After the concert on the Future Mile

Children exchange ideas with the mayor

Primary school children presented their ideas and wishes to Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich. They had taken part in the climate concert on the town hall forecourt.

8 July 2024 by Sandra Berges
Exchange in the leisure centre
  • Before the holidays, five children (Annalena from Roncalli School, Hannah from Bodelschwingh School, Frieda from Mitte Primary School, Luuke from Sonnenschule/Vellern and the children's mayor of Freizeithaus Juli) talk to the mayor about their ideas for the future of Beckum. Ursula Bergel and Olaf Schulte from the Youth and Social Affairs Department also listen carefully.

Hannah, Annalena, Luuke and Frieda gave a lot of thought to their own and Beckum's future in the run-up to the "Earth Choir Kids" concert as part of the big anniversary weekend. Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich wanted to know more about this and invited the primary school pupils together with head of department Olaf Schulte, coordinator Ursula Bergel and Freizeithaus children's mayor Juli to an in-depth discussion at Freizeithaus Neubeckum.

Folder of the frog class
The Vellern frog class has great playground ideas.

The head of administration was impressed by the many ideas from the children in the primary schools. For example, the Frosch class in Vellern brought in a folder full of playground ideas as well as the wish for a children's parliament. "We have a youth politics project and have realised that it is not that easy to arouse interest in politics. That's why I'm all the more pleased that you want to get involved," said the mayor.

Playground ideas from the frog class

With regard to the playgrounds, the mayor and Olaf Schulte explained that one of the 40 playgrounds is redesigned every year. Fresh ideas are always in demand. In this context, they drew attention to the current "playground check", in which all children and parents could participate until 7 July.

Everyone agreed that the pump track in Neubeckum should be accessible to people of all ages, including wheelchair users. Mutual consideration is the order of the day.

Dog bags have no place in rubbish bins in playgrounds, more table tennis tables and more trees in school playgrounds would be great, as would waste separation in the outdoor pool, the children thought. The children of Neubeckum would like to see the Hellbachtal as a place of learning in the countryside. Free daycare and less admission to the outdoor pool? Both would be desirable from the point of view of those responsible, but would fail due to lack of money.

At the end of the lively and serious discussion, Olaf Schulte referred to the Unicef children's rights, in which the right to education, protection and equal rights are enshrined. And the children had one more thing to say: "We thought the climate concert was really great!"