The Guided Functional Peer Support (GFP) model, coordinated by Kukunori and recognised in the EU Best Practice Portal, will expand to four new countries as part of the REMESOS – Resilient and Mentally Healthy Societies project. Over the next three years, the model will be implemented in Greece, Slovakia, Portugal, and Bosnia Herzegovina, supporting community-based approaches to strengthen mental health across Europe.
REMESOS (2025–2028) aims to build mentally healthy and resilient societies by combining practical action and knowledge. The project brings together 12 organisations from nine countries across different sectors to develop a framework for measuring positive mental health at the European level, while strengthening community-based systems that promote wellbeing and social inclusion.
Drawing on years of experience in developing and applying innovative community-based approaches to mental health, Kukunori brings to REMESOS its expertise as the “best practice owner” of the Guided Functional Peer Support (GFP) model. This belief in humanity, inclusion, and creativity is not only central to Kukunori’s philosophy – it forms the very foundation of the GFP model itself.
“The GFP model has evolved from a national, community-based innovation into an international learning platform that empowers organisations to create diagnosis-free, peer-led spaces for hope, creativity, and belonging. Through REMESOS, this vision expands across Europe – towards communities where mental health is built together in everyday life, culture, and action,” says Markus Raivio, Executive Director of Kukunori and founder of the GFP model.
In practice, Kukunori supports partner countries in implementing and adapting the GFP model in their local communities, providing training and mentoring through a digital platform and online meetings. The evaluation and digital monitoring of the model will also be further developed using Kukunori’s Pokka wellbeing evaluation platform.
“Our experiences in Finland, Kenya, and the UK have shown that the GFP model adapts well to different contexts and needs – because at its heart is the community itself. The ready made training structures, materials, and support make it easy for organisations to start implementing the core elements of the model in new environments,” Raivio explains.
From the very beginning, the growth of the GFP model has been driven by people, communities, and networks – those who bring the model to life in their own contexts and cultures.
“We want to thank everyone who has been part of this journey so far – especially the amazing Kukunori team, the Culture House network in Finland, our European partners, and all those who continue the GFP story in Greece, Slovakia, Portugal, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
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The REMESOS consortium brings together 12 organisations from nine countries, forming an exceptional alliance that includes: EuroHealthNet, Gamian Europe, Maastricht University, Trimbos Institute, European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations, Prolepsis Institute, Mental Health League of Slovakia, Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Amadora, Institute for Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia, and the Danish Committee for Health Education.
Through REMESOS, Kukunori shows that the foundations of mental health are built in communities – not only in healthcare systems. The GFP model embodies how creativity, participation, and local action can grow into a shared European movement for wellbeing. Kukunori coordinates the international implementation of the GFP model, taking responsibility for its dissemination, training, and continuous development, and ensuring its effective adaptation across different countries and communities.
Learn more about the REMESOS project:
https://www.efpa.eu/efpa-joins-remesos-project-kick-meeting-brussels
https://eurohealthnet.eu/publication/remesos-resilient-and-mentally-healthy-societies/
