The Senior Citizens' Advisory Council is something like the voice of Bocholt's senior citizens. It represents the interests of older citizens and stands up for them. The full members are Edeltraud Chrysanthou (Chairwoman), Klemens Barde (Deputy Chairman), Veronika Kampshoff, Andreas Heitkamp, Dr Michael Adam, Rainer Hardes, Abdulkadir Kis, Leo Marsching.

The deputy members are:
Rolf Oechtering, Gabriele Theling, Michaela Schneider, Gabriele Rehbold, Gabriela Lavric, Dr Dimitri Macheras.

On 8 October 2025, the new Seniors' Advisory Council was elected at Lernwerk Bocholt. After the votes were counted, the new advisory board now has 21 members: Edeltraud Chrysanthou is Chairwoman and Klemens Barde is Deputy Chairman. Other members are Dr Michael Adam, Rolf Oechtering, Michaela Schneider, Dimitrios Macheras, Gabriele Theling, Veronika Kampshoff, Abdulkadir Kis, Hedwig Bruckmann, Leo Marsching, Sabine Kremer, Gabriela Lavric, Rainer Hardes, Marita Degeling, Werner Marschall, Beate Feldkamp, Gabriele Rehbold, Andreas Heitkamp, Doris Menker and Pierre Zibell. (City of Bocholt)

Edeltraud Chrysanthou (on the right) was elected as the new Chairwoman of the Seniors' Advisory Council at its meeting on 8 October 2025.

Visit of the Seniors' Advisory Council from Belgian Bocholt on 27 May 2026

"It was a wonderful day of exchange with our twin city from Belgium".

On 27 May 2026, the city of Bocholt welcomed the Seniors' Advisory Council from Bocholt in Belgium for a day visit. After a bus journey of around two and a half hours, the delegation arrived in their German twin town at around 10 am.

The guests were welcomed at the LernWerk by Mayor Christian Mangen, the Chairwoman of the Seniors' Advisory Council Edeltraud Chrysanthou and other members of the Bocholt Seniors' Advisory Council. In a warm atmosphere, a joint breakfast provided an opportunity for initial discussions and personal dialogue.

Afterwards, the visitors were given a guided tour of the LernWerk and its wide range of programmes. A short walk around the Kubaai site also provided impressions of the urban development and the special atmosphere of this neighbourhood.

Lunch together in the Europahaus provided a further convivial framework for the friendly encounters. The cultural highlight of the day was a tour of the textile factory, which impressively brings the textile history of the region to life.

Before the guests returned to the Belgian twin city in the afternoon, there was still time for a stroll through Bocholt's city centre, whose charm and hospitality will remain a pleasant memory for the visitors.