ManiMiitti - Participatory budgeting
ManiMiitti is a participatory budgeting process developed by the City of Espoo Youth Services. ManiMiitti gives Espoo’s lower secondary school pupils a chance to have a say on matters related to their neighbourhoods and leisure activities. ManiMiitti engages young people and offers them a channel for participation. Young people’s ideas matter! ManiMiitti kicks off in February–March with an online ideas survey for pupils in grades 7–9. By participating in the ManiMiitti ideas survey, pupils can suggest activities to be organised by Youth Services, for example at youth centres. In April, pupils get to vote online for their favourite ideas. The ideas that receive the most votes will be carried out at youth centres and in their vicinity during autumn 2025. Each greater area in Espoo has a budget of EUR 10,000 for the implementation of the ideas.
Ideas survey in February–March
Youth workers organised an online ideas survey for Espoo’s lower secondary school pupils (13–16-year-olds) between 24 February and 16 March. Through the survey, young people could suggest activities to be organised by Youth Services, for example at youth centres, in the autumn.
Voting in April
We received a total of 595 responses to the ManiMiitti ideas survey. From 7 to 28 April, young people at Espoo’s lower secondary schools could vote for their favourite ideas. A total of 3,140 votes were cast.
Results of the vote
These are the 2025 ManiMiitti ideas, listed in order based on the number of votes they received:
1. Cooking and food (69%)
2. Sports and exercise (66%)
3. Outdoor activities and trips (62%)
4. Gaming and related equipment (54%)
5. Events and theme nights (54%)
6. Competitions and tournaments (47%)
7. Making youth centres more inviting (46%)
8. Overnight activities at youth centres (41%)
9. Promotion of health and wellbeing (33%)
10. Music and instruments (28%)
Youth workers will carry out the ideas that received the most votes at youth centres and in their vicinity during autumn 2025. Each greater area in Espoo has a budget of EUR 10,000 for the implementation of the ideas. Our youth centres and social media channels will provide more information on the implementation of the ManiMiitti ideas in the autumn.
ManiMiitti is organised in cooperation between Youth Services and schools. Parties and operators linked to the young people’s ManiMiitti ideas will also be included in the process. Young people play an important role at all stages of the ManiMiitti process. Young people come up with ideas, vote on their favourites, and finally participate in the implementation of the chosen ideas.