New Sand Play Area and Toy Bin Opens in Bochum’s Hans-Ehrenberg-Platz

On Hans-Ehrenberg-Platz, people are again busy digging in the sand with shovels and molds: the city of Bochum had created a new sand play area with an associated play house, and thanks to the initiative of the “Vviertel vor Ehrenfeld” there is now another one thanks to the support of the Bochum city center district fund Added bin full of toys.

“We have a lot of families here, and the new playground is being used really well. So we thought it would make sense to buy another box with the right sand toys,” says Michael Zeh from the “Viertel vor Ehrenfeld”, an association of business people and residents who are committed to the district. So, without further ado, an application was made to the Bochum city center district fund, which was approved by the advisory board just as quickly. The funding option was set up as part of urban renewal in Bochum City by the Office for Urban Planning and Housing of the City of Bochum thanks to urban development funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the federal government. Supervised by Bochum Marketing, many new ideas are to be implemented in order to promote civic engagement, coexistence and identification with the city center. Like now in the Ehrenfeld.

Play bin is open during the day

The bright red play bin is filled to the brim with sand toys: moulds, sieves, shovels and buckets are available in many different colors and shapes. From now on, it is located directly at the sand playground during the day. Parents and children can help themselves while playing and then put things back in the bin. The first toy donations have even been added. The employees in the surrounding shops, such as the Butterbrotbar or “I am Love”, make sure that everything is in order. To prevent vandalism, the bin is stored in one of the shops in the evening, later a combination lock is supposed to remedy the situation.

District fund Bochum city center

The project was made possible by the Bochum city center district fund, which is intended primarily to appeal to private individuals. That’s why the financial support is great, projects are funded 100 percent, with up to 5,000 euros. The funds are provided by the federal government, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Bochum for urban renewal as part of the “Bochum 2030 – Mission Downtown” project. There are hardly any limits to the ideas for the district fund. It is important that funded projects improve life in the inner city, that local residents benefit and that the goals of urban renewal are met.

Low hurdles

The hurdles for participation are kept low: Almost anyone can submit an application – whether alone or as a group, whether residents, initiatives, associations or institutions. If you have an idea or want to get involved in the city centre, you can contact Bochum Marketing directly. The city marketers help with the design and application. A committee that meets at least twice a year then decides on the approval of the applications. After approval in the form of the funding notice, implementation can begin.

Contact

If you have an idea for the district fund, you can contact Bochum Marketing. The contact person is Stefanie Rolf: 0234 9049629 or [email protected].

Further information is available online:
www.mission-bochum2030.de
www.bochum-tourismus.de/stadtteilfonds