Swimming clubs receive funding
Caption: At the Marienhagen outdoor swimming pool, the local swimming clubs were delighted to receive grant notifications for €3,125 each, which District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst, assisted by district administrator Carsten Habermann, presented in the presence of Karsten Kalhöfer, Mayor of Vöhl. (Photo: Waldeck-Frankenberg District)
The 2026 swimming season is drawing to a close, and outdoor swimming pools in the district are gradually preparing for the off-season, during which maintenance work or improvements are often carried out. Many of the local outdoor swimming pools are run by volunteer-run swimming pool associations, and the Waldeck-Frankenberg district had invited these associations to a welcome event at the end of the season. District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst presented the eight clubs with grant notifications for €3,125 each – a valuable contribution towards investments in the outdoor swimming facilities.
There are swimming pool support associations in Volkmarsen-Ehringen, Bad Arolsen-Landau, Vöhl-Marienhagen, Bad Arolsen-Mengeringhausen, Frankenberg-Rengershausen, Diemelstadt-Rhoden, Rosenthal and Diemelsee-Vasbeck. The District Administrator praised their commitment, carried out on a voluntary and unpaid basis, and expressed great admiration for the expertise that the association’s leaders have developed, particularly through their collaboration on matters relating to ‘outdoor swimming pools’. The district administrator also offered a suggestion on how further investment in the outdoor swimming facilities could be financed: funding opportunities are available through the Leader regions of Burgwald-Ederbergland e. V., Diemelsee-Nordwaldeck and Kellerwald-Edersee e. V., as well as via regional budgets.
“The importance of swimming pools that are accessible to everyone – because the admission fee is affordable even for low-income families – is demonstrated time and again,” emphasised van der Horst, referring to the tragic case of a boy who recently drowned in Lake Twistesee. The widespread availability of outdoor swimming pools creates the conditions for swimming lessons under professional supervision – a key factor in countering the regrettable rise in the number of non-swimmers. In conclusion, the District Administrator wished the swimming pool associations continued enjoyment in their self-chosen task, which is so important from a socio-political perspective, and reiterated his thanks for their commitment.