Shaping the future of volunteering in Jena together

On November 7, 2025, around 40 volunteers from associations, initiatives, neighborhoods and the Volunteer Advisory Board met at the city administration offices to work together on the question: What will volunteering look like in Jena in the future?

Kathleen Lützkendorf, Head of the Department for Social Affairs, Health, Immigration and Climate, had invited the participants. In a lively future workshop, ideas were collected on how volunteering in Jena can be strategically developed further - adapted to the needs of a city that is becoming more diverse, more digital and older. After just four intensive hours of work, the first concrete measures were identified and are now being further developed.

"Volunteering is the heart of our city. If we want to shape its future, then we have to start right there, where commitment originates: with the people. This workshop has shown how much strength and creativity there is in Jena." Kathleen Lützkendorf

The workshop was accompanied by the organizational consulting institute ORBIT e. V., which is now preparing a final report with the key results. These will then be discussed together with the Volunteer Advisory Board in order to initiate the first implementation steps.

The City of Jena would like to thank all participants who contributed their expertise, experience and enthusiasm to the future of volunteering.