Volunteer
Volunteering is an indispensable part of our society. It is easy to recognize its importance when you imagine what life would be like without volunteers in the social and political sphere and in associations.
Without this commitment, our society would not only be poorer, it would simply not function in many areas.
The importance of voluntary work continues to increase because the state is reducing its public duties for financial reasons or is no longer able to fulfill them to the same extent as before.
At the same time, the more companies are under economic pressure, the less willing they are to support voluntary work.
Volunteers do not generate revenue, but perform regular services for the general public - for example as volunteer firefighters.
Changes to the volunteer card in 2026
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you about the changes when switching from the Hilden volunteer pass to the NRW volunteer card.
As of January 18, 2024, the city of Hilden will also be participating in the state-wide NRW Volunteer Card program.
Planned for the near future:
to reducethe entry requirements for the NRW volunteer card from 250 to 200 hours per year or from 5 to 4 hours per week of voluntary work.
Volunteers may also receive an expense allowance as long as this does not exceed the tax-free allowance for voluntary work (EUR 960) or the exercise leader allowance (EUR 3,300).
Current details on the application, issue and benefits program can be found on our page on the introduction of the NRW volunteer card in Hilden.
History
In order to make the valuable work of volunteers more visible and to emphasize their importance to the public, the city of Hilden launched a "Volunteer Day" and the "Volunteer Exchange in the Mittelstraße" back in 1996. On these days, dedicated citizens are thanked for their commitment, their work is highlighted and honored or the associations are given the opportunity to present themselves to the public on Mittelstraße.
Experience to date has shown that such events are very well suited to supporting voluntary work. Nevertheless, it is not the only way to promote voluntary work. In view of the increasingly important role of volunteering for our community, it is a key objective to highlight this commitment even more effectively and publicly.
Consistent public action is required to strengthen the motivation for voluntary work. Where the administration reaches its limits due to limited financial or personnel resources, it is important to win over other players in public life for active participation.
The demographic development in Hilden
Another factor that should not be underestimated is demographic development. While the proportion of people aged 65 and over was still 12.4% of Hilden's population in 1975, this group had risen to 23.9% by the reporting date of December 31, 2014. According to forecasts, this proportion will increase by a further 6.7 percentage points by 2030. There is enormous potential here in terms of knowledge, experience and time that needs to be put to good use for the general public.