This year the Clemens Reutter Hut was made available to the SOS Children´s Villages for 6 weeks during the summer. Their travel costs and all food were sponsored by the Clemens Reutter Memorial Fund. During the week before the start of the summer holidays, some SOS families with pre-school children were able to come, and during the first week of the school holidays a group of SOS carers also stayed at the hut. During the rest of the summer holidays we had 4 weeks of SOS groups.
Experience has shown that it is necessary to keep a week free between the groups so that the water supplies can regenerate. We have also learnt that the Clemens Reutter Hut is not suitable for families with very small children. It is not possible to go for walks with a pushchair, and the real experience of undisturbed nature, so palpable with the older children, is unattainable with the very little ones. Therefore we will not be inviting families with very young children up to the hut next year.
Our Hut “Landlord”, Kurt Schwager and his wife Stefanie, once again, did an outstanding job. All the SOS groups were full of praise and gratitude for their work. Here are a few quotes from the letters we received:
“We have now been home a week and we are still full of the memories of the wonderful experiences and adventures we had in Carinthia. The children had a wonderful week and felt at home immediately on arrival at the hut. Kurt accompanied and supported us brilliantly during the entire week.”
“Our week at the hut was sooooo fantastic for the children. The children and I are still raving about it! Just like last year everything worked perfectly and was well organised (Transport, catering etc) THANK YOU, KURT!”
“The holiday at the hut was excellent, but especially thanks to Kurt who looked after us and cared for us over and above expectations.”
Thanks to Kurt Schwager ´s excellent care and maintenance of the infrastructure of the hut no major investments or repairs have been necessary this year.