A good example of how Steen & Strøm’s shopping centers cooperate and interact with the community in which we are established is the cooperation between Galleria Boulevard in central Kristianstad and the tenant Youngstival, a unique non-profit organization that focuses on youth development and social sustainability. Youngstival's premises of over 520 square meters in the mall means a lot to the organization, which is aimed at young people aged 15-20.

Our central, accessible location means that youth from the local schools can easily visit us after class. It has also enabled co-operation and collaboration with the local business community, municipality, schools, and universities. Many people pass by the mall and Youngstival every day, which increases our visibility,“ says Tim Omorogieva, Founder and Chairman of Youngstival.

Youngstival offers young people a meaningful leisure time and the close co-operation with Galleria Boulevard works very well according to Tim Omorogieva.

The youngsters who visit us are often very creative and support Galleria Boulevard with photography and filming. When there are events in the mall, they also contribute as volonteers. This co-operation build trust and creates motivation. After school, the kids visit us, do their homework, socialize, and maybe take part in an evening workshop, for example a music studio or an opportunity to work on your CV, says Tim Omorogieva.

Many of our events in the mall are based on a collaboration with the local youth of Youngstival. The collaborations create vitality and so much joy both for us and for our visitors, says Linda Borgström, Center Manager at Galleria Boulevard. In addition, this work is within the framework of our corporate ESG work within Steen & Strøm, Act4Good, where we, among other things, act to contribute to the communities or places where our business is located.

Our organization, which is made up of young people, and our location in the city center make us unique. Our manager is 21 years old and the older youths in the organization act as role models for the younger ones. Many visitors from other municipalities all over Sweden, as well as UN Global Goals ambassadors, have visit us and I am happy that we can inspire others to create a meaningful leisure time for today’s youth, says Tim Omorogieva.