Volunteering in the Rhön: Martin Henkel honors exemplary branch clubs!

Volunteering in the Rhön: Martin Henkel honors exemplary branch clubs!

Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Deutschland - On June 29, 2025, the time had come: In the plenary hall of the Thuringian state parliament, the CDU parliamentary group took place, in which Martin Henkel, member of the state parliament, awarded the committed Thuringian Rhönklub branch clubs with the honorary award. This event attracted around 200 guests and highlighted the important contributions to the volunteer work in the region. In his laudation, Henkel made it clear how indispensable the volunteering is for our society and how important the Rhönklub is in this context.

The Rhönklub, a hiking and home club, was founded in 1876 and today counts around 20,000 members in 77 branch associations that are spread over Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia. rhoenklub.de describes that the aim of the association is to drive the development of the Rhön as a hiking area and at the same time to preserve domestic nature. Child and youth work in particular is praised and shows the involvement of the club, nature closeness and hiking lust among young people.

A look at the diverse activities

The association offers a network of around 6,000 km of hiking trails through the picturesque Rhön. Volunteers ensure that these hiking trails remain marked and maintained so that they are accessible to tourists and locals. The voluntary commitment of the members is of crucial importance. This nursing work not only contributes to the preservation of nature, but also to the presence and attractiveness of the Rhön as a travel destination, as Henkel emphasized in his speech.

In the region, the Rhönklub relies on cooperation with municipalities to operate hiking huts and ensure hiking trail entertainment. The generalized idea behind it: nature is to be experienced in order to promote awareness of the domestic landscape and its preservation.

volunteering as the foundation of society

But what exactly is volunteering? Deutsches-ehrenamt.de explains that volunteering comprises voluntary, free work for an organization. Around 31 million people in Germany are active in this way and make their contribution to the common good - from the children's trainer to support from the fire brigade to the cooperation in non -profit association. The volunteering not only promotes social life, but also enriches one's own life through new friendships and personal development.

The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group, which not only promotes the awarding of the honorary office, but also anchored volunteering as a state goal in the constitution, shows how important this form of engagement is for society. Around 800,000 Thuringian volunteer, which underpins the great importance of the volunteer in this region.

Ultimately, the award of the Rhönklub branch associations not only recognizes their special achievements, but is also a sign of respect for all those who are free to get involved. The commitment to nature and community is estimated in many areas and is an important foundation of society.