Corporate volunteering is fun and helps others.
The corporate volunteering at Lichtblickhof has become a fixture in Raiffeisen Capital Management’s overall sustainability approach. The fact that our employees are enthusiastic volunteers shows that sustainability is not just lip service for us, but that it is our corporate culture put into action.
The partnership with Lichtblickhof started several years ago. Initially, Raiffeisen Capital Management took over sponsorship and thus all costs that are incurred during the year for the therapy horse Miakoda. Then, in 2019, Raiffeisen Capital Management employees built an enclosure for small animals as part of a corporate volunteering initiative. The volunteer work had to be suspended for some time after this due to COVID-19, but Raiffeisen Capital Management financed the construction of a roof including wind protection for a horse stable as well as the construction of a new entrance gate for Lichtblickhof.
The activities have since resumed and, as a result, volunteers spent two days helping with the relocation and setup of the office as well as a therapy room with accommodations for a caregiver. In addition, a privacy hedge was planted to shield the new building from view. This ensures that the therapy with the horses can continue to be conducted in a protected setting.
In addition, Raiffeisen Capital Management has repeatedly opted not to give Christmas presents in favour of financing the expansion of the therapy facility instead. “The families we assist with therapy are sometimes from other regions. Thanks to the financial support from our sponsors, we can now make available two barrier-free apartments for overnight stays. This makes the situation much less stressful and improves our therapeutic possibilities. Also because we can bring our therapy horses directly to the outdoor areas of the apartments via a separate entrance. For us, this is truly a dream come true,” explained Verena Bittmann from Lichtblickhof.
Lichtblickhof assists children and youths who are affected by grief, trauma, disability, or illness or are in the midst of a crisis situation in transitioning back to normal life. Equotherapy, which was originally developed with horses and now also includes other animals, helps children and youths in crisis situations to find new courage and strength.
Horses give children and teenagers new courage
The therapy with horses which is practised at Lichtblickhof is known as Equotherapy. It is based on the special ability of these sensitive animals to recognise non-verbal bodily impulses and to draw these to the attention of the therapist. Horses are caring; they carry people while simultaneously promoting responsibility and courage because they need to be guided and led. These contrasting impulses are picked up by the therapists and applied in doses so that the children can make progress as a result. All of this is based on a silent language that arises through body tension, facial expression, and gestures: dialogue through movements! People, and children in particular, who face great challenges or have experienced or are experiencing great suffering appreciate this unique relationship that is offered to them with no intentions, no language, and without a social context. The effects of this therapy with horses are varied. The main aim, however, is to improve the quality of life. This ranges from increasing self-confidence, improving self-image, and expressing emotions to improving concentration and learning abilities, as well as increasing overall mobility, coordination, and sense of balance. Equotherapy is also especially suitable for dealing with trauma.