Dr. Marcus Goedsche is a board member of Allgeier Holding AG.
CIM: On 6 August 2010 you built a playground in the pouring rain for 45 mentally handicapped children. Why?
Dr. Marcus Goedsche: It simply wouldn’t have been enough for us to just write a banal cheque and say “Just do whatever you think makes sense.” We wanted to make an active contribution, to create something meaningful, something that would benefit the children. Of course, nobody wanted it to rain like that, but it did nothing to lessen our efforts. In addition, the children had lots of fun watching us getting all wet while shovelling sand from their warm and – above all – dry rooms.
Whom did your Allgeier construction team consist of?
We were seven people in total under the technical supervision of a playground construction expert. The effort was written all over our faces afterwards but we believe it was worth it. There are many people in need.
Why did you choose the Curative Education Day Centre of Lebenshilfe Munich? The agency suggested various institutions where we could do something. It was really a hard choice, as there are many organisations that need help. The Curative Education Day Centre in Unterhaching seemed suitable to us, as even our small team could build the two pieces of playground equipment – a swing and a rocking camel – in one day.
In what other way did the Business & Nature agency support you?
They sorted out all the red tape and made agreements with the respective authorities and responsible officers. This was all done very professionally. So we could concentrate completely on the essentials: building the playground. So, when you look back.
What was your greatest personal reward?
Our greatest reward was to see the joy written in the children’s faces. After it was finished we all gathered outside, despite the rain, and officially inaugurated our playground. After getting official approval (also from the TÜV) the children took the equipment by storm and put it to the test. And it was tough enough. They said thank you with a song they had specially rehearsed for us, which was very touching and showed us how easy it is to make children happy. For us it was just one day of work but the children will be able to benefit for years.
