Press release
Varakļānu attīstībai expands digital support for the local community
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Varakļānu attīstībai is expanding its digital support for small businesses, self-employed people, home producers, associations and community initiatives in the town of Varakļāni and the parishes of Varakļāni and Murmastiene. Alongside help with websites and social media, local people can now request an email address with a local identity and support with sharing event materials.
The aim is to support the community’s digital development and make local work, products, services and initiatives easier to find online. Support is also intended for people who do not yet have a website or experience of using digital tools.
Websites social media and email with a local identity
The association can help create a simple, mobile-friendly website with a description of the activity, images and contact details. This includes preparing the website for search engines and hosting it on the association’s server. Example addresses include name.varaklaniem.lv and varaklaniem.lv/name; a separate domain can also be used with the necessary basic configuration.
Support also includes creating and organising Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts, updating contact details, linking them to a website and using Meta Business Suite. Ongoing maintenance, content creation and administration are assessed individually.
A new option is to request an email address such as name@varaklaniem.lv to highlight a connection with the Varakļāni area in everyday communication. Email is provided through the association’s managed Google Workspace environment with the familiar Gmail interface. Compatible external email applications may also be connected, depending on the account settings and application capabilities.
Associations, community activists and event organisers can also receive help organising shared files, including posters, programmes and other materials for public events and local initiatives. Access can be separated between working-group documents and materials intended for public use. The association’s activated Google Workspace for Nonprofits adds to these communication and collaboration options.
From digital ideas to practical tools
One completed project is the Varakļāni digital tourism guide, created for the Varakļāni Tourist Information Centre. It helps visitors explore local attractions and tourism opportunities. A digital version of the TIC route “Izmet loku cauri Varakļāniem!” also lets visitors scan a QR code with their phone camera and take the walking or cycling route with them.
Digital tourism guide: https://tic.varaklaniem.lv/
Work has also begun on a digital archive of the local newspaper “Varakļōnīts”. Anyone can read the issues already published online and use the search function to find words and topics within their contents. The archive is being expanded gradually, making records of local life more accessible to residents and people interested in local history.
“Varakļōnīts” digital archive: https://varaklaniem.lv/avize/
These projects show how digital tools can support everyday communication, promote local opportunities and preserve community memory.
Attention to digital security
Security is considered when developing solutions. Websites use HTTPS, while support with accounts includes appropriate access permissions and two-factor authentication where available. Access restrictions and protections against malicious bot activity are used on the association’s server, and software security updates are applied regularly.
Basic website and social media setup is offered free of charge within the association’s available resources. More complex solutions, ongoing maintenance, email and file-sharing options are assessed individually. Domain registration and renewal, advertising and external paid services are not included in the free basic support.
Anyone interested is invited to contact the association and briefly describe their activity and the support they need.
Full offer: https://varaklaniem.lv/en/digital-support/
The association’s new website at https://varaklaniem.lv/en/ also presents completed projects, publications, community communication channels, Varakļāni visual identity materials and plans for a local business directory. The website is available in Latvian and English.
Download the press release in Latvian Word document
Download the publicity image
Further information: Viktors Vilkaušs