Summer holidays adventure

It’s striking what a difference it makes when you add just one emotive word. Summer has been around for quite a while already, but now we can add the word “holidays” to it, and that changes everything. Because instead of the end-of-term exams, a school ramble, the dreaded reports, hoping for a day off school because it’s too hot, now the prospect is: a whole six weeks free – Time for swimming, reading, friends, going on holiday, camping and, and, and … Sounds perfect? For the vast majority of schoolchildren, the free weeks in August and September are probably in truth the most enjoyable part of the year. For some parents, though, things look a bit different.

Because if you don’t happen to be a teacher, then during the summer holidays you may have problems when it comes to looking after the kids. While the children are normally accommodated at school, in the mornings at least, an alternative is now required.

And this is where Krones helps, in conjunction with the gfi (The Society for Promoting Vocational and Social Integration). The gfi offers properly organised holiday care for children aged between three and twelve, with the involvement of various companies from the region around Regensburg – including Krones AG. Parents can book single days or hours for their children, as needed, so as to make sure they are looked after when neither parents nor grandparents have time.

The gfi’s summertime children can then expect an excitingly diverse programme, themed around technology, animals and sport, for example.

In 2007, Krones AG, in conjunction with the gfi, for the first time offered to support parents in the holiday months by looking after their children. Meanwhile, the alliance has now reached its ninth year – and the coordinatrix at Krones, Anna Hieninger, is gratified to note that “every year more children are participating”. In the first year, 16 children spent part of their holidays with the gfi’s programme, while this year the figure is already 35.

Krones AG provides financial support for up to 40 hours per child, and for single parents twice as much. The parents can schedule these hours for whenever they need help with looking after their kids. And if they need more, they can book more, of course. Then, however, there will no longer be any financial support from Krones AG, since after all the idea is to help as many kids as possible with the budget available.

This year, moreover, has seen something new: for the first time, youngsters aged between twelve and 15 can also take part in a similar programme – the summer-teens – which is already being well received too.