The Haus der Jugend in Hanover has had a playground for all children and young people - with or without disabilities - since the end of April. The "Stück zum Glück" donation campaign, an initiative by Procter & Gamble, REWE and Aktion Mensch, made this special place possible. Here, young people can play and romp around on an equal footing and in an inclusive environment.
Thanks to the initiative, new inclusive playgrounds are being realised throughout Germany or existing playgrounds are being converted so that they can be used by all children - with or without disabilities. Around 35 inclusive playground projects have already been realised with "Stück zum Glück". The playground in Hanover is number 32 - and is already a play paradise for all children. Even wheelchair users can easily reach all the equipment here, as the usual sand has been replaced by a synthetic fall protection surface. And how the children use the equipment is up to them. They can stand, sit or lie on the swings or the merry-go-round - whichever suits them best.
The southern part of Hanover has its first inclusive playground © Thilo Schmülgen
"Children play a key role in shaping our future, which is why it is important to us that we encourage all children and support them in their development. At REWE, we are happy to work with P&G and Aktion Mensch to make an important contribution to children's leisure activities and motor and social development by supporting the construction of inclusive playgrounds," says Jochen Vogel, Managing Director of REWE Nord. Supporting the initiative is very simple: with every P&G product purchased at REWE, one cent automatically flows into the "Stück zum Glück" donation pot and thus into the implementation of inclusive playground projects in Germany.
"We are delighted about the wonderful opportunity to meet, learn and play that this inclusive playground now offers many children at a central play area in Hanover. This will allow us to take another step towards a barrier-free future," said Anja Ritschel, Head of Hanover's Economic and Environmental Affairs Department, at the opening ceremony at the end of April. So far, only three per cent of play areas in Germany are suitable for children with and without disabilities to play together without barriers, added Christina Marx from Aktion Mensch.
Thanks to the "Stück zum Glück" initiative, children with and without disabilities can play together here © Thilo Schmülgen
This will change with the new playground. It offers children and young people lots of fun playing together. At the same time, the play equipment also supports their development: in addition to mobility, balance and coordination, social skills such as teamwork are also promoted.
