The first half of 2023 and the Grunwald Local Activity Center's activities are behind us. As part of the "Local Activity Center Plac Grunwaldzki" project, co-financed by the Municipality of Wrocław, we organized 43 free events for residents from January to June, spending a total of 106 hours together.
photo: Marcin Szczygieł
What has been happening in the last six months at the Local Activity Center?
From January to June, the Local Activity Center held 43 events across four series. A total of 212 people participated in "Natural Forms of Movement," "Women's Circles," "Grunwald Games Room," and "Mind Training for Retirement.".
Regular meetings at CAL at Maria Skłodowska-Curie 63a
From February to March, Grunwald seniors exercised their memory and nurtured their intellectual well-being. Psychologist Piotr Łącki, author of the psychologdlaseniora.pl website, led six "Retirement Mind Trainings." Participants solved tasks and puzzles, practiced cognitive processes, and learned more about how to maintain mental and physical fitness every day. Theory was kept to a minimum, and each session began with kung fu training.
We entered 2023 with renewed energy. This was facilitated by three women's circle meetings co-organized by Katarzyna Maciakiewicz, creator of the Szelest Ciszy initiative. What is a women's circle? It's a space where women can support and celebrate each other. A circle is a place where each participant has the opportunity to be heard without judgment or labeling, where they can empower their femininity in relationships with other women.
With board game fans in mind, we launched a new series in February – the "Grunwaldzki Arcade." During every Tuesday meeting, from 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM, we spent afternoons with a board game and a cup of tea. We played popular board games, cards, and chess with our neighbors. Initially, we met in two age groups, but over time, the intergenerational format proved more successful. A total of 10 meetings were held. We're back in the fall! The Tuesday games continued with the Wrocław Rummikub Group meetings. The Wrocław Rummikub League brought together people of all ages, competing to advance to the 2023 Polish Rummikub Championships.
„"Natural Forms of Movement," free neighborhood workouts with Rafał Czapliński, have been taking place since January 2022. A group of regulars participate in these sessions, practicing the principle of a healthy mind in a healthy body. Twenty-four sessions have been held so far, and there will certainly be more. We plan to launch a second group due to the lack of physical activity in the Grunwaldzki Square area.
photo: Marcin Szczygieł
Neighborhood activities in the Plac Grunwaldzki housing estate
We enjoy fieldwork, and even more so, we enjoy talking with Grunwald residents about issues important to the local community. From March to June, we organized three neighborhood meetings. The first one was dedicated to the "Spring Cleaning – Backyard Makeover in Grunwald" initiative, implemented as part of this year's Microgrants program in the courtyard area of Smoluchowskiego, Wyspiańskiego, Łukasiewicza, and Curie-Skłodowska Streets. During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to learn more about the project and speak with a representative of Wrocławskie Mieszkania about the planned revitalization. The second meeting discussed possible maintenance and planting of backyard greenery by Wrocławskie Mieszkania in the courtyard on Pasteura Street. We are constantly monitoring the situation and keeping an eye on it.
The next meeting regarding greenery in the inner part of the block will be held in July of this year. The last meeting this semester was dedicated to greenery and small-scale architecture in the courtyard area of Curie-Skłodowska, Norwida, Smoluchowskiego, and Łukasiewicza Streets. The meeting was organized at the request of a resident of the courtyard, who requested assistance in relocating benches located next to the waste bins. During the meeting, we learned about the shortage of bicycle racks in this part of the estate. Over the course of three meetings, we better understood your needs, learned what you were missing, and strengthened our relationships with representatives of Wrocławskie Mieszkania.
photo: Marcin Szczygieł
Together we can do more!
We are open to dialogue and partnership. We strive to strengthen our cooperation with the Plac Grunwaldzki Estate Council. We supported the councilors in reaching out to residents and informing them about the public consultations regarding the renovation of the courtyard interior in the Ładna, Reja, and Grunwaldzka Streets block, which are being held as part of the Estate Fund. Since March of last year, we have been providing space for seniors, who regularly meet almost every Tuesday for rehearsals of the "Grunwald" choir, which operates under the Plac Grunwaldzki Estate Council. A total of 18 meetings were held from January to the end of June. This fall, we are organizing the last family picnic of the year. We will share more details soon!
Nothing motivates action like a common goal. This can be confirmed by the members of the local partnership "Nasz Grunwald," which is celebrating its third anniversary this year. To what can we owe this success? Our strength lies in our informality and openness to the needs of the estate's residents. Together, we organize events and engage in issues important to our neighbors. This year, we met four times. Our discussions focused on projects submitted as part of this year's Wrocław Participatory Budget, discussing the objectives of their promotional campaign, evaluating activities, and also on Święto Osiedla Plac Grunwaldzki 2023, which this year was celebrated from May 29th to June 4th.
The Grunwald celebrations involved numerous partners, including: Wrocławska Spółdzielnia Socjalna, the St. Brother Albert Aid Society – Wrocław Chapter, the Office for Social Responsibility at the University of Wrocław, and the student governments of three Wrocław universities: the Academy of Fine Arts, the University of Wrocław, and WSB Merito University. Together, we organized outdoor ceramics workshops with Zakwas Studio, a detective escape room at Branch No. 29 of the Municipal Public Library, a walk with Maciej Wlazło, author of the Beard of Breslau blog, a concert by the "Grunwald" Senior Choir at the Plac Grunwaldzki Estate Council, and a large neighborhood picnic.
photo: Marcin Szczygieł
WBO at 200 and 204 percent
We listen to your needs, which is why we have initiated the submission of applications to the Wrocław Participatory Budget for two projects: No. 200 for a housing estate project related to the investment at the intersection of Grunwaldzka, Miła, Ładne, Benedyktyńska and Górnickiego streets, and No. 204 for a cross-housing project located on Pasteura Street.
The first project is a comprehensive response to the needs of residents near a neglected intersection in the northern part of the estate. As part of our team's assessment, the local community identified this area as the most problematic in terms of accessibility, comfort, temperature, lack of greenery, and shared space. The project includes, among other things, installing bicycle racks and a neighborhood bench, planting trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, and raising pedestrian crossings, along with the necessary signage for the blind and visually impaired.
The cross-neighborhood project 204, in turn, was developed based on numerous meetings and conversations with residents of the Pasteur area, which helped us understand the needs of the local community. The section between Plac Grunwaldzki and Marii Skłodowskiej-Curie Streets is one of the last coastal areas in the city center requiring rapid and efficient renovation. The project's scope includes, among other things, the renovation of the pedestrian and bicycle path, including the creation of a path and resurfacing, the renovation of the stairs leading to the coast from Karola Marcinkowskiego Street, the installation of park lighting with motion sensors along the path, the renovation of the balustrade, and the planting of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants.
photo: Jerzy Wypych
You can always count on us
We also enjoy collaborating with other non-governmental organizations and city programs. From March to the end of May, we provided substantive support to a resident who was organizing her first project in the Plac Grunwaldzki housing estate as part of the Microgrants program. We are also involved in the activities of the Wrocław Film Foundation "Spółdzielnia Kinowa Śródmieście" (Cinema Cooperative), where, with the support of local partnerships, particularly Odra Centrum, we produced one film screening. In June, we hosted the informal "Dzielnik Wrocławski" initiative, a cashless exchange point.
Thank you for the six months we've spent together! We continually strive to respond to your needs and seek new solutions, ensuring that everyone finds a place for growth, respite, and conversation. Without you, the Local Activity Center wouldn't exist!
Let us know how you like the activities and neighborhood meetings, what you've learned with us, and whether participating in the Center's activities has allowed you to meet other people from Grunwald! Fill out the survey form, the link to which can be found here: bit.ly/ODNOWAankieta2023
But if you'd rather chat over coffee or tea, you know our address! You can also call or write—our team is always happy to chat with neighbors!
The project "LOCAL ACTIVITY CENTER GRUNWALDZKI SQUARE" is implemented by the Ładne Historie Foundation and co-financed by the Municipality of Wrocław (www.wroclaw.pl).
