Offers for the 60 plus generation can now be found in a clear overview on the district's digital social guide. At the launch of the website in the ballroom of Birkenfeld Castle, Kowalski looked back on last year's senior citizens' prize and used the award-winning projects to illustrate how important it is to inform the population about such activities.
These include regulars' tables and other informal get-togethers as well as excursions and sports courses for the older generation or a communal lunch. "People only find out about many events by chance or not at all," says Lisa Schmitt from the district administration's senior citizens' office: "We are now bringing together supply and demand." On the one hand, the senior citizens' platform can bring variety into the everyday lives of older people and prevent boredom and loneliness. On the other hand, it should help to maintain singing groups, embroidery circles, skating groups or bowling clubs, for example, which could otherwise be threatened with extinction.
"It's good that the clubs can enter their offers themselves," said Frank Frühauf, Mayor of Idar-Oberstein, welcoming the involvement of the grassroots. However, before publication, the administration checks whether the data entered is actually suitable for the purpose, explained Schmitt. The focus must clearly be on events with a supra-local character, emphasized Bernd Alsfasser, mayor of the Baumholder municipality. His colleague from Birkenfeld, Bernhard Alscher, pointed out the particularly high demand for advice and help in this age group, which the platform also serves. The idea came from Danica Dalheimer from the Herrstein-Rhaunen municipality, which was represented at the kick-off by its first councillor Alfred Reicherts.
The calendar of events jointly maintained by the district, city and association municipal administrations is just one pillar of the initiative: there are also plans to report on regular meetings both on the Internet and in the print media, and the participants would be happy to be joined by additional staff. Although more and more pensioners are also online, most of them still prefer the daily newspaper as a source of information, emphasized Kowalski. First up in this series are the winners of the senior citizens' competition. Anyone interested in presenting their own group should contact Lisa Schmitt at the district administration (phone 06782/15418, e-mail l.schmitt@landkreis-birkenfeld.de).
- The signpost can be found at www.sozialerwegweiser-bir.de.