Setting the direction for future planning
The General Assembly held at Lappia Hall in Rovaniemi on 6–7 June 2026 consisted of two intensive meeting days and engaging side programme. The event created valuable opportunities for participants from across Finland to meet and exchange ideas.
Discussions were lively both inside and outside the meeting hall. On Saturday, the Assembly elected members to the organisation’s Board and Council, and the future forum workshops held afterwards were used to further develop draft policies, motions, statements and speeches for Sunday. On Sunday, decisions were made on rule changes and strategy for 2027–2029.
The Assembly also adopted a statement, published at the end of the meeting day on Sunday, 7 June. The statement warns that development that increases inequality weakens societal resilience and emphasises the importance of safeguarding humanity and access to assistance as part of sustainable development.
All documents, along with the strategy are availabe in Finnish and Swedish on Volunteer Info: Yleiskokous 2026
The next General Assembly will be held in Mariehamn in June 2029.
Rule changes open doors for young people
In our district, we warmly welcomed the decisions on rule changes, according to which at least one member of both the district board and the organisation’s board must be under 29 years old when starting their term of office, i.e. a youth member.
Within HUP, we have strong experience of young people progressing to positions of trust at all levels when given the opportunity. We will continue to actively ensure that young people feel welcome and see these roles as suitable for them.
HUP representatives in the Red Cross Board and Council 2027–2029
The General Assembly elected Taika Vaulo (Pohjois- ja Keski-Helsingin osasto) as Vice Chair of the Red Cross Board.
Päivi Hurttia (Pohjois- ja Keski-Helsingin osasto) was elected to the Board from our district.
In the Council for 2027–2029, HUP has six representatives with deputies:
- Sami Koskinen (Jori Hurula)
- Päivi Vuorimaa (Ari Toiva)
- Håkan Malmlund (Tom Granqvist)
- Kaisu Tajakka (Pekka Piri)
- Gabriel Waller (Laura Musta)
- Eva Wester‑Mollgren (Anna‑Kaisa Ylitalo)
Warm congratulations to those elected!
What happens after the General Assembly?
The Assembly approved the strategic guidelines for the 2027–2029 period. During the summer and autumn, a budget and operational plan for the following year will be prepared based on these.
Planning will be developed into a continuous process communicated clearly to staff and volunteers. The aim is for regional and local plans to be aligned with the national plan, ensuring shared awareness of common goals. In autumn 2026, a new strategy tool will be introduced in the central administration to support systematic monitoring and leadership.
In the district, we invite branches to a joint goals evening on 14 September 2026. Each branch is encouraged to send 2–3 participants, either on-site at Haukilahden lukio or remotely. Registration is open in Oma until 6 September.