The implementation of 6 projects in the villages and 5 ideas in the town with financial support from Breznik Municipality and "Asarel-Investment" is planned
13/04/2022
Eleven local initiatives will receive financial support from Breznik Municipality and Asarel-Investment EAD in 2022. The funds come from a donation the company traditionally provides to the Municipality at the beginning of the year through a Cooperation Agreement.
The selection of proposals for funding was made following a public call to all those wishing to participate in a pre-announced procedure. An important condition was that the planned activities should be related to the municipality of Breznik and the monetary value of the projects should not exceed BGN 4 000. On this basis, an unusually high number of initiatives were requested during the application period. This made it very difficult to decide how to support more ideas. The decision is based on previously published criteria and is taken by a committee, appointed by the Mayor of Breznik. It is composed of representatives of both parties to the Cooperation Agreement - Asarel-Investment and Breznik Municipality, as well as a civil representative proposed by the Municipality. This led to the approval of 11 small projects that will be supported with financial resources in the amount between BGN 2 000 and BGN 3 000. Only one of the projects stated that it needs a smaller amount, so it will have 1 500 BGN.
Two renovations have been postponed since last year and are expected to be completed in the coming months. These are the renovation of the fountain in Velkovtsi village and the renovation of part of the community centre in Sadovik village. Similar to these projects, two more villages will be working on renovating their public fountains in 2022 - Begunovtsi and Breznik Spring. The village of Slakovtsi, like Sadovik, will be making renovations before celebrating the 90th anniversary of its community center.
Statistics show that the Chitalishtes are the organisations that most often receive support under the Cooperation Treaty. This is because they are the most active in creating projects and receive the most proposals. Back over the years, the community centres in Sopica, Noevtsi, Velkovtsi, Begunovtsi, Dolna Sekirna and Gigintsi have received support. The approved projects for 2022 are the community centres in Sadovik and Slakovci, which are applying for funding for the first time.
It is characteristic of the projects approved this year that the committee highly appreciated ideas related to encouraging creative expression. For example, the Breznik school project aims to stimulate children's interest in music. The idea of the Municipal History Museum is to present evidence of the lifestyle and culture of the urban population of Breznik at the beginning of the last century in an attractive way.
The Breznik Community Centre is planning "To show the beauty of Bulgarian folklore with songs, dances and costumes". The local club "Travellers in the ethnography of Graovo" will make a collection "Legends and legends from Breznik". And the organisers of the Vidovdencheta festival can count on support for another year to strengthen the event dedicated to children's creativity.
The village of Noevtsi has united around the idea of turning a neglected place into a meeting place and a presentation of the Survak tradition. This proposal has been given the green light, with which "Asarel-Investment" and the Municipality of Breznik support the enthusiasm of local activists. However, to realize the project in its entirety, additional financial resources, materials and a lot of voluntary work will be needed. It is planned to build a pergola with benches, lighting, landscaping and a full-length statue of a merman.
The cooperation agreement between Asarel-Investment and Breznik Municipality has been signed every year since 2017. It includes a donation of 50 000 BGN, with the aim of achieving development, creating new opportunities for the residents of the municipality and fully realizing the local potential. Half of the funds are directed towards small projects, such as the ideas listed for 2022. The other half is used for a major infrastructure project proposed by the Municipality of Breznik.
The annual contract is just one of the ways in which Asarel-Investment provides support to the municipality in which it is investing. In Breznik the company is represented through its subsidiary Trace Resources Ltd.