The EU funded Leader programme sets out proposals to involve local communities in developing and testing innovative approaches to integrated and sustainable rural development. The programme focuses on local development strategies drawn up and implemented by local action groups (LAG's), essentially local partnerships, involving representative sectors of the local community. These strategies are implemented through small-scale, innovative projects addressing local rural development issues in socially, economically and environmentally sustainable ways.
The area Weidse Veenweiden is situated west of the city of Utrecht, in the middle of the Netherlands. It can be characterised as a peri-urban area. The Leader method has been used in this area since 2002. In the period 2002 - 2008, as many as 41 projects have been implemented this way, using 1.96 million Euro Leader-funding for a total investment of 7.2 million Euro.
This successful programme has been continued for the new Leaderperiod 2007 - 2013. The Local Action Group has made a new development strategy for the area. With this development strategy they will further promote grass-root initatives that bolster regional identity and boost the vitality of the rural area of Weidse Veenweiden.
