Suomen Latu

Cental Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities in Finland

Suomen Latu – the Finnish Central Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities – is a promoter of outdoor activities, an expert in hiking and an organisation which is open to all. There are already more than 75 000 members – children, teenagers, single people, families, adults, seniors – who are active in more than 200 member associations.

The main objective of Suomen Latu has always been to increase Finnish people’s interest in exercise as well as developing possibilities for outdoor, conditioning and recreational exercise. Nowadays guarding everyman’s right has become more and more important.

Other subject matters that are addressed include preserving everyman’s right; promoting outdoor and health beneficial exercise in the society; making outdoor activities and exercise more accessible in municipalities; the quantity and quality of hiking routes and walkways; providing opportunities for children and teenagers for healthy recreational activities; organizing possibilities for exercise for the whole family; Increasing well-being in the society.

Suomen Latu and its member associations have a vision that Suomen Latu is known as an established expert in outdoor activities and hiking, and as an open-to-all citizens’ organization advocating the cause of all outdoor enthusiasts. In 2015 the Finnish people will use more time on outdoor activities which are more versatile than today.

In the future, According to Mr. Eki Karlsson, the executive director of Suomen Latu, the organization will concentrate even more on children, teenagers and families – not forgetting the seniors. Also engaging young adults in the organizations operations and activities is vital. “We will continue promoting regular, year-round exercise and outdoor activities for people of all ages”, Mr. Karlsson says.

Although Suomen Latu mainly works in Finland, since 1997 steps towards becoming an INGO has been taken. During 1997-2001 Suomen Latu carried out a development cooperation project in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania. Since 2006 Suomen Latu has worked with Nepalese NGO, NETIF, to start an outdoor activities related development cooperation program in the Kathmandu Valley. You can learn more about the project from here.