Open letter to the City Council of Halle (Saale) – protecting voluntary services

Together with 84 organisations and individuals from Halle (Saale), we have signed an open letter to the city council. The reason for this is the upcoming budget decisions and discussions about across-the-board cuts in education and social services, which would primarily affect voluntary services. At the Francke Foundations, three institutions would be affected as of 1 January 2026: the Family Competence Centre, the Krokoseum Children's Creative Centre and the TiQ Youth Club.

In the run-up to the city council meeting on 17 December, we are also participating in various factual and constructive actions to raise awareness of our perspectives and accompany the open letter. The aim is to highlight the importance of these services for young people and the social climate of the city.

We are aware of the tense budget situation and the great responsibility of the city councillors. At the same time, we urgently appeal for the preservation of proven projects in the areas of education, social affairs, sport and culture, which have a significant impact on community, participation and quality of life in our city. An approvable budget must not jeopardise these structures, but must preserve them. Let us not economise on what makes Halle worth living in!

You can read the open letter here in the download section.