SOS Children's Village Tapiola
The first Finnish SOS Children's Village was built in Tapiola, a suburb of Espoo, in 1966. Tapiola, also called the Garden City, is located 12 kilometers from Helsinki and can be reached in about 15 minutes by car from the city centre. The SOS Children's Village is surrounded by a birch forest.
The family houses and the Community House, built in red-brick, fit harmoniously into the neighborhood. The Village is combined of semi-detached houses and a few houses outside the Village area. There are several secondary schools and high schools as well as vocational schools and a university nearby the Children's Village. The youngsters are given individual support in making their decisions about their education and housing.
There are several options for leisure activities for the children and youngsters. The Children's Village itself offers for example various sports. There are also different sports associations and musical institutes as well as youth organizations nearby which offer everyone the possibility to find his/her own hobby.