Cultural bridge: from Dalry to Cologne
This summer, a new international exchange will link the Glenkens with Sülz in Cologne, Germany, exploring what keeps volunteers showing up and how shared spaces shape community life.
At first glance, Sülz and Dalry do not seem obvious partners. Sülz, a leafy and affluent neighbourhood in Cologne, is full of cafés, organic markets and toy shops. Dalry, by contrast, is a small Glenkens village where most people know one another by name. Yet both places share something quietly important; community spaces that belong to everyone, and volunteers who keep them alive.
Launching in Dalry this summer, the exchange is funded by the Cultural Bridge Fund, which supports non-profit organisations in the UK and Germany to connect, share knowledge and exchange practical approaches. The project will explore volunteering, civic participation and belonging across rural and urban settings.
In Dalry, that public life centres around places such as the Glenkens Community Centre and Dalry Town Hall. In Sülz, it centres on Sternplatz - 'Star Square' - a neighbourhood meeting place transformed from a neglected crossroads into a welcoming square with seating, flowers and a shared bookcase. That transformation was supported by Agora Köln, which works alongside cultural groups, activists and social organisations to strengthen citizen-led projects.
For this exchange, Agora Köln is partnering with UK charity People’s Voice Media, whose community reporting approach trains people to gather and share stories ethically and collaboratively. Participants will learn practical skills including interviewing fellow volunteers, recording audio and video, taking photographs and working with contributors to tell stories from the inside out.
The project will compare urban and rural experiences to explore what motivates people to get involved, what helps them stay involved and what barriers they face.
As Agora Köln’s Gabi Linde explains: “It will give us a fabulous opportunity to continue our research into volunteering and dig deep into why civic participation matters to people.”
Alongside online meetings, three delegates from each community will visit the other in person, touring key sites and reflecting on how volunteering and civic participation appear in everyday life.
Photos above: Neighbours enjoying a shared meal at Sternplatz - 'Star Square' - in Cologne; the Sternplatz being refurbished; the shared bookcase.
The Glenkens Community Centre is the local focus for this project, and volunteers from across the Glenkens are invited to be involved: it is hoped that there will be good coverage from across the area. The outcomes of the project will be a report looking at motivations for volunteering and civic participation, comparing challenges and successes across an urban site in Germany and a rural site in Scotland, and understanding any ways in which the organisations can learn from each other.
Additionally, a video will be produced which will summarise the motivations and highlight the range of volunteer opportunities across the Glenkens, which we hope will not only recognise the essential role that volunteers play, but also make it more accessible for others to volunteer who may not have done so previously.
How to take part
As a Community Reporter
Community Reporters will take part in a 2-day training course, taking place at the Glenkens Community Centre on the following dates:
Wednesday 24th June, 10am - 3.30pm
Wednesday 26th August, 10am - 3.30pm
This free training is open to volunteers or employees of non-profit organisations across the Glenkens. To sign up, email Kath Peters (kath@peoplesvoicemedia.co.uk or tel. 07811957578)
And/or share your story as a volunteer
Full details of the wider project can be found in the flyer. Additionally, a drop-in session is taking place at the Community Centre on 17th June, between 1.30 and 2.30pm, and you would be very welcome to come along and ask questions in person.
Anyone interested in taking part can contact Kath Peters at kath@peoplesvoicemedia.co.uk or 07811 957 578.
Find out more about People’s Voice Media and the Cultural Bridge Project at the larger project at:
https://peoplesvoicemedia.co.uk/guten-tag-to-our-new-cultural-bridge-project/