YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
Non-profit institutions and associations, such as school and kindergarten support organisations and even local authority departments, with projects they need to finance can apply to the Stiftung Sparda-Bank Hannover foundation for help with funding. Beginning in 2007, the foundation has already provided money for the construction of small playgrounds that it is possible to construct them within a single day. One of the preconditions for funding is that there should be a local community' group actively involved. Campaigns are publicised with the help of a local radio station, which continues to report on project progress and the actual construction process, from first turn of the shovel through to completion. Those lucky enough to attract financial support usually celebrate the opening of their new playground with a spontaneous neighbourhood party, ensuring that all local residents will be able to identify with the new playground. Over a period of eight years, more than 80 playgrounds have been thus created in the region covered by the foundation to the benefit of families with children.
The foundation decided that it was time to extend its original concept in 2015. So again with the help of the local radio station ffn, the fantasy play park programme was launched in 2016. It is left to a team consisting of children to decide what equipment should be installed and how the play area should be themed. Several local authorities compete with each other to be the beneficiary of this major handout. In a recent instance, the playground equipment manufacturer playparc GmbH subsequently developed and realised the integrated concept for the final winner. Various factors had to be taken into account; the variety of equipment that would be suitable for children and young people in a wide age range, from 2 - 17 years old, while there were also requirements with regard to site landscaping and equipment types.
There was also one special feature of the project - the winning communities themselves lent a constructive hand and actually managed to put much in place in no time. Thus there were many volunteer helpers from the local area.
There were three contenders to be the recipient of the 'Traumspielpark 2017' project sponsored by the Stiftung Sparda Bank Hannover foundation with the support of radio ffn - Bad Bodenteich near Uelzen, Nienhagen, a suburb of Celle and Vienenburg near Goslar. On a particular afternoon, they were invited to give their presentations, evidencing their commitment to child-friendly and charitable policies in front of a specially selected jury.
This consisted of representatives of the Stiftung Sparda-Bank, of playparc GmbH and radio ffn. They assessed the competitors on the basis of their enthusiasm and creativity, the nature of the site they were offering and the local infrastructure. On 12 May 2017, the jury announced that they had made their decision.
They found the arguments put forward by Bad Bodenteich convincing in many respects. The site provided an ideal location for the fantasy play park with its excellent infrastructure consisting of already existing park features, toilets and refreshment outlets. Thanks to its prominent positioning in the Bad Bodenteich park, the fantasy play park would have the potential to become a magnet for visitors from the whole district, something from which the area as a whole would benefit. The jury was also impressed by the ability of the community to stage a colourful family-orientated party in short order; the varied programme included performances by children's groups, exhibitions of local craftsmanship, sporting activities while a large selection of tasty treats were also on offer.
Moreover, the organisers managed to collect donations to the value of €3000 for the local child protection association. In the view of the jury, Bad Bodenteich had thus demonstrated that it not only had the interests of children close at heart but was also capable of proactive involvement.
The theme eventually chosen, to a large extent in collaboration with a team of children, was that of a 'dragon' play park and this concept was implemented through the detailed planning process.
Whenever a range of playground equipment is to be installed, it is always important to ensure that there is a balanced array of options for physical exercise, challenging risk-related play, elements that promote creativity and areas where users can take refuge and relax. In this concrete instance, the task was thus to provide Bad Bodenteich with a facility that would be used over the long term by residents, an feature that would be attractive to children aged 2 - 10 years, young people and families.
The result is a distinctive themed playground with elements for all age groups. At its centre is the wooden figure of 'Eliot' the dragon. He is surrounded by a small dragon nest, a large tower climbing feature with twisting slide, an 'eagle's nest' and many other pieces of equipment. For kids for whom the appeal of playing or climbing has lost some of its lustre, there is the 'teenie' meeting place, the ideal location to chill out. Also available are a giant trampoline, a six-cornered swing and a wealth of climbing and balancing features. The fantasy play park has been partitioned in various activity- and age-dedicated sections that are self-contained although they are all interconnected.
The construction work in Bad Bodenteich began in mid-July 2017. Despite the fact that conditions were appalling (a lorry got stuck in the mud created by continuing rainfall), the residents of Bad Bodenteich were by no means put off. The volunteer helpers themselves undertook all the work of preparing the impact attenuating surfaces, even digging out the necessary areas - the local associations and fire service were particularly active in this context. And at weekends, the parents of the children who would be using the fantasy play park in future gave up their leisure time to come and help. It was thanks to all this assistance that the project fine-tuning was successful and the equipment could be installed on schedule.
To the fanfare of a large-scale radio show, the fantasy play park was opened on 26 August 2017. It was not just the residents of Bad Bodenteich but also hundreds of visitors from the local area who grabbed the opportunity to take the new play park by storm. Radio ffn's breakfast show host Franky brought a special guest along with him - Volker Rosin, the king of the children's music scene in Germany. He performed a number of his popular hits, making the opening ceremony something the children will not forget so quickly.
The winner of the first fantasy play park, donated the previous year, had been Seeburg, a community to the north-east of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. This had been themed as a pirate park with a large play ship as its core feature. It is located in a local recreation area and is now well visited and an accepted part of the landscape. It has become a popular destination for an outing in the region as a whole - not just for families, but also for school classes and kindergarten groups.
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Making the future through collective cooperation. Since its foundation in 1903, the Sparda-Bank as a cooperative bank has taken its responsibilities outside the field of banking very seriously. In the region in which it is active, this philosophy has made it into a reliable associate for those who want to get something done. In order to make clear its social commitment and to promote this, the bank established the Stiftung Sparda-Bank Hannover foundation in 2004. This offers donations gleaned from the profits made from a lottery system operated among those holding savings accounts with the bank. There are over 40,000 savers with more than 350,000 lottery tickets and this forms the basis for the funding of the foundation. What the foundation offers is 'help for self-help' - the basis of the cooperative concept. The projects that attract sponsorship are just like the people behind them, their needs and interests - wide-ranging, future-orientated and stimulating.
The foundation is active in parts of Lower Saxony, Bremen and Ostwestfalen-Lippe. It is identical with the business territory of the Sparda-Bank Hannover eG, Hanover's former railway regional head office.
Donations made in 2016: 245 projects received some €1.5 million
Funding areas: Social: Healthcare, the disadvantaged, sick and those requiring integration, education (incl. the construction of playgrounds, prevention programmes and teaching materials)
Art and culture: Equal contributions towards theatre and the classics, jazz and pop. Many projects for children and young people
Sport: A particular emphasis is placed on projects with a social purpose
Photo: Play-Parc Allwetter-Freizeitanlagenbau GmbH
