They know the needs of local communities best
Today (30 May), village leaders in the Toruń district will receive badges emphasising the rank and importance of their position. The Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano-Pomeraniensis medal will be awarded to Bolesław Szczechowski, village leader of Warszewice in the municipality of Łubianka, who is serving his eighth term (uninterrupted for 30 years). Marshal Piotr Całbecki will meet with rural leaders at the Marshal’s Office.
There are 2,304 village leaders in Kujawsko-Pomorskie. The regional government recognises them as important partners who, among other things, support the marshal’s administration in the implementation of territorial policy. In December 2024, the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Council of Village Leaders, appointed by the regional government, was established. It is a 120-member body created on the basis of recommendations from commune heads, which is an advisory body to the provincial marshal on issues related to rural development, including the marshal’s participatory budget within the community-led local development (CLLD) mechanism and important projects implemented by local action groups (LAGs).
‘We want village leaders, who are most familiar with the problems and needs of local communities, to have a significant influence on the management of funds allocated for this purpose,’ emphasises Marshal Piotr Całbecki.
Today’s meeting is another event of this type. Previously, in 2023, village leaders from the districts of Aleksandrów, Lipno, Golub-Dobrzyń, Rypin, Mogilno, Inowrocław and Bydgoszcz received the badges.
Bolesław Szczechowski, awarded the Marshal’s Medal Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano-Pomeraniensis, is not only a conscientious official, but also a committed social activist. He sits on the Łubianka Commune Council (11th term!) and the local parish council (since 2006). On his initiative, the local primary school was saved from closure and the building it occupies was thoroughly renovated; a playground and sports field were also built in Warszewice. He himself considers the construction of the local church and the fact that the villagers worked voluntarily on its construction to be his greatest success. His plans include the creation of a meeting place for residents (a community centre) and a rural social housing initiative, as well as the construction of a gym for the primary school in Warszewice.
Beata Krzemińska
spokesperson for the Marshal’s Office
30 May 2025