Three win Harburg's Sustainability Prize 2014

On November, 26th, 2014, Thomas Voelsch, Mayour of Hamburg-Harburg and Manfred Schulz, President of Hamburg-Harburg's local parliament (Bezirksversammlung Harburg) awarded three local initiatives with the Harburg Second Sustainability Award 2014.

The "Neuwiedenthaler Apfelschule" took 1,000 EUR home. This year's number one teaches elementary school children very practically how to grow, harvest and process apples and appreciate regional goods.

Second came the "Katholische Schule Harburg", winning 600 EUR for Stephan Matussek's project "Lab in a drop". This is an environmentally- friendly and cost-efficient project for the work in the school's chemistry lab.

Being third place, the local "Repair Café" was awarded 400 EUR. This origianlly Dutch movement  invites people to bring non-functioning small household items  to a local place at a given time and repair them - in a pleasant atmosphere - with the help of crafty locals and cut down on waste and carbon emissions and improve social relations.

Additionally, the jury specially recognised the ZEWU for their energy councelling activities in Harburg with regard to building, rernovating and restorating flats and houses.

Altogether, 18 groups and initiatives had applied for the 2014 Award. Eleven of them belong to the educational sector and four project to trade. Two  applicants are engaged in environmetal protection and nature preservation to envronmetal activists and one initiative follows an inter-cultural learning approach.

The ceremony took place in collaboration with Harburg's Voluntary Netzwork at the Haus der Kirche, Harburger Ring 20, 21073 Hamburg. Mike and Wolle entertained the guests with Rock Classics, Anna and Benjamin offered vegan food and the Bioinsel Harburg, our local Health Food Shop, provided organic finger food and regional beverages.

Chris Baudy