Lebenshilfe Reichenbach: 6.8 million for new workshop building

The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs has pledged 6.8 million euros to Lebenshilfe Reichenbach (Vogtlandkreis) for the construction of a new workshop. The official funding decision was handed over on Monday, according to the State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion. The new building is intended to create modern production and working conditions.

Currently, 200 people with mental or multiple disabilities work at the Lebenshilfe Reichenbach facilities, as Managing Director Torsten Stolpmann told dpa on Monday. The fields of activity include carpentry, electrical assembly, metalworking, pad printing and cardboard packaging.

According to Stolpmann, the planned new building on the upper Volksfestplatz in Reichenberg will create 160 additional workshop places. The new building will also be at ground level and barrier-free. The latest technology for fire protection and energy efficiency will also be used.

The construction project is expected to cost around 12.5 million euros in total. Financial support is also coming from the Vogtland district and the Federal Employment Agency. Stolpmann hopes that construction can begin in the first quarter of 2024 with the funding from the Free State. The new building should be completed on schedule by the end of 2026.