Music, cosiness and singing: those are the ingredients for a morning swimming at swimming pool Wolfslaar in Breda. There a group of volunteers came up with in 2018 that swimmers could close their active morning with a cup of coffee and some goodies. It caught on that a large group now gathered daily on the site. “We need it.”
Friday has only started, but in Breda a group of senior swimmers has already had an active morning. “It’s great to start your day with laps,” says Els, who has been visiting the swimming pool for more than fifty years. The approximately twenty active people sit on simple wooden chairs, forming a circle. There are two tables with coffee and cookies in the circle.
“It’s always fun here,” she continues. She joins the music, which is cared for by Kees Schoone, the accordionist, and Rutger de Gier, the singer. “They are often there on Friday. That always makes it extra cozy.”
Own initiative
The initiative started seven years ago when the need for a cup of coffee after swimming became bigger and bigger among the regular swimmers. “The hospitality industry was closed here in the morning, so we had to come up with something ourselves,” says Linda Lous, volunteer at the Wolfslaar swimming pool.
A group of volunteers stuck their heads together and came up with a cozy coming together, which grew from a few days a week into a daily understanding around the Breda swimming pool. “Everyone knows each other in the meantime,” laughs the volunteer. “There are nice friendships from it, so that people also see each other outside of swimming.”
More than a meeting
And that is important, according to Lous. “For many people this is more than a meeting. For example, they see few people in daily life. It is very valuable for them to be able to chat with swimmers every week.”
One of the swimmers agrees. “It’s not like I get a lot of people on coffee,” says Jeanne, looking at the rest of the group laughing. “We really need this.” Next to her is Mark, a single man, who confirms her story nodding. “I’m just alone, so it’s valuable to be among people regularly.”
Rutger starts his last song before everyone goes home. Kees uses the melody, while he taps the round on his tablet. “I need that. I am not that text,” he laughs.
In the three years that he comes to the swimming pool, he has built up a repertoire of more than eighty songs together with Kees. “It’s fantastic to make atmosphere. They are songs that many people know. Everyone sings and dances along.”
He does not have to worry that the meetings will stop soon. “We could not have thought in 2018 that it would be such a great success,” says Lous. “As far as we are concerned, we will continue for years.”