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Volunteering in Penzberg: New ways to strengthen and network!
Voluntary meetings in Penzberg: challenges, networking and future prospects for 40 organizations on October 27th, 2025.
Volunteering in Penzberg: New ways to strengthen and network!
Last weekend, around 80 volunteers gathered in Penzberg to discuss their challenges and opportunities. Organized by “Penzberg togetherness”, representatives from more than 40 organizations and clubs were present. The exchange was necessary because volunteering in the region is confronted with challenges such as a lack of public awareness, a lack of young talent and financial concerns.
Penzberg currently has 17,950 inhabitants, the number is expected to rise to 19,000 to 19,500 in five years and exceed 40,000 in 15 years. In 2019, around 5,000 people aged 14 and over were already active on a voluntary basis. However, this support could be at risk if the challenges are not addressed.
Strengthen the networking of volunteers
A central theme of the meeting was the desire for better networking across the club's boundaries. The moderators Tom Sendl and Monika Uhl led a live online survey that was intended to record the needs of the volunteers. Topics in the survey included the appreciation of voluntary work as well as the availability of suitable rooms and financial resources. The results should be processed in the form of short-, medium- and long-term goals.
A concrete suggestion came to the table: Regular meetings, a digital presence for the organizations, a club day or club festival could help strengthen the community. A simple online booking system for urban areas is also required. Many volunteers complained about the lack of contact persons in the administration, which is often perceived as a major obstacle to their work.
Opportunities for engagement in Penzberg
The city of Penzberg already offers a variety of engagement opportunities tailored to the needs of the community. Including that Bicycle workshop, which is looking for repairers of used bicycles, or the repair café, where defective devices can be repaired together. There is also support for refugees, be it when dealing with authorities or as a language partner. This not only promotes togetherness, but also strengthens sustainability and mobility in the city.
If you would like to get involved occasionally, you can put yourself on a mailing list to receive short-term support for projects or events. This shows how important it is to take into account differences in willingness to engage.
Future of volunteering
Another important outcome of the meeting was the proposal to fill the position of “volunteer” in the town hall, which is currently vacant. There is a lack of support and planning security here, which has a negative impact on volunteers. The first working groups were already formed after the meeting in order to further pursue the goals that had been developed.
As the German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering shows in their studies that comprehensive support for volunteer work at the local level is important in order to improve the conditions for volunteers. These recommendations could also be important in Penzberg in order to be able to better cope with the challenges of volunteer work in the future.
The next meeting for further work is planned for July 7, 2026, after the election of the new city council. It remains exciting to see how the volunteer landscape in Penzberg will develop further.