After months of preparation, the time has finally come: Vries Kookclub can go again. Last year the club was still in pocket and ash. Then everything was quiet and a new location had to be searched for. It has now been found: sports hall De Kamp. “It’s super nice, super nice and we have ideal space,” summarizes Geke together. She is the youngest volunteer of the cooking club.
It should work in two months, in the end this was almost a year. “I see the children with whom I was still in the snack bar almost a year ago, because there was no location at the time, now happily walking around and being happy with the parents. That is what you do it for,” says councilor Marcel Elzerman (Leefbaar Tynaarlo). Local politics had to be used to put pressure on the search for a new place.
Much more is done than just cooking, says initiator Lien van de Kookclub. “They learn how to live healthy, fun, cheerful and good. That they can make their own jar. Without having to stand at the FEBO or the Mac. It’s expression, education and coming together.”
Elzerman agrees: “Children who may not get along well somewhere else find their place here. And what could be nicer to cook together, eat together and play together. How important is that.”
Children from groups 1 to third grade of high school can become members. There are now three groups, but there may be four. The oldest children can cook every week on Tuesday, for the young person it will be every other week.
Cooking started for the children in a football canteen, but that was no longer allowed to continue because of safety. Robin van Es, member of the cooking club: “That was not completely own, we were allowed to use that, but now we have our own place. This is very beautiful.”
Now that the ‘original’ club is coming back together, it is possible to look further. According to Lien, there is also enthusiasm in surrounding villages. “There is interest in Zaenen, Yde, Eelde-Paterswolde and Haren. So who knows we will grow like that. Soon we hope to have a website with a page for each village.”
A year ago, the volunteers suggested moving the club to Dorpshuis De Pan. This location turned out not to be suitable and the municipality came up with the sports hall as an alternative. Yet a lot still had to be done before everything was ready.
Lien: “The space had to be emptied, a new kitchen was built, chairs, tables, 2 four -seed cooking sets, a fridge, a dishwasher, so on. That still had some feet in the earth.”
A waiting list of 27 children, who was there because the previous place had no space, has since been eliminated. “We can finally again,” she concludes.