Hämeenlinna club gives adults a place to play

A free club in Hämeenlinna offers adults a place to play games, make things and meet others, Yle reports. The ILOO club was founded by local resident Kiti Keski-Petäjä and began meeting this autumn.

Keski-Petäjä started the group because she wanted activities and a community outside her home. “I am unable to work, so I cannot join a workplace community,” she said. The club is open to all adults, with no requirement to attend regularly.

Members can play games, do crafts, hold story sessions or simply talk. They can also bring a toy or another object that is important to them, which Keski-Petäjä says can help people introduce themselves and feel connected.

Jeremias Lehto, who is in his thirties, came to meet people and find company. He said he was glad to have a place without an upper age limit, unlike youth centres. Another member, Samuli Rytkönen, said the club offered more shared activity than staying at home alone.

Eleven people attended the first meeting. The club now meets on Fridays at Hämeenlinna main library and every other Thursday at Kantolan Loftori. Keski-Petäjä hopes the idea could spread elsewhere in the city and across Finland.