Gardelegen Youth Club: A second home for our young people!

Gardelegen Youth Club: A second home for our young people!

In Gardelegen, the youth club is more than just a place for young people. Together with the city, events are organized here that enrich community life, such as Children's Day, concerts and barbecue evenings. Mayor Mandy Schumacher emphasizes the role of these voluntary offers, which make a decisive contribution to the quality of life in the city. “A loss of such facilities could seriously endanger the city,” she warns. Without the support of the city, child and youth work in the youth club would no longer be possible because the facility does not have its own social workers and relies on external specialists to meet the needs of the young people.

Martin Holz, head of the youth club, sees his institution as a multi-generational house that serves as a meeting place for everyone. Here, young people can become active and develop their talents in creative workshops such as music rehearsals, dance courses and pottery. It is important that all offers are tailored to the wishes of the young people. This creates an environment in which young people feel seen and taken seriously. “Many people come here every day after school,” notes Holz.

A second home

Positive feedback from young people shows how important the youth club is to them. John, 18 years old, describes how much he was able to make new friends. His colleague Marvin, also 18, emphasizes: “I received support here with personal problems.” For many, the youth club is like a second home, a place where they can feel safe.

Holz has a good knack for youth work and knows that such offers are invaluable, especially in rural areas. Young people should be given the chance to realize themselves creatively and experience community. This effort is also supported by the federal program “Multigenerational House – Together – For Each Other”. As part of this program, a special focus is placed on promoting reading, writing and arithmetic skills in order to increase the level of basic education in Germany by 2026. The goal is that people with low literacy in particular can integrate better into society.

Funding opportunities and networks

The multi-generational houses, such as the youth club in Gardelegen, are intended to act as central contact points. They not only support basic education, but also help create strong local networks. During the current funding period, you can apply for up to 14,000 euros in additional funds. This innovative support requires the integration of social environments and familiar places as learning spaces in order to ensure a high level of effectiveness, as Bafza describes.

The youth club in Gardelegen not only contributes to education, but is also perceived as a place that promotes social skills and strengthens the community. In this sense, it is to be hoped that young people will continue to take advantage of the diverse offerings and thus be able to actively participate in society.

The importance of such facilities for the future is undisputed. They are not just an association of offers, but a real heart of the community, as is BMFSFJ.