The municipality of Midden-Drenthe wants to guarantee a loan for the construction of a sports facility for the football club in Bovensmilde, BSVV. This brings the realization of a new sports canteen, boardroom and referee changing rooms a lot closer and other facilities in the village can also be extended.
It is the third commitment that the municipality has made. The association receives a subsidy of more than €2.500,000 and the leasehold has been arranged. “I think it is very cool that the football club is taking this first step,” says councilor Peter Smit (VVD) of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe.
Having its own sports facility is a long-cherished wish of the club. The association now uses a canteen in MFA de Spil, where it has been located since 2009. “Some of the members actually did not want to give up the old building we had before,” says treasurer Arjan Tuin. “They wanted to keep their own building. The majority of people are very satisfied, but they are also itching.”
For example, Tuin points out that the referees’ dressing room is only suitable for one referee, while sometimes there are two or three referees and the storage leaves much to be desired. The various functions also conflict with each other and, according to Smit, the sustainability assignment was too expensive for the association to pay for. “That was the reason for the municipality to take back the village hall five years ago.”
Auke Kooistra, chairman of the village hall foundation, also knows that it can sometimes be a pinch. “We will soon be able to make the spaces more attractive to organize something. We also cannot do a number of things at the moment. A movie night and an activity at the football club do not go well together. That goes together.”
If the football club moves, other facilities may follow. The library in the village could then move to the site of the current canteen, giving the primary school an additional classroom. According to the alderman, this has many advantages because the library will then be separate from the school.
“The library is limited here in that sense because it is very focused on youth and education. The library is also about digitization and is a meeting place, with a cup of coffee. Then you quickly make the step to what was traditionally the village hall function,” he explains. “It is also useful for the school. “It has a lack of space, so it can use it again. So the puzzle will fit.”
Kooistra also mentions the childcare and youth care center that will soon be able to come together in the building. “In one place, on one side, that’s handy.” This way the sliding puzzle is slowly completed.
It’s just not certain yet. There are still many uncertainties for BSVV. “Arranging the building took a year and the costs have now risen again.” The football club is now entering into discussions with the bank and potential contractors to complete the project. The new building involves an amount approaching eight thousand euros, paid for with subsidies, donations and the association’s own money.