BEWITAL, in partnership with the Westmünsterland Community Foundation, supports the Friendship Benches project in Oeding.
A special moment for Von-Galen Elementary School in Oeding: Student representatives Marie and Henri recently unveiled the 30th Friendship Bench in the Borken district. The bench has not yet been installed, but it will soon find its permanent home in the school’s new playground.
The Friendship Bench has a simple yet effective goal: to help children connect with one another more easily during recess. Anyone who feels alone can sit on the bench—and the other children know that someone there would be happy to have some company, a conversation, or to play together.
The Friendship Bench was made possible by the Westmünsterland Community Foundation with financial support from the BEWITAL Group.
“It’s a wonderful project, and we’re happy to be a part of it,” emphasized Yvonne Brüninghoff, Head of Human Resources at the BEWITAL Group. “Children learn early on what makes for good relationships: looking out for one another, being there for each other, and not excluding anyone. These are values that will stay with them later in life and are important in adulthood and in their professional lives—which is another reason why we are very happy to support the Friendship Bench.”
Principal Barbara Altena is also delighted with the new bench. She says the concept fits perfectly with the elementary school’s new mission statement, which places each individual at the center: Everyone is valuable. Südlohn Mayor Markus Lask thanked the Westmünsterland Community Foundation and BEWITAL for their dedication and invited the children to make active use of the bench in the future and to form many new friendships.
Incidentally, the 30th Friendship Bench in the Borken district is not expected to be the last. “Five more will follow in Ahaus later this year,” announced Norbert Wiemer, chairman of the Westmünsterland Community Foundation.
For more information about this and other projects of the Westmünsterland Community Foundation, visit:
www.buergerstiftung-westmuensterland.de