Ludothek Global - Sustainable Playing and Learning in Berlin

Here you can find the link to the English version of our pitch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d29QbcaphXA

(1) The Ludothek in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg has existed for almost 17 years. Every year about 5000 visitors* use our "toy library" as a place to play, learn and meet.
The Ludothek is, like all our offers, almost exclusively financed by project funds. For each project, however, we also have to raise our own funds, which is always a great challenge.
We need your support to secure and shape the future of the Ludothek for the next few years.
(2) Furthermore, we have the unique opportunity to open a "World Toy Library" in the new building of the One World House of Berlin Global Village e.V. in Berlin-Neukölln on the former area of the Kindl-Brewery at the beginning of 2021. Like its model in Prenzlauer Berg, this "Ludothek global" will be a family centre and a place of play, learning and encounter for the surrounding neighbourhoods and all member organisations and visitors* to Berlin Global Village. The Berlin Senate shares our vision of this global play space, in which everyone, regardless of age and origin, can (re)discover toys, interact with each other in a playful way and simply feel good. It considers this project to be worthy of support and has reserved 50% of the required funding for 2021-22 for this purpose from EU funds.
A successful crowdfunding campaign is a decisive milestone for us on the way to raising the remaining 50% for the project.

Our target groups:
Families from the most diverse social contexts come together here, children with their individual case workers, day-care groups with their carers, people with and without disabilities, with and without a migration background or refugee experience, etc.
The approx. 850 play materials that we provide in the Ludothek in Prenzlauer Berg are particularly suitable for children between 0 and 6 years of age. Whether we will also offer play equipment for older children in Neukölln will be decided through dialogue and a series of participatory workshops with children, parents and experts from the surrounding neighbourhoods.
As a place for global learning using toys from all over the world, the Ludothek global will be open to children and youths of all age groups as well as teachers, trainees and students.

Our project goals:
This crowdfunding campaign is intended to provide flexible support in making the Ludothek in Prenzlauer Berg fit for the future and in building up the planned Ludothek Global in Neukölln.
At the Ludothek Prenzlauer Berg we urgently want to renew the toy fund and parts of the equipment as well as strengthen our support capacities in order to maintain our opening hours.
In the new construction of the One World House in Neukölln, we are looking for the necessary third-party funds to start a completely new Ludothek.

"Playing is an activity that cannot be taken seriously enough." (Jacques-Yves Cousteau)

Over the past 17 years, the Ludothek in Prenzlauer Berg has supported many generations of children and parents with its low-threshold social services. It was built up with a lot of heart and soul and is kept running by the immense commitment of our employees, many helpers and volunteer workers.
And our offer is well received: Every day, children discover original toys, sink into playful activities, inspire their parents - and all this in a relaxed atmosphere of playing together, exchanging ideas and sometimes even building toys. Groups of children experience hours of intensive and fair play together. Educators and curative education therapists deal with the potential of toys and play.
The Ludothek is a place of truly lived social diversity, integration and inclusion, which in addition shows that the constant consumption of ever new play materials can be avoided.
At the moment, however, we are reaching our limits with the means at our disposal, making it increasingly difficult to maintain the Ludothek's customary operation. To do something about this, we ask for your support!

In Neukölln we have the unique opportunity to contribute with our experience and professional competence to the development and expansion of the Berlin One-World-Centre of Berlin Global Village e.V. by opening a "Ludothek global" on the ground floor of the new building that is currently under construction. This will build a bridge between Berlin Global Village and the population in the surrounding neighbourhoods and beyond, while at the same time being a place of learning for sustainable development. In order to create the space for this in the new Ludothek, we still need 50% of the funds for the project start. Only then will we receive the promised financial support from the Berlin Senate. The more funds we can raise with your help, the more the project will shine for other potential supporters!

In the Ludothek in Prenzlauer Berg we will renew worn toys and parts of the equipment (such as our coffee machine, parasols and seating in the courtyard, etc.). We will also invest funds to increase our educational staff and volunteers, so that we do not have to restrict the opening hours of the Ludothek any further.

In Neukölln we will build up an exemplary toy collection with toys from all over the world that meet the ecological, economic and social criteria of sustainability. In order to build up this Ludothek, we also need funds for furnishings such as shelves, seating, tables and carpets, as well as workplace equipment. And this new Ludothek also needs educational staff and other energetic employees* so that we can open its doors several days a week.

If we can start the project successfully and secure its operation until the end of 2022, we are confident that we will also be able to win public supporters for the time after that!