Liepāja Allocates 50,000 Euros to Civil Society — Even More Than It Spends on Sound Insulation for Holy Trinity Cathedral's Organ

Liepāja's municipality has announced with almost royal gestures that it will allocate 50,000 euros to civil society organizations, which is about as surprising as the news that Holy Trinity Cathedral's organ can be heard even in the courtyard. This funding is intended for developing a healthy, inclusive and safe society, which in Riga would be as exotic as snowstorms in July.

The competition conditions are as clear as Liepāja's wind on a winter night — organizations can apply for non-formal education programs, leisure activities and promoting civic participation. Last year, 15 out of 32 submitted projects were approved, which is almost as good a result as Liepāja's football team's success against Riga clubs.

"We are thrilled about such support," says Ausma, head of the local organization "Active Pensioners." "Now we can finally organize quality events instead of just listening to cathedral organ sounds from the street." These organs, by the way, are the largest in the Baltics, and their sound is so powerful it can be heard even in the courtyard — almost like our civil society after such funding.

Applications must be submitted by April 8th electronically, as the municipality has realized that paper documents don't survive longer than five minutes in Liepāja's wind. Information is available on the municipality's website, which works more reliably than Riga's public transport during a snowstorm.