Bregenz (BRK) – On March 14, the city council approved financial support for various areas of youth work in Bregenz.
All in all, it was about 930,000 euros. Mayor Michael Ritsch announced this after the meeting.
The largest share is accounted for by the new association “Offene Jugend- und Kulturarbeit Bregenz” (OJKAB). As is well known, it combines the Autonomous Youth and Cultural Center Between and the Westend Youth Club under one umbrella brand and will be supported with 602,000 euros in 2023. In addition, OJKAB’s equity will be increased by around EUR 40,000. They come from the liquidation of the Westend, which was deleted from the register of associations over a year ago as planned. The same will happen with the remaining capital of Between, which was dissolved as an association at the end of 2022.
Funding of EUR 107,000 and EUR 88,300 respectively is also paid to the “aha” youth information center and the Amazone girls’ center. There is 55,000 euros for the “Lobby for your apprenticeship” project, and the new edition of the “Young Art Generation” on July 1st on the Kornmarktplatz will be supported with 23,000 euros. Furthermore, budget funds flow into various projects of the municipal youth service, such as the project “Social-spatial orientation”, the Saturday evening offer “Chill ‘n’ move” and the social project “bre!ak”, in which young people are involved in various institutions and be able to acquire social skills as well as technical ones.
“The money for the youth work in Bregenz is not a gift, but – if you will – above all help for self-help and an important investment in the future. Young people are ‘picked up’ in their free time and supported and challenged in cooperation with clubs and institutions within the framework of various participatory projects. It’s worth every cent,” said Mayor Michael Ritsch.
And city councilor Veronika Marte said: “Sensible youth work consists of a whole bundle of measures, starting with the annual subsidy for the youth umbrella organization OJKAB and the apprentice project Lobby to the youth bus, which only costs us a few euros a year. In any case, I’m glad that we can start the system up again after the difficult Corona period in the interests of the many young people.”
