Bakken Nærmiljøsenter: Building Trust Through Everyday Community Presence

Good practice example from Norway

Bakken Nærmiljøsenter in Skien, Norway, is a volunteer-driven community centre that demonstrates how local spaces can become powerful tools for inclusion, belonging and social support. Its work is rooted in a simple but important idea: people need informal, welcoming and accessible places where they can meet, participate and feel part of a community.

The centre focuses especially on people with limited social networks and fewer resources, including residents from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Through low-threshold activities, Bakken creates opportunities for people to connect across differences and take part in community life on equal terms.

Its regular activities include weekly community cafés, food and clothing donations, and wellness-oriented excursions. These activities respond to concrete social needs, but they also do something equally important: they reduce loneliness and strengthen relationships through regular contact, shared experiences and mutual support.

A particularly relevant aspect of Bakken's work is its approach to youth engagement. Young people from local schools are involved as activity leaders, gaining experience in leadership, communication and responsibility. Through training and paid roles, they are not only participants in community life, but active contributors to a safer and more inclusive local environment.

One of the main challenges in the development of the centre was building trust and visibility within the community. This was not achieved through one-time activities, but through long-term presence and cooperation with schools, reception centres, municipal services and civil society actors. By remaining present and responsive, Bakken gradually became a recognisable and trusted community resource.

A highlighted example of this approach is Super Wednesdays, a collaborative after-school programme offering free activities and meals for primary school pupils. Implemented through partnerships between schools, NGOs and local services, the programme shows how different actors can work together to create accessible and supportive environments for children and young people.

The key lesson from Bakken Nærmiljøsenter is that trust takes time. Long-term community presence, cross-sector cooperation and informal spaces of encounter are essential for reaching vulnerable groups and ensuring meaningful participation.