Municipality of Athienou

The municipality of Athienou is in the south edge of Mesaoria plain. During the Ottoman occupation itused to be a mid-road junction connecting the port of Larnaka with the capital Lefkosia. In Athienou the following educational institutions operate: nursery center, kindergarten, two elementary schools and a three-class high school. Towards the intellectual and aesthetic polishing of the people, contribute the Kallinikeio Municipal Museum, housed in the Municipal Hall, the Municipal Library,Konstantinelenio Center for Adults and private art workshops. Athienou exhibits an intense cultural life. Main conveyors of cultural activities are the Municipal Cultural Society, the Cultural Association of Rea and the Cultural Association of Malloura with choirs, dance and drama groups. Apart from the cultural services of the ministry of Education and Culture great support to these cultural groups are provided from the municipal Authorities. The municipal authorities offer their premises’ halls for art exhibitions and lectures.

Lighthouse in voluntarism

Athienou due to its challenging history and geographical location suffers from isolation and seeks to find solutions in the volunteering collaboration between its citizens. The Municipal Council of Volunteers mobilises the social potential of the local community to address local needs and harnessing the energy and capacity of local volunteers. The organisation's goals for the future are to identify further social needs within the municipality and to establish the necessary social programmes to tackle the challenges identified through the engagement of the community members in the development. Athienou's approach represents an inspiring social innovation that shows how a peripheral rural community has started to address local problems connected with the isolation of the area and taken the provision of various local services into "its own hands", through a strong culture of volunteerism. Athienou has a long tradition of volunteerism: The innovative Municipal Council of Volunteers (MVC) was established more than 50 years ago and evolved ever since, to mobilise the social potential of the local community, harnessing the energy and capacity of local volunteers. Athienou is planning to strengthen further the volunteerism tradition through the use of new digital technologies in the near future.

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Factsheet of Municipality of Athienou

Country

Cyprus

Type

remote

Degree of urbanization

Town or suburb

population of 7000

Check out the village strategy:

Local Plan of Athienou

Village Solutions

Change of street lighting with led lamps

All the lamps in the municipality roads have been changed with led-economical lamps, saving a lot of energy and improving the street lighting. With a loan of the municipality this was done in once by the appropriate electricity authority and only from the savings the loan will be repaid in 2 years.

Economy | Environment | Living

Good Practise of Volunteerism

Under the Municipal Volunteering Council of Athienou (MVC), which is governed by volunteers, function for volunteering programs, which are governed by volunteers. An Elder House, a Daily Care Centre, a Nursery school for infants and children and a Committee of Social Care. President of the MCV is the elected Mayor. Objectives of the MCV are to identify the social needs of the community and promoting the required social services, to mobilize community members to participate in developing and improving the quality of life and enlightening and educating the public over existing social needs and social services

Living | People | Services

Contact Information

Municipality of Athienou, mail@athienou.org.cy

https://www.athienou.org.cy/

EU Projects Department Touloupi Maria, municipality@athienou.org.cy