About LWL.
What we do.
Who we are.
The Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL)
We do good things
As a municipal association, the LWL takes charge of tasks on behalf of all towns and districts in Westphalia-Lippe which the local authorities are unable to perform or would have difficulty performing alone. It is also among Germany’s largest providers of benefits to people with special needs. The LWL now runs approximately 200 institutions in the region, including 35 special schools, 21 hospitals, 18 museums and six forensic clinics. Around 19,000 employees therefore deliver local support, special knowledge resources, counselling and other services to the 8.3 million people living in Westphalia-Lippe. The LWL is financed by the 27 cities and districts sitting on the LWL’s political committee, the Regional Assembly.
Areas of Responsibility
Social Affairs
Psychiatric Care
Forensic Commitment
Youth / Schools
Culture
Politics and Organisation
A municipal association
The 9 county boroughs and 18 counties in Westphalia-Lippe are members of the LWL. They support and finance the LWL, which provides services to the people of Westphalia-Lippe on request.
Together with the LWL and the Regional Association of Rhineland (LVR), the cities, municipalities and districts create a strong municipal family in North Rhine-Westphalia. Regional associations enter the picture whenever tasks exceed the capacities of individual municipalities. The associations pool special knowledge that they provide from a single source. They are also able to balance the load placed on individual cities and districts.
Budget
The LWL has prepared a double budget for the first time in 2020/2021. In total, the LWL had a budget of around €3.5 billion at its disposal in 2020. The funds come mainly from the districts and independent towns that pay a levy to the LWL. Some of the funding also comes from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Almost 90 per cent of the budget is assigned by law to social tasks, above all to ‘integration assistance’.
In addition, the LWL generates annual turnover of around €1 billion, also through municipal companies, and manages funds from the Federal Government and the State of NRW amounting to around €2 billion. The LWL is therefore responsible for approximately €6.8 billion per year.
Locations
The LWL now runs approximately 200 institutions in the region, including 35 special schools, 21 hospitals, 18 museums and six forensic clinics. Around 19,000 employees therefore deliver local support, special knowledge resources, counselling and other services to the 8.3 million people living in Westphalia-Lippe.
By operating across city and district boundaries, the LWL nurtures equal living conditions and quality standards throughout Westphalia-Lippe. It represents the interests of the region and its citizens wherever this is purposeful or necessary – also at state or national level. The LWL joins forces with the cities and districts to make Westphalia-Lippe strong.
Let's do something good!
By operating across city and district boundaries, the LWL nurtures equal living conditions and quality standards throughout Westphalia-Lippe. It represents the interests of the region and its citizens wherever this is purposeful or necessary – also at state or national level. The LWL joins forces with the cities and districts to make Westphalia-Lippe strong.
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