Laying of the foundation stone for the Federal Association for Life Aid and the Berlin Vocational Training Center
New buildings in Prenzlauer Berg will be new domiciles for two social institutions
Berlin. On Monday, May 14, 2018, the laying of the foundation stone for the start of construction of two buildings in Prenzlauer Berg took place. In the presence of the Berlin State Secretary for Labor and Social Affairs, Alexander Fischer, the go-ahead was given for the construction of new domiciles for the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe e. V. and the Vocational Training Center (BTZ) Berlin of the Berufsförderungswerk Berlin-Brandenburg e. V
Both institutions have a social mandate and focus on the participation of people with mental or intellectual disabilities or limitations. Right next to each other, the employees of both institutions will then continue to organize help and services for participation or carry out corresponding offers for these groups of people on a total of almost 10,000 m² in new modern premises.
The Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe e.V. has had an office in the federal capital since April 2009. At that time, she was able to rent office space at Leipziger Platz 15 on favorable terms. With the new building on Thaerstraße/Hermann-Blankenstein-Straße, Lebenshilfe wants to make itself independent of the rapidly increasing rents in Berlin. Ulla Schmidt, Federal Chairwoman of Lebenshilfe, Member of the Bundestag and former Federal Minister D., says: "60 years after the founding of Lebenshilfe, this is a big investment in our future. We have to have a permanent presence in Berlin and thus in federal politics. This is the only way we can continue to represent the interests of people with disabilities and provide important impetus for an inclusive society in Germany".
Stefan Moschko, Chairman of the Board of the Berufsförderungswerk Berlin-Brandenburg e. V., and adds: "We want to assert ourselves as a reliable partner for the vocational rehabilitation of people with mental disabilities at this location and thus continue the long-standing and successful work of the BTZ in a new building. After all, it is about giving this group of people a perspective of employment on the first labor market and enabling them to lead a self-determined life."
With cds and Wulff Wohnbau Projekt Thaerstraße GmbH as builder and seller, two modern, barrier-free buildings are being built at the S-Bahn station
Storkower Strasse. This ensemble is part of the "Mein Prenzlhain" district development with a floor area of around 42,000 m² for living and working. Of this, 3,600 m² will be donated to the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe e. V. and 5,700 m² belong to the BTZ Berlin.
Background of the Federal Association of Lebenshilfe e. V
The Lebenshilfe has been supporting people with so-called mental disabilities and their families since 1958. It is a self-help association, a parents' association and a professional association. More than 125,000 members and around 60,000 full-time employees are active in over 500 local and district associations, 16 state associations and more than 4,000 self-help organizations. The goals of the Lebenshilfe are comprehensive participation and inclusion as well as the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Germany. More information in our section "About us"
Background to the Berlin-Brandenburg e. V
The Berlin-Brandenburg e. V. (BFW) has been supporting people with health restrictions for almost 50 years with vocational rehabilitation and reintegration into the first job market. As part of the BFW, the Berlin Vocational Training Center (BTZ) has specialized in people with mental disabilities with the aim of providing them with comprehensive support for equal participation in working life. For this purpose, the BTZ offers a six-week aptitude diagnosis, with which the best possible way back into working life is to be found. The actual vocational training, which lasts up to a year, is intended to enable people with mental disabilities in company structures of so-called training companies to bring their resilience and their mental and technical skills up to the level required by the labor market. More information at www.btz-berlin.com or under www.bfw-berlin-brandenburg.de
Background cds and Wulff Projekt Thaerstraße GmbH
The joint project of cds Wohnbau Berlin GmbH and Otto Wulff
Bauunternehmung GmbH makes an important contribution to the urban planning concept of the development area at the "Alten Schlachthof" and closes one of the last remaining vacant lots at the site. The district development "Mein Prenzlhain" includes the new construction of around 190 rental and owner-occupied apartments with commercial space on the ground floor and another five office buildings with a total floor area of around 42,000 m². More information is available at www.mein-prenzlhain.de
