Hans-Herbert Böhme is enthusiastic. The president of the Gifhorn District Sports Federation sees great need within the member clubs. And Stephanie Manske, the district’s volunteer coordinator, uses the example of more than 60 Awo self-help groups to illustrate that this offer from Sparkasse Celle-Gifhorn-Wolfsburg can certainly be put to use. This means a new volunteer room, which clubs and initiatives can book now – free of charge.
Need a place for a board meeting, talk quietly about a specific project with the people involved – or even have regular meetings of association, division, initiative: it was sometimes not that easy until now . “We always had inquiries from groups outside the regional sports federation as well,” Bohme said. And Sparksey was asked over and over again. “Once upon a time the idea was to do this in our own space. But it is difficult to let strangers into the security zone after business hours,” said Dr. Patrick Kuchelmeister, board member of Sparkasse.
These difficulties do not exist in the volunteer room at the Gifhorn on Herbert-Trautmann-Platz. In a GWG building, which according to board member Andreas Otto used to be a post office, then a vegetable shop and finally an outpatient care service, volunteers can meet in the future. Prerequisites: You are logged in. It works from now on via e-mail, the Sparkasse website and via a QR code that is linked to the door of the volunteer room. Preliminary inquiries have been made. Usage is coordinated by Ann-Katherine Suhrkamp, the head of the board of directors of SPARKUS.
The Volunteer Room provides space for about 20 people. It is modern and brightly furnished, with a small adjoining room and fully equipped kitchenette. But it shouldn’t compete with gastronomy, Dr. Kuchelmeister. Volunteers in the kitchen should be able to prepare snacks and drinks at their meetings. Of course there is toilet and convention technology. A projector hangs from the ceiling and WiFi is available. The room can be used till 10 pm. It should be left clean after use – but Sparkasse will take care of basic cleaning.
Sparksey, who Dr. Kuchelmeister, which has about 500 volunteers himself, wants the space to give volunteers more room to maneuver – plus about two million euros that will be used annually to promote voluntary work. For GWG, according to Otto, the space also provides an opportunity for neighborhood groups in the southern part of the city to meet within their active neighborhood management.
Another surprise occurred during the official opening of the Volunteer Cell: District Administrator Dr. Andreas Abel and Dr. Patrick Kuchelmeister presented Dr. a check for 4,000 euros. Klaus Mister from the city of Gifhorn. The money should go to the children’s fund “Little Children Always Satisfied”.
by Thorsten Behrens
