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Hello everyone,

I have set up the ballooning youth meeting point. Why?

In 1996, the first multinational youth camp (IYC) took place during the Gas Balloon World Championship in Bitterfeld. This was initiated and led by Astrid Gerhardt, then youth leader of the DFSV (German Balloon Federation) and Tomas Hora. The last IYC took place in 2023, and I don't know if anyone is planning another one. If there is no team already working on an IYC, it is probably too late for 2025. But maybe there is interest in organising one for 2026, for the thirtieth anniversary.

I myself started ballooning in 1976 at a youth camp organised by the Ballonsportgruppe Stuttgart, and I organised youth camps for many years. Among other things, I launched the Franco-German youth camps with Amélie Achard in 2003, which have been held annually ever since. During the many years that I have been active in youth work, I have gained a lot of experience and knowledge. I no longer want to organise and lead youth camps myself, because I think that younger people should take over, who are closer to the youth in terms of age. But if requested, I would be happy to share my knowledge. In particular, I am most knowledgeable about funding opportunities through national and European institutions, often in connection with Germany, such as the German-French Youth Office, the German-Polish Youth Office, but also the ERASMUS programme of the European Union. But there are also binational funding opportunities without Germany. For example, there are plans to establish a French-Polish Youth Office. Funding opportunities are also subject to change. Of course, I don't know everything either, but I know who to ask.

Especially in a very small group like us balloonists, there is often a lack of manpower to implement youth projects. And those who are interested often don't know about each other. And also not about the funding opportunities. That's why I set up the platform https://www.balloonwiki.org/meetingpoint/, where people interested in (international) youth work in ballooning can register, and which serves to find out who would like to develop activities here and what possibilities are available.

Interested? Then register by 12 January 2025. After that, further information will be available via the BALLONING YOUTH MEETING POINT.

I wish you all a Happy New Year

Volker Löschhorn