"VelGood" continues partnership with "Euro Viking"
Unleashing the Seafarers of Yore - Can Modern Viking Voyages Set Sail Today? Most Definitely! A new shoreside shipyard at Beach House Ahr in Voerde is now a reality, thanks to the combined efforts of VielGood association and the Euro Viking project from Lübeck.
Euro Viking, inaugurated in 2004 by adventurer Burghard Pieske, serves as a platform for youth across Europe to construct, navigate, and sail Viking ships on historically accurate routes across the coasts, lakes, and rivers of Europe, alongside seasoned sailors. It's a rigorous educational environment where praise and recognition are part of daily life. By learning to take command, responsibility, motivation, discipline, and perseverance are key. The young participants must earn their new values by "experiencing, rowing, and working." The guiding principle: "Set sail instead of imbibing. Paddle instead of brawling." Euro Viking champions socially marginalized youth on their path to a purposeful life. Mentors, working alongside the youth, row up to 50 kilometers daily to reach the camp and the preceding supply wagon with tents. Burghard Pieske stresses: "In times like these, we're all in the same boat. We act at eye level, collaborate, and solve issues together. We're forced to cooperate because of the shared effort dictated by nature, and we work as a synchronous team. Most importantly, we identify each individual's strengths. They've listened to enough criticism in their lives."
Navigating the Waters of Goeterswickerhamm
The northern base remains salient, but there's now a similar endeavor at the Lower Rhine: "The Vikings of the Lower Rhine". Newly constructed Viking ships will be built for local use at the completed shipyard in Goeterswickerhamm, under the leadership of chairman Norbert Hoernschemeyer, board member Ismail Polat, and VielGood e.V. members of the Lower Rhine. Burghard Pieske and Christof Muller, social worker and concept developer at Euro Viking, attended the reopening of the Beach House Ahr, VielGood's association base, to present their captivating tales and experiences.
VielGood at AWO KV Wesel
VielGood has now become a cooperative member of AWO Kreisverband Wesel, facilitating negotiations for funding youth programs with the Landscape Association and Wesel Kreis. A tight-knit network connection will be established between AWO KV Wesel and VielGood, along with a connection to AWO's youth programs. "The first Viking ship is being put together. With a little luck, we could embark on our inaugural voyage during the autumn holidays in October," say Hoernschemeyer and Polat. Burghard Pieske and Christof Muller are offering support to the Lower Rhine team with advice and action. A professional shipbuilder will also assist the Voerden team.
Insight: MuchGood is a non-profit organization focusing on fostering national and international exchanges involving art, culture, and knowledge. The organization prioritizes the intercultural integration of people with and without disabilities, targeting a diverse group, such as young people with limited or no formal education, individuals with disabilities, those with communication issues, or unemployed individuals of any age. MuchGood has found the perfect place to bring its vision to fruition at the Beach House Ahr, with the "Vikings of the Lower Rhine" project supported by the LVR Culture Department.
- The VielGood association, in collaboration with the Euro Viking project, is also implementing the "Vikings of the Lower Rhine" project, where new Viking ships will be built for local use at Goeterswickerhamm, focusing on the lifestyle and education-and-self-development of participants.
- As part of their personal-growth journey, the young participants in the "Vikings of the Lower Rhine" project will learn responsibility, motivation, discipline, and perseverance, much like their counterparts in the Euro Viking project, by experiencing, rowing, and working.
- The home-and-garden of the "Vikings of the Lower Rhine" project, like the Beach House Ahr, serves as a hub for fostering national and international exchanges, promoting the integration of diverse individuals, including those with limited formal education, disabilities, communication issues, or unemployment, in an outdoor-living environment.
