City of Jena secures continuation of the ThINKA Winzerla project for 2026-2028

At its meeting on Wednesday, Jena City Council approved the option funding agreement with mittendrin e. V. for the continuation of the "Thuringian Initiative for Integration, Sustainability, Cooperation and Activation" (ThINKA) project in the Winzerla district. The contract secures the work in the district for a further three years.

Winzerla is a lively and diverse district with a strong neighborhood and a good social infrastructure. Four schools, five daycare centers, a youth center, medical care and services for senior citizens characterize the social area. People from 96 nations live here. At the same time, Winzerla faces particular challenges, such as an ageing population, a high number of single parents and above-average SGB II and child poverty rates.

"Winzerla has great strengths - and at the same time needs that deserve special attention. ThINKA creates proximity, orientation and trust exactly where people would otherwise fall through the cracks. That's why the continuation of the project is so important for coexistence in the district," emphasizes Kathleen Lützkendorf, Head of Social Affairs.

Since 2022, the dedicated employees of ThINKA Winzerla have conducted 1,005 counselling sessions and supported 168 people seeking advice - including with applications for citizens' benefits and housing benefits, pension and residence issues, housing searches and naturalization. The project has established new social structures, including a meeting café, a sewing workshop, a summer water oasis and numerous volunteer and neighborhood activities.

With the new funding phase, ThINKA is focusing on three main areas: a flexible, needs-oriented advisory service, strengthening the neighborhood and volunteer work, and expanding the social infrastructure and cross-neighborhood networks. The project thus addresses key issues of demographic change, social participation, integration and health promotion.

The total costs for the years 2026 to 2028 amount to 510,686.70 euros. 80 percent of this will be covered by funds from the state of Thuringia and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The City of Jena's own municipal contribution amounts to 102,137.33 euros and is planned in the Welfare Care product area of the Social Services department. The option contract guarantees planning security for the provider, the network partners and the people in the district.

A current example is the support for the "Living Advent Calendar" project in Winzerla: clubs and institutions open their doors, invite people to small programs and thus create encounters in the neighbourhood.

"ThINKA is a professionally proven, socially highly effective project and a visible contribution to a lively and supportive Winzerla. By approving the option agreement, we are sending an important signal of reliability to everyone who lives and works here," says Lützkendorf.