On June 24, Rolf Schmachtenberg, the Berlin state chair of WEISSER RING, paid his inaugural visit to Bernd Schultz, president of the Berlin Soccer Association (BFV). Also present were Christine Burck, deputy state chairperson; Özgür Özvatan, BFV vice president responsible for social responsibility; and Theresa Hoffmann, the head of the relevant department.

At least one in every 20 Berliners is involved in Berlin soccer. More than half of them are active on the field, and many others volunteer to keep the ball rolling. The rest are connected to the sport as fans and supporters.

One topic of the introductory meeting was how BFV members could be recruited to serve as volunteer victim counselors for WEISSER RING. To this end, two agreements were reached, to be implemented starting in the fall of 2026: The BFV will promote this initiative through its communication channels, and WEISSER RING will be invited to set up an information booth at major games and tournaments. The upcoming cup finals in spring 2027 will provide a particularly good opportunity to reach a large number of people directly. Anyone already interested in volunteering as a victim counselor can contact the WEISSER RING Berlin regional office by email (berlin@weisser-ring.de) or by phone (+49 30 8337060).

WEISSER RING is a nonprofit organization that supports victims of crime throughout Germany with approximately 3,000 volunteer victim advocates and over 400 branch offices, regardless of gender, age, religion, nationality, or political beliefs. More information about the work of WEISSER RING can be found here on the organization’s website.

On October 24, 2024, the existing cooperation agreement on victim protection and victim assistance between WEISSER RING and the Berlin Soccer Association (BFV) was renewed. Based on this agreement, Christine Burck serves on the BFV’s Committee for Social Responsibility.