Funding of the Renate Wineken Foundation

Since its founding in 2010, the Renate Wineken Foundation has been committed to providing disadvantaged adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 27 in Köln-Kalk and Köln-Poll with new perspectives. Through the youth hostels Nikolaus-Groß-Haus and Bernhard Letterhaus, the foundation continuously provides grants to cover accommodation costs and supplement educational programs. The focus is on measures for language support, school and vocational training, as well as individual counseling and guidance. Recreational educational activities complete the offering and strengthen social skills. Public institutions and non-profit organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia that carry out similar projects can submit applications on an ongoing basis to receive additional funding.

The aim of the funding is to enable young people—regardless of their migration background—to achieve recognized school qualifications, acquire vocational skills, and thereby successfully transition to an independent life. The foundation supports both the structural equipment of the hostels and individual advisory services in the areas of career orientation and business financing. Through open application procedures without deadlines, suitable projects can be implemented at any time and accompanied over the long term. The commitment of the Renate Wineken Foundation makes a sustainable contribution to strengthening youth welfare, promoting vocational education, and further developing social structures in Cologne.