On the 6th of October 2014 the town of Ferlach was awarded the basic certificate "family-friendly community" and the UNICEF additional certificate "child-friendly community".
Now the town of Ferlach is taking part in the “family-friendly community” audit and in the UNICEF additional certificate “child-friendly community” for the second time. In addition to this, last year the citizens of Ferlach were invited to an ideas competition and to collaborate in the “family-friendly community” working group. The current situation and new measures for Ferlach were jointly developed during the workshops; after that, they were presented and approved by the municipal council in July.
One measure that has already been fortunately carried out is the implementation of a food sharing project. Since May, the Together Point association has been saving unsold food from the garbage can, thus making a valuable contribution to combating waste. In order to give young people and children a say in the community, measures that have already taken place, such as “Meet-Chill & Grill”, will be reintroduced.
Here young people can exchange ideas with politicians from all political groups in a relaxed atmosphere. Through the implementation of a student parliament, children should be involved in making decisions. For ex., when the main square was redesigned, Ferlach's students let their ideas flow into the project. Child-friendly traffic and the establishment of a “Kiss & Go Zone” at primary schools 1 & 3 are intended to ensure more safety on the road in the future. A fitness trail along the Loibl brook is intended to encourage the Ferlach population to do more physical exercise.
Measures 2019-2021:
- Re-activation of the political and administrative measures with children and young people (Meet / Chill + Grill - young people meet politics, student parliament, children and young people are involved in decision making)
- Food sharing
- Homepage – exchange market "Ferlach hat / willhaben"
- Kiss & go parking spaces at the schools
- additional children's boards
- Child-friendly traffic in Ferlach, make curbs and sidewalks barrier-free - starting from meeting places
- Fitness trail along the Loibl brook
- Attachment of children’s trailers to rental bikes
- Cultures market
Within the family-friendly community audit, additional measures and offers were developed in a public participation process in order to make Ferlach more family-friendly
- Following measures were successfully implemented:
- Young people plan and build an earth trail for bicycles with the help of the municipal building yard (report)
- Child-friendly roads - the main square becomes a meeting place, curbs and sidewalks were made barrier-free when the main square was redesigned
- Children are involved in decision making (children and young people are included in projects, for ex. in redesigning the main square in 2020)
- Mayor's office hours for children and young people
- Website for children (www.ferlach.at/kinderseite)
- The children's newspaper "Eulenpresse" (designed by primary school children for children) is attached to the community newspaper
- Ferlachbörse (Ferlachbörse) - a regional sales and exchange platform
- Rental bicycles expanded to include children’s trailers and seats
- Coffee house with children's playgrounds
- First aid course
- Swimming courses in kindergarten
- Summer kindergarten
- Welcome party for Ferlach’s new-borns
- Welcome gift for Ferlach’s new-borns
- Parent-child group
- Baby diaper pails (up to the age of 2)
- Adults’ diaper bins
- Ferlach Youth Centre
- Soundproofed music room for young bands
- Generations’ park - vitality and fitness park
- LAiF - Association "Aging is worth living in Ferlach"
- Summer cinema including own children's show
- Free ice skating during the semester break
- Free Wi-Fi in the city centre
- Gift boxes
- Food sharing
- Expansion of the playground in Gaston-Glock-Park Ferlach
Ferlach