"kinderstark": Bocholt starts nationwide programme

The city of Bocholt, the supporting associations, organisations and facilities in Bocholt have now launched the "kinderstark - NRW schafft Chancen" campaign with a joint kick-off workshop. The aim is to optimise the prevention chain in order to improve the social infrastructure in Bocholt. "kinderstark" is a programme of the NRW Ministry of Family Affairs.

276534P — *At the tables, the participants of the kick-off workshop exchanged ideas at the "World-Café".*

After a brief welcome by Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff and short keynote speeches by Wiebke Schmitz (Youth and Family Department) and specialist advisor Esther Scheurle (LWL State Youth Welfare Office), the 40 or so participants in the kick-off workshop exchanged views on topics relating to child and youth work in Bocholt.

The aim of the project is to identify gaps and duplicate structures in child and youth work and avoid them in future. In addition, a cross-sector and cross-institutional network with local stakeholders is to be established. "To achieve this, it is important to get everyone involved round the table", says Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff. The Kinderstark programme is "an important building block of the social infrastructure", says Thomas Kerkhoff.

Work in the "World-Café"

In small, randomised groups, the participants at the "World Café" dealt with questions such as: "What does growing up successfully mean to me" or "What does prevention mean to me".

"I am delighted that so many participants accepted the invitation and engaged with the topics", says Doris Springer, Head of the Youth and Family Department. The event is a first milestone in the networking of important players, says Doris Springer.

More information on the "kinderstark" campaign is also available on the initiative's website:

To the "kinderstark" campaign