The recently to Sterneninsel The North Sea island of Spiekeroog is now part of a special cooperation community: together with the Pforzheim association “Sterneninsel e.V.“, whose valuable contribution lies in the child and youth hospice service, the island is developing a social project to support sick children and young people or their relatives even after the loss of family members. During your stay on the car-free island in the Wadden Sea, you should be able to distance yourself from psychological and physical stress. The first trip of the cooperation is already taking place and marks the start of an important project close to our hearts.
Spiekeroog/Frankfurt, October 28, 2021.
It was only in August 2021 that the islands of Spiekeroog and Pellworm in the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site were recognized as such by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) from Tucson, USA Sterneninseln recognized. A magnificent natural spectacle can still be observed on Spiekeroog in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea, where visitors experience a star-filled night sky in almost natural darkness. When finding a name for the project “Sterneninsel Spiekeroog” the cooperation partners were based on the association “Sterneninsel e.V.Attention, whose valuable full-time and voluntary children's and youth hospice service in the Pforzheim and Enzkreis area accompanies families with children and young people with life-limiting illnesses as well as children from families with parents who have a life-limiting illness.
In order to avoid possible restrictions in perception, especially when searching on the Internet, the idea arose to consciously and actively use the same name for a good cause. In general, the term “Sterneninsel“ is not legally protected and in astronomy describes a collection or accumulation of stars that are close together. Even if the term will continue to be used for the Dark Sky activities on Spiekeroog, the prominent position of the valuable association should not be jeopardized so that the child and youth care associated with the term does not become obsolete over time in such serious cases background moves.
Contents of the special social project
The aim of the cooperation community should be to enable children or adults to stay on Spiekeroog in order to mobilize new resources on the island, to get away from the extraordinary physical and mental stress and to have the opportunity to enjoy the peace and seclusion of the North Sea island to find your own center again. A first trip in this context has currently been taking place since October 24th and runs until October 31st. The idea of participating in this project was immediately met with great enthusiasm among those responsible for the project and the Spiekerooger accommodation providers.
As one of the main responsible persons of the SterneninselAs part of the project, the island community of Spiekeroog agrees with the local accommodation providers on various periods during which those affected can be accepted for a holiday stay.
Nordseebad Spiekeroog GmbH has also agreed to take over the ship crossing. Participants also receive free entry to the environmental education center from the Wittbülten National Park House. Other local actors are to follow.
In advance the team of “Sterneninsel e.V.“People and/or carers accompanied by the association are suggested who, taking into account the association's internal criteria, are eligible for a stay on Spiekeroog. It is important to the team at the outpatient children's and youth hospice to help not only give days to life, but also to give the days a life that can be experienced. One or two measures per year are currently planned, with the stay on the island, if possible, taking place outside of the main travel times in order to enable accommodation.
The municipal administration, with the participation of the DeHoGa Spiekeroog local group, agrees with the accommodation providers in question on the scope of the accommodation offered free of charge. The equal distribution of free places should be carried out on a rotating basis for all companies offering them.
In order to underline the connection between the projects with the same name online, there will also be a mutual reference through links on the homepages so that visitors to the websites can benefit from the activities of both "Sterneninseln” and at the same time make it easier for affected families as well as their relatives and carers to take a break from the stressful everyday life. The new "Sterneninsel Spiekeroog” website, which is currently being set up, will specifically draw attention to the work of the association.
The cooperation project will initially run for 5 years and will be continuously evaluated during the implementation phase. Experiences and process organizations are examined to determine the extent to which this valuable project can be continued without difficulties.
Spiekeroog is one of the East Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea in Lower Saxony, has an area of 18 square kilometers and has around 800 inhabitants. The state-recognized North Sea spa has a kilometer-long fine sandy beach, small forests, a charming dune landscape and an idyllic village center. On the green island nothing spoils the carefree enjoyment of nature, because Spiekeroog is car-free.
Founded in 1924, Nordseebad Spiekeroog GmbH has stood for an authentic, sustainable, natural and high-quality holiday experience for almost 100 years. As part of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island follows its green model and aims to become a model destination in the areas of tourism, mobility, sustainability and digitalization. Initiated specifically for the implementation of the projects, the agenda includes various strategic goals under the motto “Spiekeroog Sustainability Initiative” that are to be achieved by 2022: In addition to the preservation and development of the natural habitat on Spiekeroog, the expansion of sustainable island offerings is also a top priority. The environmentally friendly initiatives include, among other things, the installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof of the Spiekerooger beach hall, solar systems on the campsites, beach trash boxes, a holistic deposit cup system, green electricity and the installation of floor ashtrays.
Source: www.spiekeroog.de