fitness training of our young athletes. That's why we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to join the Together for the Region program. And so that the boys don't think it's that easy, we involved them in the work. We wanted to show them, that everything that will be bought and made possible for them thanks to the grant, has to be earned. This is precisely why we named the project There are no cakes without work. They understood it and accepted it with great joy, which is also seen in their participation in brigades for the improvement of the village and environmental protection not only within land area of Lúčka. Garbage collection and good behavior in nature already become a matter of course for them, which they also pass on to their classmates and friends. We also involved other partners in the project, and even our seniors from civil association JDS Lúčka contributed to the improvement of the village. They are a role model and inspiration for us."
Thanks to the received grant, civil association bought training tools for floorball players and new representative jerseys with accessories. The fact that floorball players are doing well is proven by the recent beautiful second place in the floorball tournament in Svidník.
As part of the project, several brigades have already taken place. Volunteers and children cleaned the recreation zone that "grew up" in the village, cleaned the banks of the stream flowing through the village, planted rose beds and thus improved places for relaxation. Civil association involves FBK Lúčka floorball players, pupils of the Private Elementary School in Giraltovce, as well as seniors from civil association JDS Lúčka. Our colleague František Tkáč and his family also contribute with volunteer work. Civil association Topľanská Lúčka is waiting for the organization of other planned activities from the project: re-cleaning the surroundings, a lecture regarding nature protection and preservation, training activities for young floorball players and a December exhibition of art works by children from the village and the surrounding area. It will be called Nature is calling us and, as usual, the work will be focused on ecology.
Anna Sopková emphasizes that environmental protection is a priority for them.
"We are not done with this project and we will continue not only in education, but also in the implementation of ideas, of which we still have many, and we believe that we will be successful thanks to such grant programs as yours. They can help where it is needed and where we cannot otherwise get funds. Grant programs allow us, civil associations, to progress and fulfill the goals for which we were created."
The photos in the gallery show the floorball players of FBK Lúčka and volunteer activities aimed at improving the land area of Lúčka.