pricelessland

Interim balance sheet on the volunteer budget of the Görlitz district

In the Görlitz district, the volunteer budget has established itself as an essential support for the many volunteers involved.

For 2024, a total of 98,000 euros is available to be awarded directly to the clubs as part of the volunteer budget. This sum was divided into two award phases: 49,000 euros are available in spring and autumn. The first application phase is now completed.

The application portal opened on March 22nd at 4 p.m. Support payments of 200 euros and 500 euros could be applied for. The rush was overwhelming: 248 applications were received within just 20 minutes. The available budget was more than exhausted and the portal had to be closed. “The great response to the application highlights the importance of the volunteer budget as an important source of financial support for the volunteers in the Görlitz district,” says Ingo Goschütz, head of the Unbezahlbarland service center, about the lively participation.

24 applications did not meet the criteria, so that ultimately 224 applications were included in the evaluation. The 500 euro applications were evaluated by a jury consisting of representatives from clubs, employees of the district administration and a media representative. The 200 euro applications were examined by an internal ENO working group. The jury viewed and evaluated 127 applications. Of these, 59 applications were confirmed at 500 euros, while 68 applications were reduced to 200 euros. A total of 59 checks for 500 euros each and 165 checks for 200 euros each were sent.  

This financial support enables the volunteers in the district to implement their diverse projects, which range from the purchase of sports jerseys and technical equipment for youth clubs to construction projects and meeting opportunities for the community. For example, the Friends of the Military History Museum Neusorge eV is planning to create a community center for village life and an exhibition about the effects of war in the region from 1600 to 1918. The Hirschfelde & Rosenthal citizens' initiative has committed itself to preserving and beautifying a former bus shelter, which is now serves as a book box with a children's corner. The support and history association of the Eckartsberg/Radgendorf fire department would like to improve the chances of survival in the event of cardiac arrest by installing a publicly accessible defibrillator. The DLRG District Görlitz eV plans to support youth work by purchasing wetsuits for training at Lake Berzdorf.

The second phase of the application process starts at the beginning of September. The exact date will be announced on the website www.unbezahlbar.land. “Since the budget of 49,000 euros was exceeded in the spring, the available amount will be slightly lower in the fall,” explains Goschütz. “However, we wanted to respond to the large number of projects that are already being planned and implemented for this year and process all spring applications promptly.  

The Niederschlesische Oberlausitz mbH (ENO) development company was commissioned by the Görlitz district to operationally implement the volunteer budget. Awarding is now in its sixth year using this tried-and-tested procedure.