Court concludes Bocholt Caritas Association debtor-in-possession proceedings – restructuring successfully completed

The restructuring will be complete once the debtor-in-possession proceedings have been terminated. The Caritas Association can then bring a challenging, but ultimately successful chapter to a close. It is optimistic about the future and will continue to do its utmost to fulfil its social mandate in Bocholt, Borken, Isselburg and Rhede.

The road so far has been a difficult one – since filing for insolvency in November of last year, the association has engaged closely and extensively with creditors, the court, the insolvency monitor and advisors on its financial restructuring. These efforts have paid off: practically all jobs – approximately 870 in total – have been saved. All of the facilities run by the association for Bocholt, Isselburg and Rhede will be maintained.

“We are absolutely delighted that we have successfully navigated and completed this challenging restructuring together. The past few months have been very demanding for everyone involved, including our staff, our committees and myself personally. I am therefore all the more pleased that we have now come through this difficult period – our Caritas Association will be stronger going forward and we can look to the future with confidence. I would especially like to thank everyone who has supported us on this journey for their trust, patience and great commitment,” said board member Ms Claudia Soggeberg.

“The termination of the proceedings marks the close of a significant chapter. The Caritas Association can now act completely freely and independently again – this bodes really well for our employees and for the people who rely on our services. We have learned a great deal from this experience and are now firmly focused on the future,” added Mr Boris Lietz, the new board member responsible for commercial affairs.

“The proceedings will be terminated as scheduled on 31 August 2026, marking a fitting end to this successful debtor-in-possession process. The Caritas Association has shown that it can continue to operate effectively and reliably, even in challenging circumstances. I am delighted that we have been able to engage with all of the parties involved to find a sustainable way forward for the association and its employees,” said restructuring expert Mr Markus Freitag from law firm AndresPartner, who has been acting as general agent. He and his team have successfully guided the Caritas Association for Bocholt, Isselburg and Rhede through the proceedings.

The Caritas Association would like to express its sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported this process in recent months – the creditors for their trust; attorney Dr Ria Brüninghoff, the court-appointed insolvency monitor, and her team from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH; the advisors at the AndresPartner law firm and, most particularly, the employees for their tremendous commitment throughout this journey.

PLUTA attorney Dr Ria Brüninghoff said, “The proceedings have been conducted in a highly structured manner from the outset. All of the parties involved have worked together superbly and pursued the common goal of preserving the Caritas Association in its existing structure. These efforts have clearly paid off, as more than 95% of the association’s jobs have been saved. At the same time, we have achieved the best possible outcome in the interests of the creditors in these proceedings.”

Caritasverband für Bocholt, Isselburg und Rhede e. V. is a registered non-profit association. It provides numerous facilities and services in the social sector in the cities of Bocholt, Borken, Isselburg and Rhede. Its main focus is on care and elderly services, assistance for people with disabilities and children with developmental delays, and programmes for kids, adolescents and families in need of support.