Volunteering - Allotment gardeners meet at Potsdam state congress
Young people's concerns, generational conflicts, structural changes – it's not always idyllic in the Brandenburg allotment gardens. The Allotment Friends discuss how to tackle these challenges today at the Allotment Garden Congress of their state association in Potsdam. Among other things, they will talk about how to attract young forces for the association executive boards.
"We don't save lives, we don't put out fires, and as usual, this general voluntary work, the activity in the associations, is treated disdainfully," said Fred Schenk, chairman of the Brandenburg State Association of Allotment Friends, to the German Press Agency. Schenk proposes incentives such as free use of public transport (OPNV) for people who engage in allotment gardening on a voluntary basis as a way for state politics to make volunteering more attractive again. This way, the Landespolitik can contribute to this.
The allotment gardeners can present their concerns to several state parliamentarians who have announced their participation in the congress. "We have elections in Brandenburg in the fall," said Schenk. "The question of whether it will continue with the support of allotment gardening from a new state government, whether that's even still in the coalition agreement, is a concern for us." The politicians will also have to answer these questions.
One of the main themes of the congress, according to Schenk, will be the future of the so-called Allotment Garden Law. In the context of legal disputes over the installation of solar panels on individual plots, calls for reform of the law to explicitly allow photovoltaic modules have been heard. Schenk opposes this. "The reform of the Federal Allotment Garden Law is not an option," he said. "Anyone who scratches at this law and says we have to reform it, is the one who gets rid of it." However, these discussions could not be brushed aside. "We have to talk about it."
- The Allotment Friends Association in Brandenburg recognizes the importance of addressing the concerns of its younger members, particularly in regards to the offspring care within the allotment gardens.
- At the upcoming Allotment Garden Congress in Potsdam, the discussion on attracting young volunteers for association executive boards and resolving generational conflicts in allotment care is high on the agenda.
- Schenk, the chairman of the Brandenburg State Association of Allotment Friends, advocates for structural changes to make volunteering in allotment gardening more appealing, such as offering free public transportation (OPNV) as an incentive.
- As the Allotment Garden Law comes under scrutiny due to disputes over solar panel installations, Schenk firmly opposes any reform, stating that doing so would potentially lead to the dissolution of the law, but acknowledges the need for discussions on the matter.
