Heroes of Upper Franconia - Start of the fourth round

The heroes from all over Upper Franconia have been chosen

"Heroes of Upper Franconia" has entered its fourth round

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The Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung the fourth round Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung its "Heroes of Upper Franconia" program, a competition concept it initiated specifically to promote regional engagement. Ten teams from across Upper Franconia have made it through and are now participating. The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Bayreuth is also on board again as a proven cooperation partner.

The "Heroes of the Homeland" competition, now well-known and popular throughout Upper Franconia, has entered a new round, and the heroes' mission statement is: "We want to work with you to make an impact in the Upper Franconia region!" Twenty-two initiatives from across Upper Franconia applied, and ten teams were selected for the "Heroes' Journey." "The selection was really difficult," explained Yola Klingel, managing director of Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, at an initial get-together at Heinersreuther Hof near Kulmbach. "You are people who look closely, and we believe in you and your impact," she said to the volunteers present.

Wide variety of projects

The selected teams are as diverse as their topics: whether it's supporting outpatient care, creatively introducing children to career opportunities, promoting people who are often excluded in everyday life, accompanying people as they enter retirement, mentoring children of mentally ill and stressed parents, searching for missing persons, integrating people with intellectual disabilities through sports, providing advice and networking in local villages, strengthening neighborhood assistance, environmental education with added value, or participation and communication in the field of e-sports—diversity is what sets the "Heroes of Upper Franconia" program apart.

"Heroes of the Homeland is much more than just an impulse; it is a development and networking program," says foundation representative Miriam Lindner. The ten teams will now receive support in the form of workshops and personal coaching for one year, as well as tailored assistance and tips. "We want to hone ideas, highlight their social impact, and learn from each other." Diversity as a strength is the keyword here. To conduct the workshops and coaching sessions, the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung has Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung enlisted the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Bayreuth as a strong partner this year. "It's about doing things differently by thinking about social and economic impact," explains Prof. Dr. Eva Jakob. It's not just about skills, but also about desire and passion.

Successful start

And it was precisely this passion that the winning teams demonstrated at their first get-together in mid-December at Heinersreuther Hof. In a lively exchange, they got to know each other, identified challenges, and it quickly became clear to everyone: "We all have the same issues, even though we come from different fields." Things like public relations and communication, identifying new target groups, recruiting young volunteers, or finding solutions for long-term financing—these are issues that concern all ten teams.

Of course, they hope to be able to present their projects so successfully at the end of phase 1 at the "Heroes of the Homeland" festival in October 2027 that they qualify for phase 2 of the program. The three teams that manage to convince the jury will receive unconditional hero money of up to 15,000 euros. In addition, they will continue to receive individual monthly coaching for one year under the motto "Act and Grow." "Heroes of the Homeland is a great opportunity for social initiatives in Upper Franconia to grow and achieve greater impact," says Eva Jakob.

The ten selected teams

The teams that are now embarking on their "hero's journey" together come from all over Upper Franconia:

SOPHIA in the neighborhood, Bamberg

AWO District Youth Welfare Service – Kulmbach

kollektiv gut e.V. – Bamberg

Municipality of Ahorn

Geschwister-Gummi Foundation – Kulmbach

ASB Regional Association Coburg e.V. Rescue Dog Unit – Coburg

Friends of the Lias Grube Environmental Station Association – Eggolsheim

Team Bananenflanke Bayreuth e.V. – Bayreuth

Caritas Association of Kulmbach County – Kulmbach

E-Sport UBT e.V. - Bayreuth

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