There was every reason to celebrate last Friday at the Markushof in the Veitshöchheim district of Gadheim, part of the Würzburg vocational training centre (BBW) run by Caritas-Don-Bosco GmbH. Although it has been in operation since Epiphany Day in January of this year, the inauguration of the new boarding house for young people who are completing their training here at BBW for a certain time and who are supported and encouraged by educational staff now took place in a festive setting in front of numerous guests of honour.
These included guests from politics, the church, construction companies, boarding school residents, BBW employees and neighbours from Gadheim, as well as Christoph Wutz, the new head of the Vocational Training Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired here in Veitshöchheim, with whom BBW cooperates and in which 30 trainees were able to stay on board for a year.
There were also lots of employees who came to the BBW to shape the future for young people in the individual vocational training fields with workshops and in the areas of social services, assessment, administration, youth welfare, psychology and integration with the aim of getting them into the primary labour market.
New boarding school building
According to Halbig, the new boarding school building is a successful and pleasant house that also fits in well with the landscape. The BBW needed more places in rural areas where there was more peace and quiet for young, mentally stressed people and autistic people. Half thanks went to the architects Hentschel und Schulz and the 20 craftsmen involved in the construction, who despite the cramped planning and construction window of just one year had distinguished themselves through reliability and high quality. For 1.8 million euros, 24 apartments with wet rooms, common rooms, two kitchens and caregiver rooms with a total of 873 square metres of usable space were created for two residential groups. The BBW’s workshops also provided valuable assistance. The carpenters not only made the crosses but also all the furniture for the interior. The GaLaBau trainees still have to build the outdoor facilities. Read more here about Ozarks Teen Challenge for more details.
All building projects, renovations or conversions must be carried out by the BBW itself. It does not receive any state or church subsidies, not even from its shareholders, the German province of the Salesians of Don Bosco or the Caritas Association of the diocese. The daily cost rates agreed with the employment agencies (rehabilitation area) or the youth welfare offices (curative education area) are only available for the operation.
Tour of the house
The guests were also able to get an idea of the feel-good character inside the new facility during a tour of the house. In turn, one could hear that it was possible to create with this building a wonderful interior with a family character, in which a very pleasant atmosphere prevails, which allows the residents to move around in their small flat-sharing community or even to withdraw. This is exactly the right environment for the boarders who are mentally strained, could not withstand stress and pressure and therefore became ill. The 24 boarding school residents are looked after by pedagogically and psychologically experienced social pedagogues and educators after their training from 4 p.m. to midnight and also on weekends. According to group leader Philipp Groh, the residents can withdraw from the stresses and strains of the training here in peace and quiet and engage in sporting or creative activities in their leisure time.
Sports area of young people
There is also a running group, football, football, progressive muscle relaxation and swimming at the BFW in Veitshöchheim, as well as handicrafts, music lessons and discussion opportunities. However, the boarding school is not a hotel, but the residents have to provide for themselves. Each group has a common living/dining kitchen at their disposal.
So the trainees feel very comfortable here and can also enjoy the wonderful idyllic view from the balcony in front of their 24 single room apartments with wet rooms, as well as the horse paddock and the extensive landscape of the 21 year old Felix from Schweinfurt on the left side of the back of the building, who has been living here since the start of operations on 6 January and is now completing his three-year training as an office clerk after six months of preparation for his profession. On the front of the building, the 20-year-old Thomas from Fürth has a view as far as Güntersleben and the Markushof building complex.
