Community and vitality in Hundsjö – Village of the year

Community associations play a vital role in making Boden an attractive place to live, work, and thrive. Across the municipality, there is a strong spirit of commitment driven by people who devote their time, energy, and passion to their villages and local associations. A shining example is the village of Hundsjö, located about 20 kilometres outside Boden. Hundsjö was named Village of the Year in the Municipality of Boden in recognition of its community association’s ability to foster inclusion and togetherness, as well as its exemplary gender-balanced board.

The village has 55 permanent residents, along with many seasonal homeowners. There is considerable interest from people wishing to move to Hundsjö, but vacant houses are rarely available.

“And if a house does go up for sale, it’s usually sold before it even reaches the market,” says Lena Karlberg, Chair of the Hundsjö Village Association.

As we talk, people begin arriving one by one at the cosy community hall. Young people, seniors, men, women, summer residents, and even visitors commuting from Boden gather for the evening. The diverse group and the community hall itself perfectly illustrate the sense of belonging and the importance of local associations in Boden’s villages. The hall is much more than just a building—it is a place where people meet, get to know one another, and build lasting relationships.

A Wide Range of Activities

In Hundsjö, the community calendar is filled with activities throughout the year, including café evenings, a traditional fermented herring feast, Christmas porridge gatherings, palt dinners (a local potato dumpling specialty), Waffle Day celebrations, Midsummer festivities, and a catered appreciation dinner for everyone who volunteers throughout the year.

The village recently hosted a pike fishing festival, and later this autumn it will organise the first-ever Northern Villages Flea Market, with several neighbouring villages taking part on the same day. There is something happening every month, in addition to the weekly pétanque evenings, which have attracted around a dozen participants this evening despite the rainy weather.

Strong Community Commitment

But how do so few people manage to organise so much? And what drives people in rural communities to stay so engaged?

“We just keep at it,” Lena says with a smile.

Together, the villagers explain that when you live in a small village, you have to create the things you want yourself. You can’t wait for someone else to do it for you. And perhaps most importantly:

“Because it’s so much fun!”

Support for Rural Villages

The voluntary work carried out in Boden’s villages makes an invaluable contribution, both to people’s leisure time and to the social fabric of rural communities. Hundsjö is one of several villages that has received municipal operating grants for rural community halls as well as the municipality’s village development funding.

Through these grants, the Municipality of Boden aims to give local associations better opportunities to continue their important work. By supporting dedicated volunteers, active community organisations, and local meeting places, the municipality helps create vibrant villages and a community where people choose to stay, grow, and feel at home.

Congratulations once again to Hundsjö on being named Village of the Year!