This year is the first time that the glass greenhouses are in Drenthe. It is a national initiative that is increasingly being rolled out in the Netherlands. The 1000th visitor was expected in Coevorden on Christmas Day. In Hoogeveen the counter currently stands at almost 1400. This means that they actually want a second edition in both Hoogeveen and Coevorden next year.
In any case, the visitors are pleased with the initiative. “I think it’s really good,” says one of the visitors in Coevorden. “I think that during Christmas there are quite a few people who are lonely or don’t feel well. Then you can come here and get something nice and do it for yourself.” For this woman it is also a moment of peace. “I’m here visiting my mother. Everyone will come by soon. I thought I’d take a quick walk and take it easy. Then I’ll focus on my family.”
Volunteers are available all day long to help and support people. “They are volunteers who really enjoy doing it, even at Christmas. We cannot achieve this without them,” says Jolanda Jurjaanz, one of the initiators. The volunteers themselves enjoy it too. For example, they sometimes browse through the guestbook, where people can leave messages. “It is very nice to read that. Mourning is a very broad concept,” says Wilma Kapitein, one of the initiators of the location in Hoogeveen.