Commitment for a good cause

Since September 2011, the city of Beckum has also been saying "thank you" to committed residents with the Ehrenamtskarte for dedicated employees in clubs and associations.

As a holder of an Ehrenamtskarte, you receive, for example, reduced admission to museums, libraries, theatres, swimming pools or adult education centres. Institutions and companies in North Rhine-Westphalia that support the project carry a corresponding notice.
Homepage Ehrensache NRW - engagiert in NRW
Overview of benefits

Prerequisites:

• at least five hours per week or 250 hours per year of voluntary work without remuneration or lump-sum expense allowance
• the honorary office must have been carried out for at least two years
• For holders of the Juleica (youth leader card) the waiting period is shortened to six months, the proof of the required number of hours is waived.

The Ehrenamtskarte is valid in North Rhine-Westphalia in all municipalities participating in the project as well as in the designated institutions outside the place of residence.

digital application

The city of Beckum now also offers the application process digitally via the app Ehrenamtskarte NRW. This means that the application process can be handled paperlessly. The Ehrenamtskarte is then made available digitally in the app after successful processing in the town hall. The benefits for the card holders can also be conveniently accessed in the app. The familiar form of the Ehrenamtskarte as a card in cheque format can also be handed out at the town hall on request. Existing cards can also be integrated into the app at a later date. As a note to the associations: If a volunteer applies digitally in the app, you will be informed by email and must confirm the information via the link in the email.

The most important questions are answered here. Frequently asked questions about the Volunteer Card App NRW | Engagiert NRW (engagiert-in-nrw.de)

The app is available for download free of charge from the App Stores.
Direct links for Android and iOS:
https://apps.apple.com/de/app/ehrenamtskarte-nrw/id956767590
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.nrw.it.giz.ehrensache.android

Recognition for many years of commitment in North Rhine-Westphalia

On 9 March 2022, in addition to the Ehrenamtskarte NRW, the state of NRW introduced the unlimited anniversary Ehrenamtskarte for many years of voluntary work. It is intended for those who have been involved in voluntary work for many years and are no longer able to do so or do not reach the weekly number of five hours of voluntary work.

The prerequisite for receiving the Jubilee Volunteer Card is at least 25 years of voluntary work with an above-average amount of time spent for the common good. The commitment can also have been made in different organisations. Interruptions in the commitment biography can be accepted.

All benefits can be claimed that are also offered for the nationwide Ehrenamtskarte.

If your commitment takes place in Beckum, send the original completed application for the Jubilee Volunteer Card to the City of Beckum. Organisations also have the option of nominating a person who fulfils the requirements and should be awarded the Jubilee Volunteer Card.

For general information on the NRW Jubilee Volunteer Card and benefits, please visit ENGAGIERT in NRW.

Attention group leaders! Do you lead a children's or youth group, would you like to receive further training and benefit from some financial advantages?

Training
The youth group leader training gives you the opportunity to do this. In two blocks you will get information about:

• Aims, methods and tasks of youth work
• sociological and psychological foundations
• Rights and duties

All young people aged 16 and over can register.

Juleica
The Juleica is an ID card that entitles volunteers in children's and youth work to lead children's and youth groups.

Your advantages at a glance:

• You have a justification to the guardians of the children who are in your group.
• You can justify yourself to governmental and non-governmental bodies from which advice and help is sought.
• You have financial advantages such as discounts on visits to the Beckum swimming pools.

What are the requirements?

• Minimum age: 16 years
• Participation in training in accordance with the guidelines (at least 30 hours)
• Ongoing voluntary work with an independent or public youth welfare organisation
• First aid course

How do I get the Juleica?
If you meet all the requirements, you can apply for the Youth Leader Card yourself online.

Homepage of the Juleica

Extension of the Juleica
For the extension (re-issue) of the Juleica, participation in one or more further training events totalling at least eight hours must be proven.

In view of the social importance and the special consideration for a high social quality of life, the provision of voluntary social services to support a variety of social purposes is a special goal that the city of Beckum has already been fulfilling for years with great commitment. As the city of Beckum continues to have a special obligation to strengthen the social infrastructure and to adapt it to the social necessities, it is important to support and accompany the organisations active in this field, but also the families, beyond the legal entitlement. The City of Beckum therefore grants voluntary subsidies within the scope of its financial capacity on the basis of this guideline. The guideline contains regulations for individual target groups. They primarily represent binding regulations for the administration. Nevertheless, they also serve to inform applicants about funding opportunities, funding requirements and funding procedures. This guideline exclusively covers voluntary funding by the City of Beckum, which is provided within the framework of the financial capacity of the City of Beckum and to which there is no legal entitlement.

The following funding priorities are taken into account within the framework of this guideline:
- Civic Engagement,
- Families,
- Clubs and Associations,
- Self-Help Groups,
- Meeting Centres.

The guideline adopted by the Beckum City Council in September 2022 is intended to help promote civic engagement, association structures and families.

Applications can be submitted as of now.

• Guideline of the City of Beckum for voluntary social services
• Application for the promotion of civic engagement on the basis of the City of Beckum's guideline for the promotion of civic engagement
• Information sheet in accordance with Article 13 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The motto: "Securing young talent and shaping the future - promoting talent and developing potential"

The State Chancellery announces:
Under the motto "Securing young talent and shaping the future - promoting talent and developing potential", non-profit initiatives, clubs, associations and foundations, gGmbHs and public institutions from North Rhine-Westphalia can now apply for the NRW 2025 Civic Engagement Award. Andrea Milz, State Secretary for Sport and Volunteering in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has announced the award, which is intended to recognise and publicise exemplary civic engagement projects. The NRW 2025 Civic Engagement Award is aimed at outstanding volunteer projects that are good examples of the successful recruitment of young people and thus make a relevant contribution to the sustainability of civic engagement. In addition to an audience prize, a jury prize and two special prizes will be awarded. The prizes are endowed with 5,000 euros each.

"Recruiting young volunteers makes the projects and organisations fit for the future. Diverse age structures ensure that different perspectives and experiences can be brought in, thus enriching cooperation. There are many impressive volunteer projects and initiatives in our country that make a socio-politically relevant contribution to the recruitment of young talent and involve young people in particular. I am therefore delighted that we were able to persuade the Ministry of Schools and Education of North Rhine-Westphalia to award a special prize this year," said Andrea Milz. The NRW Volunteering Award will be presented for the tenth time in 2024.

Education Minister Dorothee Feller: "Volunteering offers young people in particular new perspectives and development opportunities. Children and young people find volunteering meaningful, they get to know new people, practise teamwork and promote social cohesion across age groups. Our schools bring pupils together with clubs, organisations and institutions and allow them to experience civic engagement at an early age. I am extremely grateful for this, because those who gain this experience at an early age often go on to make an important voluntary contribution to our society later in life. Schools that open up in this way turn from a place of learning into a place of life and, together with voluntary organisations, associations and institutions, pave the way for committed and democratic citizens of the future."

The state's cooperation partner is the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation for Nature Conservation, Local Heritage and Cultural Preservation (NRW Foundation for short). Foundation President Eckhard Uhlenberg explains on the occasion of the competition: "Millions of people in North Rhine-Westphalia are committed to voluntary work with enthusiasm and a high level of personal dedication. The NRW-Stiftung is awarding a special prize for forward-looking concepts in the areas of nature conservation, local history and cultural preservation. Young and old alike are committed to their home in NRW, but fewer and fewer people are prepared to commit to voluntary work in the long term. We therefore honour non-profit initiatives, clubs, associations, foundations and gGmbHs that have found new ways to inspire people to volunteer with their innovative strength and strong ideas. We also welcome initiatives that have developed a sustainable strategy for recruiting young talent or actively involve young people in their projects."

Twelve projects will be selected from the projects submitted at the end of 2024 and presented on the internet platform as "Commitment of the Month" in the course of 2025. They will each receive 1,000 euros as a sign of recognition. Two project participants will also be given the opportunity to take part in free qualification workshops.

The "Commitments of the Month" also have the chance to be honoured with the NRW 2025 Commitment Award. The winners will be determined at the end of 2025 by an online vote, the NRW Foundation (special prize), the Ministry of Schools and Education of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (special prize) and a jury.
The closing date for applications is 30 September 2024.

Applications and further information

Bei Bürgeranfragen wenden Sie sich bitte an: Telefon 0211 837-01.

Press release - 454/06/2024

The State Chancellery informs:

Civically engaged people, civil society organisations and initiatives can apply for funding under the micro-funding programme "2,000 x 1,000 euros for engagement" from 1 April 2023. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is once again providing two million euros for the funding programme, which was launched for the first time last year. This means that up to 2,000 projects can be funded with a fixed amount of 1,000 euros each in this funding period. The main theme is once again "Shaping Community - Living a Committed Neighbourhood". Applications can be submitted via the online funding portal "engagementfoerderung.nrw".

The State Secretary for Sport and Volunteering, Andrea Milz, said: "I am pleased that the committed in North Rhine-Westphalia will again receive additional support this year and will be able to implement smaller projects and plans. I deliberately decided to also offer the focus theme 'Shaping Community - Living a Committed Neighbourhood' from last year for 2023." State Secretary Milz emphasised: "The war in Ukraine and the plight of the people shake us all deeply. Many of us feel the need to help and want to get involved. People are also seeking refuge in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the spirit of the priority theme, the funding programme therefore enables committed people, initiatives and civil society organisations to implement projects that strengthen the community and togetherness on site and make it easier for refugees to arrive in their new neighbourhood.

Applicants who were not able to implement their measures as planned last year also have another opportunity to apply for funding. The 54 districts and independent cities are once again responsible for implementing the funding programme. They take care of processing the applications in their district or city area. Information and helpful tips on the funding procedure can be found at: https://www.engagiert-in-nrw.de/foerderprogramm-2000-x-1000-euro-fuer-das-engagement

The state programme "2,000 x 1,000 Euros for Commitment" is part of the commitment strategy for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia adopted by the state government. Committed and civil society organisations had expressed the need for additional funding access, especially micro-funding programmes, as part of a broad participation process.

For citizen enquiries, please contact: Telephone 0211 837-01.

WIN VOLUNTEERS. BIND COMMITMENT. ZIVILGESELLSCHAFT STÄRKEN.
Micro-grant programme - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

Initiativ - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

PATENzeit for godmothers and godfathers

An African proverb says: "It takes a whole village to raise a child." But what to do when that village is not available? In the past, families supported and helped each other in word and deed. Today, many families lack such a private network of grandparents, friends and neighbours: the granny who reads to the children, the uncle who is talented at handicrafts or the friend with an open ear are often no longer there to help parents.

This is exactly where the two mentoring programmes of the Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen (SkF) e. V. come in. Volunteers support families in their everyday family life. In the sponsorship programme "Starting life with sponsors", volunteers accompany young parents in the first year of their child's life and help them to gain confidence in everyday life with their baby. Under the motto "Have time, give time", volunteers devote a few hours a week to families with children, thus providing relief.

What tasks do family mentors expect?
Depending on your interests, abilities, the age of the children, these can be:

• common leisure activities
• a sympathetic ear for the children and their parents
• Support in areas that you determine yourself: e.g. homework help, accompaniment to visits to authorities or doctors, suggestions for daily structure or everyday organisation

What does the SkF Familienpaten offer?

• Taking on a beautiful task
• Contacts and exchange in a group with like-minded people
• Training and further education
• Insurance cover and travel allowances
• Advice and support throughout the sponsorship

Are you interested in becoming a family sponsor or would you like more information? Then contact us and arrange a non-binding information meeting.

Volunteer coordinator SkF, responsible for Beckum:
Sarah Gerke
Wibbeltstr. 2
59302 Oelde
Phone: 02522 8320304
Mobile: 0160 8854494
E-mail: gerke@skf-kreiswarendorf.de
www.skf-kreiswarendorf.de

You can find more information and our questionnaire for family sponsors on the PATENzeit for sponsors website, which you can fill out if you are interested.

About the SkF e. V. in the district of Warendorf

The Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen (SkF) e. V. in the district of Warendorf as the sponsor of the family sponsorships is an independent women's professional association and professional association of the German Caritas Association. The SkF e. V. is a non-profit social work organisation. For more than 80 years, SkF e. V. has been working in the entire district of Warendorf, especially for women, children and families in difficult life situations. What makes the work of the SkF e. V. so special is the trusting cooperation of more than 150 volunteers and 43 full-time staff from different professions.

The SkF e. V. is active in the following fields of work:

• Counselling and assistance within the framework of child and youth welfare services
• Pregnancy counselling
• Sex education
• Mother-child flat house
• Parent-child cafés
• Second-hand shops for children's clothing

Flyer family sponsors

The best opportunity to do good!

The Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Home Affairs has a lot of information ready. Have fun browsing!

Educational offers for committed people | Engagiert NRW (committed-in-nrw.de)

Qualification and Further Training | Engagiert NRW (engagiert-in-nrw.de)

Pit stop for volunteering: online information events | knowledge, tips and dialogue for volunteers (veranstaltungen-landesservicestelle-nrw.de)

DSEEerklär - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

DSEInformed - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

DSEErechtstipp - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

They are active on a voluntary basis. This deserves our appreciation and recognition. To ensure that you yourself are protected, we refer you to the information provided by the state of NRW on the subject of insurance.

Insurance cover advice - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

Legal advice - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

IT help for non-profit organisations - German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering (deutsche-stiftung-engagement-und-ehrenamt.de)

Would you like to be informed about upcoming events and training courses on volunteering? Then sign up for the newsletter. benjilany@beckum.de