Volunteering support from the city of Bocholt: Bocholt 2024 Homeland Prize
State of NRW supports organisations for projects in the area of home // Applications now open // Prize endowed with 5,000 euros
In 2019, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia launched the funding programme "Heimat. Future. North Rhine-Westphalia. We promote what connects people". This includes the "Heimat Prize", endowed with 5,000 euros, in which the city of Bocholt has always been involved. Bocholt-based associations and initiatives can apply for the prize for 2024 via an online form from now until 30 October.
Prizes for local and regional specialities
The aim of the programme is to get people excited about local and regional specialities, to preserve the homeland and at the same time to shape it for the future. The Homeland Award therefore primarily honours voluntary commitment and innovative, exemplary projects in the area of homeland. True to the motto: "Homeland grows from below!", the state would like to honour the local commitment of volunteers.
Projects from the past, present and future
All Bocholt associations and initiatives can apply for this award. In the application form, they can describe not only the projects they have already completed, but also those they are still working on. Future ideas can also be included. The award also recognises how the associations cooperate with third parties and how important the measure, action or project is for the city of Bocholt. How innovative these are and what the organisation would like to achieve with them in the future is also assessed.
However, clubs that have already won the Heimatpreis in the past are excluded from the application process. This also applies to those clubs that have already won the "Home Prize of the State of NRW" or the "Home Prize of the Borken" district. The background to this is that as many Bocholt clubs as possible should benefit from the state initiative.
Questions about the application procedure and submission of applications
Applications are submitted using a form that can be downloaded from the website www.wir-fuer-bocholt.de/heimatpreis. The form can be submitted by post or email(rainer.howestaedt(at)bocholt(dot)de) by 30 October 2024 (the postmark or email receipt counts) to the Department of Social Affairs - Volunteer Agency -, 46395 Bocholt, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Str. 52-58.
The City of Bocholt's volunteer coordinator, Rainer Howestädt, will be happy to answer any questions about the application on (02871) 953-2346.
Jury decides on the Heimat Prize 2024
A jury - consisting of representatives from the Department of Culture and Education and the Department of Social Affairs of the City of Bocholt as well as one member of each parliamentary group in the city council and one advisory member each from Volksbank Bocholt eG and the Volunteer Agency - will decide on the entries. The Home Award 2024 is to be presented by the end of the year.
Previous winners
2019: Dorfgemeinschaft Mussum e.V. (Homeland Prize of the City of Bocholt)
2019: Heimatverein Suderwick and the citizens' initiative "Dinxperwick" (Heimat Prize of the state of NRW)
2020: Pro Barlo e.V. (Homeland Prize of the Borken district)
2020: Bürgerverein Biemenhorst e.V. (local history prize of the city of Bocholt)
2021: Förderkreis Bocholter Handwerksmuseum e.V. (local history prize of the city of Bocholt)
2021: Berufskolleg am Wasserturm with the project "Make a Difference" (Heimatpreis of the district of Borken)
2022: Dochdu Kult & Co
2023: Youth farm "With you"