*Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff welcomes many guests at the opening of the new neighbourhood meeting place in the Friedhofsiedlung.*

*© Stadt Bocholt*

*The central neighbourhood meeting place on the corner of Breslauer Straße and Dortmund Straße opens its doors freshly renovated.*

*© Stadt Bocholt*

*Changing with the times: The house on the corner of Breslauer Straße in June 2023.*

*© Stadt Bocholt*

*Changing with the times: The house on Breslauser Straße in the post-war period at the beginning of the 1950s.*

*© Archivbild (Stadt Bocholt)*

18. June 2023Social

Citizens' meeting place opens in Bocholt's cemetery district

Former drinks shop "Melis" as a social contact point

The residents of Bocholt's Friedhofsviertel are pleased: the new citizens' meeting place on the corner of Breslauer Straße and Dortmund Straße, in the former "Melis" drinks shop, has now been opened.

Representatives of the city of Bocholt, the association "Leben im Alter" (LiA), the housing companies Bocholter Heimbau e.G. and LEG Immobilien, as well as the LEG foundation "Dein Zuhause hilft" (Your Home Helps), residents from the neighbourhood and guests now met in a small ceremony. The newly renovated rooms were blessed by representatives of the churches, and children from the Clemens-August primary school accompanied the opening with music.

Mayor Thomas expressed his gratitude to all those involved who had taken up the impulses from the neighbourhood work and citizens and implemented them together. "For the people here in the neighbourhood, the neighbourhood office is a contact point and an opportunity to do something together."

The new 90-square-metre meeting place is a property owned by LEG-Wohnen, which was previously used as a drinks market or kiosk for many years. Like many houses in the neighbourhood, the building dates back to post-war architecture.

The building project was financed by LEG-Wohnen. The city of Bocholt contributed to the investment costs.

From now on, group activities such as low-threshold language courses for people with a migration background, creative activities, afternoons for senior citizens, activities for children and much more will take place in the meeting place. In addition, individual counselling is offered for people in need of help and support.

The local contact is the association "Leben im Alter", supported by volunteers.

Background: Neighbourhood work in Bocholt

For some years now, neighbourhoods in Bocholt have been specifically promoted, for example in the cemetery district, in "Hochfeld" or "Fildeken". The aim is to strengthen neighbourly cohesion, enable integration and activate voluntary work.

More about neighbourhood work in Bocholt at https://www.bocholt.de/quartiere.