Lively meeting place in Brühl: Creativity and community for happiness!

Lively meeting place in Brühl: Creativity and community for happiness!

In the heart of Esslingen's Brühl district, an exciting community work project is flourishing that not only offers residents a home, but also creates a place for meeting and exchange. The Esslinger Wohnungsbau (EWB) meeting point is not an ordinary center, but a true happiness project that brings people of all ages and from a wide variety of backgrounds together. Esslinger newspaper reports that visitors can help themselves to donated food on Mondays in order to combat food waste. Whether fresh fruit, vegetables or even yoghurt – Esslinger Foodsavers enable people to eat well even on a small budget.

But the offer goes far beyond the distribution of food donations. In the many creative courses coordinated by the dedicated team leader Arife Bagci-Demirkol, young and old can discover their skills, be it in pottery, in baking and cooking groups or at the knitting meeting. The multicultural atmosphere ensures that everyone feels welcome and offers space for exchange and learning together - such as Zejnep Özen's German course, who regularly comes for breakfast and handicrafts.

Creative collaboration

The meeting point pays particular attention to the needs of the younger generation. Arife Bagci-Demirkol gives residents the opportunity to bring their ideas into the planning, which was particularly important for the new building. There is a lot on offer, especially for children. There is not only art therapy, but also programs such as “From the Neighborhood to the Theater,” which open up creative perspectives for the little ones. In addition, volunteers like Kreet Gomaa from Syria, who not only acts as a translator but also plays with the children, provide support.

Women are also taken care of: a Zumba group provides exercise and exchanges during walks together help mothers to share their concerns. The offers are aimed at all age groups and are independent of origin or religion - here we work together to achieve harmonious coexistence.

Sustainable community

The community work in Brühl, which has existed since 2002, benefits from a variety of collaborations with the city, district, job centers, parishes, sports clubs and schools. These networks not only support local initiatives, but also contribute to social integration. Another example of the diversity of the offerings is the training to become a dispute mediator for primary school children, which is carried out in collaboration with the German Red Cross.

With currently around 1,300 residents in 272 apartments and 333 apartments, including 120 children, the meeting point is an important part of the district. Arife Bagci-Demirkol's dedicated work ensures that the needs of the community are heard and incorporated into planning.

What could be better than pulling together and ensuring that life in Brühl becomes a little happier and more fulfilling for all residents? NBank emphasizes how important it is to make contact early before applying for funding and to fill out the project description accordingly.

With a successful mix of creativity, support and a sense of community, everyday life here in Brühl is not only enriched, but also sustainable use of the neighborhood is promoted, which is reflected in people's hearts.