Wilhelmshaven celebrates preventative projects at the supporters' first evening!

Wilhelmshaven celebrates preventative projects at the supporters' first evening!

On December 4, 2025, the first “Evening of Supporters” of the Association for the Promotion of Municipal Prevention (VKP) took place in Wilhelmshaven. The event, which took place in the “Freiraum” of the Rüstringen building association, aimed to express a heartfelt thank you to the supporters of prevention work in the city. So many committed people make it possible for the important projects in Wilhelmshaven to be realized.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of projects that are being implemented by various initiatives in the region. The organizers emphasized the enormous diversity of these projects, which greatly promote social interaction. The prevention week at the IGS and the Altengroden elementary school, which even included a musical, caused great enthusiasm. The winners of the prize for civil courage also reported on their commitment and courage. Particular attention was also paid to the women's self-defense courses, where participants reported an increased feeling of security.

Diverse projects to strengthen the community

The projects presented ranged from workshops and lectures on media literacy to parents' evenings dealing with social media, fake news and artificial intelligence. Another exciting project was the dispute resolution project, which primarily includes self-assertion courses for women and the “Klippo” project. These programs aim to create safe spaces for people in need. Crime prevention measures, safety training for seniors and the “Day of Civil Courage” were also highlighted. And not to forget: the city youth care autumn camp, which is a highlight for many young people.

At the event, the managing director of the VKP, Marnie Menkens, made it clear how important the support of large and small sponsors is for the implementation and further development of the projects. “We rely on a strong network to put the ideas into action,” says Menkens. The members of the association continually make a valuable contribution to prevention work in Wilhelmshaven.

Prevention of violence with a special concept

Another exciting topic that was discussed as part of the prevention work in Wilhelmshaven is the violence prevention concept “Not-with-me!”, which was launched by the German Ju-Jutsu Association e.V. The aim of the concept is to strengthen children and young people and develop them into self-confident and defensive personalities. They learn to recognize dangers, act confidently and defend themselves appropriately. A central component of the concept is the “traffic light principle”, which divides the learning content into three levels and shows how to act in various dangerous situations.

The flexibility of the options for action, which are adapted to the respective situation, shows that there is no universally valid solution for self-defense. Rather, the focus is on preventive measures, self-assertion and self-defense techniques that teach participants how to deal with dangers responsibly.

Overall, it can be said that the first “Supporters’ Evening” was a complete success and once again showed how important the cooperation between clubs, sponsors and committed citizens is. Together in Wilhelmshaven we are sending a strong signal against violence and for safe coexistence. For further details on the projects and initiatives in Wilhelmshaven, those interested can read the reports on nwzonline.de and Read djjv.de.