Major award: ZukunftsHandwerker is among the 12 best children's and youth projects in Germany.

The "Future Craftsmen" project of The ARCH gUG was one of only 12 regional winners of the 12th Town & Country Foundation Prize. An independent jury selected the 12 regional winners from a total of 300 prize winners across Germany. In the large northern region (Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, and Bremen), there were only four projects.

Image: Christopher Schmid for Town & Country Foundation

ZukunftsHandwerker (Future Craftsmen) introduces children and young people in the rural Altmark region to traditional and rare crafts in a playful way. With a dedicated team of volunteers, we go where the children and young people are – to village festivals, kindergartens, Christmas markets, and other events. The project started at the Schönberg Manor and is now reaching more and more children and young people throughout the Altmark. The goal is to establish regular events in youth work in the future, to create real opportunities for young people and help them discover and develop their craft skills.

As a flagship project for volunteer work and sustainable community impact in the Altmark region and Saxony-Anhalt, ZukunftsHandwerker (Future Craftsmen) demonstrates how small, highly motivated organizations can achieve significant local impact – and simultaneously serve as a best-practice example for other regions. Initial discussions about bringing ZukunftsHandwerker to Saxony and Thuringia took place on the evening of the award ceremony. "What we develop and test today in the Altmark can be implemented tomorrow in Hamburg or elsewhere," said Kerstin Rice. "The ARCH thinks globally and acts locally – ZukunftsHandwerker is a concrete project that embodies this approach."

Kerstin Rice, Managing Director of The ARCH gUG, said: “It was a very touching moment to be among the 12 regional award winners. Many of the other award-winning projects are small initiatives that have been working with great passion for children and young people for many years. This recognition is a great honor and at the same time a motivation to pass on our knowledge and experience.”

The Town & Country Foundation congratulated them: “The fact that your project is among these particularly outstanding initiatives shows how valuable your commitment to children and young people is. I congratulate you most sincerely!” Christian Treumann, Chairman of the Board of the Town & Country Foundation, aptly summarized ZukunftsHandwerker: “Providing sensory experiences and perspectives. Fantastic!”

The award ceremony took place on May 9, 2026, as part of a gala event in Erfurt. The ARCH was represented by Kerstin Rice and volunteer Heike.

The ARCH gUG

Kerstin Rice

Email: contact@thearch.org / Website: www.thearch.org

Images: Christopher Schmid for Town & Country Foundation