A Clearer Path to Services in Lagging Areas

Date: 23.03.2026
By: SOSPHERE
Across many parts of Central Europe, essential health and social services already exist – but far too many people still struggle to reach them. In the lagging and peripheral areas of Labin, Beltinci and the Santa Bona district of Treviso, older adults, vulnerable groups, and families often face a maze of unclear information, disconnected providers, and limited support in using digital tools. As a result, services that could improve daily life remain underused, creating a sense of frustration, isolation, and uncertainty.
SOSPHERE was created to change this. Rather than adding new services, the project focuses on making existing ones easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to use. Project partners from Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia will begin our activities by taking a close look at each territory, mapping local health and social services and listening directly to the people who rely on them most. Through interviews, workshops, and community engagement, they will gather stories of residents who weren’t sure where to turn, who felt overwhelmed by bureaucracy, or who simply didn’t know that certain forms of support even existed.
From these conversations, a shared picture will for sure emerge: access is not failing because services were absent – but because the pathways to them are unclear. Information is scattered across multiple offices, websites, and institutions. Digital portals are available, but often too complex for people with low digital confidence. Providers are doing their best, but not always connected with one another. And for many older adults living alone, the effort required to navigate the system is simply too great.

To respond to this, SOSPHERE will set out to build something simple yet transformative: community‑based one‑stop‑shops, co‑designed together with citizens, service providers, and local authorities. These spaces – whether digital, physical, or both – will act as trusted entry points where people can receive clear guidance, understand what support they are entitled to, and build the confidence needed to engage with services.

In Labin, this will take the form of a new digital platform accompanied by in‑person assistance and printed materials. In Beltinci, it will be integrated into the new Community Intergenerational Centre, where trained staff can support older adults with practical, social, and digital needs. In Treviso’s Santa Bona district, the focus is on rebuilding networks of support within a rapidly changing neighbourhood.

The goal throughout is consistent: to make access simple, human, and local. By improving the way services are communicated and by ensuring that guidance is available in a friendly, accessible way, SOSPHERE helps people feel less alone in navigating their health and social needs. It gives public authorities a clearer understanding of what their communities require. And it strengthens the connection between institutions, providers, and citizens, making the whole system work more smoothly.

As the project continues, the insights gained in the three pilot areas will feed into a wider strategy for Central Europe – a roadmap for how any region facing demographic decline, ageing populations, or limited connectivity can improve access to essential services. The long‑term vision is simple yet ambitious: a future where no one’s wellbeing depends on where they live, and where every person can reach the support they need with clarity and confidence.