Money from Sol og Strand benefits village community
Thanks to a donation of 7,500 kroner from Sol og Strand and Kjeld Sol og Strand Fund, it is now possible to take the next step in the plans to realize the Mejls-Orten-Tinghøj Fricykler project.
"It's so wonderful," says a delighted Louise Engelbreth, mother of a nursery school child and one of the driving forces behind the application, which is supported by associations, schools, childminders, and daycare centers.
Although the three towns are relatively small, there is plenty of enthusiasm and initiative in the West Jutland village community, which includes the towns of Mejls, Orten, and Tinghøj.
"We want cities to be attractive places for families with young children to move to, as it is very important that there are enough children to run our schools, kindergartens, nurseries, sports teams, etc.," she says.
One of the initiatives designed to foster community and unity is two electric cargo bikes, each with room for six children.
The bicycles enable employees at institutions, daycare centers, and schools to take the children on outings without having to rely on bus transportation.
"The children have the opportunity to visit each other, they can visit local farms and see a cow being milked, or they can visit Varde or a playground in a nearby town," says Louise Engelbreth.
The plan is for the two new electric cargo bikes to be stored at the school's address and for everyone to have the opportunity to use them.
"For example, if a family wants to go on an outing, they can use the electric cargo bike for this. We want the bikes to be used as much as possible. We believe that this creates positive energy and publicity for our cities. It shortens distances in an area where everything can seem far away," says Louise Engelbreth.
In addition to support from Sol og Strand, the project, which includes rain covers, cushions, bicycle helmets, etc., in addition to the two bicycles, has just received a commitment of support from Sydbank. The entire project amounts to just under DKK 81,000, and more than half of this amount has already been secured.
"I hope that other foundations will see the value in contributing to this project, which supports the community in the three cities and also contributes to our desire to develop more sharing economy in our area," says Louise Engelbreth.