Organisations such as Deutsche Telekom AG, Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG, Campina GmbH & Co. KG and Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung are providing support for children’s playgrounds and fitness parcours trails.
In view of recent data on the financial situation of local authorities, the German Städtetag - the Association of Cities and Towns - has sounded the alarm and asked the federation and states to come to their aid. The President of the Central Association of Local Authorities, Petra Roth, who is currently serving as Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, asserted in early February 2010 during a visit to Berlin: “The consequences of the global financial and economic crisis will be more painfully felt by local authorities in the course of 2010. In fact, certain authorities are faced with potential disintegration and are at risk of becoming hamstrung. Local self-government as guaranteed in the constitution is now under threat in such areas.”
During its annual financial press conference, the German Städtetag unveiled the Central Association’s current estimate of the economic situation of towns, administrative districts and municipalities in 2009 and 2010. “The structural financial problems that many towns and cities have been facing for years are now growing dramatically more acute. Record deficits to the tune of double-digit billions, a debt explosion as a result of the use of short-term credit, the largest drop in tax revenue for decades and unchecked spending on social services characterise the current state of affairs.” Städtetag President Petra Roth went on to add: “Our country needs efficiently functioning cities. It is essential during this time of crisis that we do not undermine people’s confidence in the many social services provided by local authorities. We need to ensure that we can continue to supply good quality services, that we extend our childcare provisions, make adequate contributions towards our schools and establish a reliable local transport system. However, we can only safeguard the future of these services and continue to improve them on behalf of our citizens if the federation, the states and the local authorities cooperate to put in place the necessary groundwork.”
Local authorities in Germany will experience significant reductions in revenue in 2010. At the same time their expenditure is set to increase although tough saving measures have been put in place. The result is that one in every three local authorities is unable to balance its budget and indebtedness will be intensified. Unsurprisingly, 60% of local authorities are planning to cut back their local services, while 84% are proposing to increase local rates and taxes or to introduce new ones. These figures represent the results of a survey of 300 local authorities in Germany conducted by the accounting and consultancy experts Ernst & Young.
The majority of German local authorities (68%) themselves consider their financial situation to be poor or very poor. One in three authorities was forced to issue a draft budget for 2010, in other words, was unable to propose a balanced budget and had to submit their financial concept to the regulatory authority for approval.
“Mayors and authority treasurers are presently poring over all aspects of their budgets in a desperate attempt to find potential savings”, claims Hans-Peter Busson, a partner of Ernst & Young. “The current objective is to increase income and reduce outgoings. This will be painful for the public but there is no other viable solution as most local authorities are already far too deeply mired in debt”, concludes Busson.
However, some commercial organisations have become aware of that they can make an active contribution to alleviate the on-going crisis and are providing support for the construction of facilities, including children’s playgrounds.
Deutsche Telekom AG
The Bonner Chancen (Opportunities for Bonn) competition has been designed to provide children and young people living in Bonn with new opportunities for play and learning.
Deutsche Telekom AG initiated the Bonner Chancen competition because it felt it had a particular responsibility towards the citizens of Bonn as a major international company that has its headquarters in that city. The company’s sponsorship competition Bonner Chancen is specifically intended to help the children and young people of the city, the aim of the project being to improve the education and recreational opportunities for young people over the long term so that they can grow up in more favourable surroundings and experience a more stimulating lifestyle in the city environment. Since its launch in 2004, Deutsche Telekom has continued to promote the annual competition, specifying a different central theme for each year. In effect, Deutsche Telekom is providing help for self-help as the competition calls for Bonn’s own citizens to submit concrete ideas and concepts for projects that they consider are worthy of sponsorship.
When the competition was instigated in 2004, people were asked to submit entries on how they thought the design of playgrounds in Bonn could be improved. Seven playgrounds were renovated and rebuilt within the framework of the Bonner Chancen project. Improvement of playgrounds in schools and recreational facilities has remained a central focus of the competition in subsequent years, attracting numerous entries. In the 2009, the competition slogan was “Das lernen wir spielend” - learning through play. Among the winners were schools and leisure facilities. The successful entries, which were awarded up to € 20,000 in sponsorship, included a “research den” for project groups, a fruit tree meadow in which children from an urban milieu can experience and discover nature at first hand and the construction of the new play area in the Karl Simrock School, with play equipment designed and built by the children themselves.
For detailed information on the social contributions and projects of Deutsche Telekom, go to www.telekom.com/verantwortung
Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG
More exercise in Germany - the German dairy company Alois Müller continues to sponsor its healthier lifestyle project.
Only one third of German adults (42% of men and 33% of women) undertake some kind of exercise for at least 2 hours per week. Another third do no physical keep fit training whatsoever. These figures are alarming, as lack of exercise is one of the main causes of obesity and many other physical disorders. In order to counteract this trend, Molkerei Alois Müller has decided to encourage Germany’s citizens to take more exercise and eat a healthier diet: the Trimm Dich - keep fit - initiative was launched by Müller® in 2008 in collaboration with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DSOB) and is the successor to the DSOB’s popular Trimm Dich scheme of the 1970s. The campaign is named for “Trimmy”, the little cartoon character who is the mascot of the Trimm Dich project (www.trimmy.de). Within the context of the associated competition, the towns of Münster, Duisburg, Leipzig and Munich won a modern keep fit parcours for their town parks. As Müller® has announced its long term commitment to the project, four further keep fit trails are to be constructed every year.
As latest development, Hildesheim is also becoming more active and has a new exercise opportunity that can be used by everyone: on 28 July 2010, the new Trimm Dich course constructed in Hildesheim’s Hohensee local recreational area was officially handed over the city. Dr. Kay Brummer, senior city councillor, was delighted: “The Müller® Trimm Dich trail represents a very real acquirement for our sport-loving city. It is particularly gratifying that here exercise options have been provided that are suitable for all generations of our citizens.”
“Our Müller® project is getting the whole of Germany up and about and makes a mass activity of exercising: we hope to enable people to discover how much fun it can be to keep fit and thus increase the awareness of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle”, states Anja Meisel, Head of Public Relations at Müller®. “Our objective is not to create top class athletes - all we want to do is make a contribution towards healthy living by providing Hildesheim’s citizens with the opportunity to take more routine exercise.” Frank Wodsack of the Sport Association of Lower Saxony, the LandesSportBund Niedersachsen e.V. adds: “Germany needs to exercise more to counter the effects of the widespread couch potato mentality and unbalanced diet of many Germans. The Müller® Trimm Dich trail will enhance the quality of life in Hildesheim.” A concept that Hildesheim is taking to heart.
Acting as representatives of their project partner, DSOB, Molkerei Alois Müller and the LandesSportBund Niedersachsen e.V. officially handed over the 4Fcircle course with its exercise equipment manufactured by playparc Allwetter-Freizeit-Anlagenbau GmbH and developed in accordance with the latest exercise theories. Thanks to Molkerei Alois Müller, various local authorities are finding that when it comes to financing sport facilities and playgrounds, their money is going further than they thought.
Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung and Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen
New playgrounds in Lower Saxony. The Hanover-based radio station Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen and the Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung have got together to lend a hand. Many of Lower Saxony’s children have no suitable local play facilities, while some existing playgrounds are in a very poor state of repair or have been allowed to become so derelict that they are far too dangerous to be used. Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen and the Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung have decided that they want to do something about this - for all those involved in the project, the main objective is to build attractive play facilities for children, while experiencing that positive sensation that is generated by everyone working together to make the impossible possible. More than a hundred applications have already been received from local authorities, nursery schools, parent’s associations, support groups and many other organisations.
“This year, our foundation has for the third time provided charitable aid (rather than sponsorship) to the Schollmayer's Spielplatz S.O.S playground promotion campaign. Our bank’s business territory extends to Lower Saxony, Bremen and the East Westphalia-Lippe area of North Rhein-Westphalia. In the first year of the campaign, we began by providing funds to build playgrounds in Lower Saxony, then in Bremen in the following year, and in this year in both North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
The campaign is being implemented as Schollmayers Spielplatz S.O.S with the help of Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen in Lower Saxony and as Spielplatzoffensive through the audio media services provided by local radio stations in Minden and Bielefeld in East Westphalia-Lippe.
We vary the number of awards available and the regions that are eligible year on year. It is Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen that we have to thank for coming up with the original concept; they were the first who realised the consequences of the negative results of a Germany-wide playground survey conducted by the TÜV Rheinland technical services group. As a long term promoter of such projects, we were more than happy to take up the challenge.
There are simply insufficient funds at the national and state level to build new playgrounds and keep those already in existence in repair. Alone our statutes compel us to assist here.
The benefits of our campaign? We are a team of partners each with their own specialisation. The radio station has the ability to identity particularly worthy cases, the playground constructor playparc is capable of erecting high quality and safe play equipment in no time and of drumming up local volunteer help with those involved - and we provide the necessary funding quickly and with no strings attached”, explains Tania Rubenis, Press Spokeswoman of Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung.
The first lucky winner in 2010 was the Westfeld playground, corner of Dasselbrucher Strasse in Celle. There was plenty of bustle on the playground on 31 May 2010, when ‘Schollmayer’ of Hit-Radio Antenne Niedersachsen was personally present at the opening of the restored playground. There had never before been so many children in the playground at once; that they had avoided it in the past was unsurprising in view of its desolate condition. But now it has modern play equipment - a balancing trail and a play tower with steps and pole to slide down. The excavation, levelling and construction work continued from 7.00 in the morning to 3.00 in the afternoon. Presenter Uwe Bentlage was there from the beginning to provide live reports on the progress of the work. But the project was finally completed, and the official opening ceremony could be held. ‘Schollmayer’ acted as compére, while the representative of the sponsor handed over the new playground to the local mayor. Irene Ripp of Sparda-Bank stressed the importance of providing suitable recreational facilities for children. The Sparda-Bank Hannover-Stiftung provided €15,000 towards the realisation of the project.
The mayor, Michael Schwarz, expressed his thanks to the foundation. In the current financial situation, such an upgrading of the playground would otherwise not have been possible for another four to five years. He was overjoyed that our most valuable asset - our children - now had this play facility at their disposal.
Martin Engelhard of Celle local authority, whose responsibilities include playgrounds, had the right instinct when he contacted Hit-Radio Antenne to nominate the playground in Westercelle for project backing. With the slogan “Neue Spielplätze für Niedersachen” - new playgrounds for Lower Saxony - the radio station, working in tandem with the Sparda-Bank, had asked interest groups to submit the names of playgrounds that they considered “in need of renovation”. A total of 154 applications arrived in short order from local authorities, nursery schools, parent’s associations and support groups from throughout Lower Saxony, ten of these from the Celle area. Although the Westercelle playground was undoubtedly a worthy winner, the fact that it was selected was purely a matter of chance. All applications came in the hat. The playgrounds that happened to be drawn during the daily lottery were inspected, and evaluated in terms of exigency, construction options and conditions (accessible for heavy construction equipment). Those that met requirements went back in the hat, and the lucky winners were drawn. In 2010, a total of six playgrounds have been renovated so far, the Celle playground being the first in this year. The project was initiated in 2008, and has refurbished 20 playgrounds since then.
Campina GmbH & Co. KG
Berlin’s districts do not have the money to renovate playgrounds and purchase new equipment. Slides are thus closed rather than repaired and climbing frames are dismantled. While only one piece of play equipment was removed or demolished on average every year in the districts in 1997, they are now losing 12 annually - one per month. Vandalism is the other problem. It is children who suffer when young louts maliciously destroy their playgrounds. In the spring of 2004, Campina’s playground campaign “Unser Platz zum Spielen” (A place for us to play) was initiated with an appeal to Berlin and Brandenburg’s children and parent’s associations. The response was prodigious: children, adolescents and parent’s groups sent in more than 200 applications for the renovation and refurbishment of their playgrounds. An independent jury in Berlin selected the best entries, and the corresponding projects were then implemented under the supervision of the districts and with the financial support of Campina Mark Brandenburg.
“We are setting a positive example,” stated Marina Hirschmüller, who is responsible for playground planning at Pankow district authority. Even the simplest item of playground equipment costs €15,000. “We don’t have that kind of money,” explained Hirschmüller. Pankow thus decided to nominate its Humannplatz playground in Prenzlauer Berg for funding through the Campina campaign.
One of the reasons that “Unser Platz zum Spielen” was such a success was because many parent organisation representatives, youth groups and schoolchild interest organisations were actively involved in the planning and implementation of the renovation measures. Senator Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, responsible for Urban Development, praised the contributions made by all involved as exemplary. “In times in which cash is in short supply, active participation by our citizens and the involvement of business are essential for ensuring that our local communities continue to thrive”, affirmed the Senator during the opening ceremony for the refurbished ‘Humannplatz’ playground.
The playground improvement campaign continued in 2005. Campina, the largest supplier of milk to schools in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, and the Berlin Senate Department of Education, Youth and Sport launched their new campaign, “Unser Platz zum Spielen macht Schule” (A place for us to play goes to school) at the beginning of April 2005 with a public appeal.
A glance at school statistics for the regions provides background information. There were some 880 schools attended by nearly 240,000 children in Berlin in 2005. About half of these schools were classified as primary schools (years 1 - 6). Regulations require that all primary schools in Berlin and Brandenburg have a playground or at least play and training equipment. Much of this equipment no longer complied with requirements or was in poor condition. And the funds to update and repair this equipment were not available.
The new education act, which was adopted in a record time of only a few months, made the situation even more critical. Its consequences would be a significant increase in the number of children attending primary school, because it required that the region’s children already start school at the age of five years, a whole year earlier than in the rest of Germany. As a result, there would in future be many very young children in the playgrounds of local schools, meaning that a special role would be played by these facilities. The playground facilities at primary schools had, for the most part, not been adapted to these new requirements. And, because the responsibility for child day care had been in effect been transferred from nursery facilities to schools, these young children would also be more frequently present at school in the afternoon. Clearly, there was a need for something to be done about local school playgrounds, and this was the very focus of the campaign launched by Campina Mark Brandenburg.
It was decided to give the following projects priority: the renovation of existing permanent school playgrounds, the creation of play areas, acquirement of new static play equipment, the extension of playgrounds on didactic principles, the procurement of mobile play equipment to be used during breaks at schools that have space limitations and the provision of child-orientated training equipment in playgrounds.
Campina has placed a total of €50,000, derived from the profits made by the sales of milk and dairy products by Campina Mark Brandenburg, at the disposal of the campaign for the improvement of the situation of school playgrounds. Some 280 schools in the Berlin and Brandenburg regions have applied for awards from this fund. Berlin’s schools have submitted 160 applications; this is equivalent to 36% of all primary schools. An independent jury consisting of young people from Berlin’s Landesschülerausschusses (pupil representation committee), parents and teachers, and representatives of the senate, the children’s charity Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk and Campina selected the seven projects specified above.
Campina continued its campaign in 2006 and 2007, for a third and fourth year, this time under the slogan “Unser Platz zum Spielen – Bewegung macht Schule“(A place for us to play - exercise at school). Collaborating with Campina Mark Brandenburg in the “Bewegung macht Schule” campaign to construct ‘Bewegungsbaustellen’ - jump, run and play areas - in the year that the World Cup was held in Germany were the Berlin Senate Department of Education, Youth and Sport, the Free University of Berlin, and the Deutsches Kindershilfswerk. Campina provided 20 schools with jump, run and play areas. The minimum amount made available in each case was €20,000. The campaign was extended to North Rhein-Westphalia for the first time in 2007.
Summary
“The financial situation of local authorities in Germany is catastrophic,” is the conclusion of Hans-Peter Busson of the Ernst & Young consultancy firm (www.de.ey.com). “As a result, these will continue to fall deeper into debt. Many city authorities are already essentially bankrupt. They will not be able to survive the debt crisis unaided - simply because the cost of social services will continue to rise and all the potential saving options of those authorities at particular risk have already been exhausted”, he continues. “Local authorities have already lost much of their autonomy and are restricted when it comes to any potential course of action. They need to be provided with greater room to manoeuvre and must be allowed more scope when it comes to making decisions about their own revenues and outgoings.”
Those local authorities who have a sponsors prepared to provide funds for children’s playgrounds in their region can consider themselves lucky.
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