Giving something back to the community

As part of its site anniversary, PFERD is donating 125,000 euros to the local community foundation to provide swimming lessons for children.

“We want to give something back to people in and around Marienheide,” summarizes PFERD CEO Jörn Bielenberg. “They are the people that have made PFERD great during its 125 years at the Marienheide site.” That’s why the management board and the Rüggeberg shareholder family have decided to support projects that directly benefit people in the community with a donation of 125,000 euros. “This contribution will enable us to make a real difference in the long term,” states the PFERD CEO.

The beneficiary of the donation is the “Marienheide Bürgerstiftung” community foundation, which the PFERD shareholder Jan Rüggeberg actually co-founded in 2005. “With a view to helping people to help themselves, the mission of the community foundation is to boost voluntary community involvement and encourage people to take on social responsibility in Marienheide as well as to provide assistance where it is needed,” explains Bielenberg.

Jan Rüggeberg has long been especially preoccupied with teaching Marienheide children to swim so that they feel comfortable in the water and can move around safely. “Due to minimal time spent in the water and with coaches over the last few years, it has become ever more difficult for families and schools to teach children these occasionally life-saving skills,” states Bielenberg as he gives a realistic outline of the situation. “That’s why we, along with the community foundation, decided to set up a project together with sports clubs and the local comprehensive school in which children from Marienheide receive swimming lessons and then take tests to be awarded swimming badges.”

100 children per year will now be able to receive these swimming lessons. When referring to the planned duration for the project, Jörn Bielenberg reports that the donated amount will finance the project for several years. “However, we will also use a portion of the money for other projects to support Marienheide and children in the community. We haven’t worked out what form this will take, but already have a few ideas of how we can give even more back to people in the region.”

About the “Marienheide Bürgerstiftung” community foundation

The “Marienheide Bürgerstiftung” community foundation was founded in 2005 in Marienheide-Müllenbach. The foundation has set itself the mission of broadening the basis that underpins our civil society. People and companies who feel they have a connection to the Marienheide municipality have the opportunity to make financial contributions to support the common good. The foundation supports and initiates a wide variety of different projects. www.marienheider-buergerstiftung.de