Friends of the Young

Friends of the Young a Finnish specialist association and advocacy group on social services, was founded in 1907. Its head office is located in Oulu. Through its business group, the association provides special social and health services on a nation-wide basis.

The business group has approximately 650 employees working for the benefit of our clients – children and young people, people recovering from mental health problems or substance abuse, disabled persons – and their families.

Focus on the family, on schooling and on job training or other employment: these are the key elements in all our rehabilitation services. Pohjola School and Friends of the Young School, owned by the business group, as well as our partners in special vocational education provide a high standard of individually tailored learning.

Friends of the Young has got dozens of operating units and development and pilot projects all over Finland, all striving to offer a better tomorrow for children, young people, families and disabled persons, as well as for people recovering from intoxicant abuse or from a mental health problem. One of the main focuses of our development projects is social employment.