The Printing Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, korfball club DOS’46 and the tennis club in Nijeveen (NTC) are eager for clarity about their subsidy application. “But when you call, you don’t hear anything. Except it’s pending.”
Henk Schonewille, chairman of the tennis club in Nijeveen, got the shock of his life when he saw what the municipality of Meppel asked for a permit for two padel courts. “An amount of 4,200 euros!” Not a small beer for a club with 110 members.
After the request there was silence
“I then started talking to councilor Jeannet Bos of sport to see if something could be done about that amount,” says Schonewille. “That wasn’t possible. She then suggested that we apply for a subsidy.”
That application was submitted eight months ago. Then there was a long silence. For a long time.
Schonewille eventually came to the town hall through a friendly relationship. “Then it turned out that the subsidy did not go through. I have already received a call about this, but I have been waiting for an official confirmation for a long time now.”
‘DOS46 dressing rooms are really finished’
Korfball club DOS’46, also from Nijeveen, asked for a contribution to the renovation of the changing rooms. Very necessary, because the buildings have been there for thirty-eight years, says Nicole Jacobs. “They are really, really, completely finished.”
What is the status of the application? “No idea. We have not received any feedback. You will receive confirmation when you submit your application, after which all communication will stop.”
The renovation of the changing rooms is not dependent on the subsidy application, which the korfball players have not heard about since October last year. “But we have to pay for everything ourselves. When I see what other sports clubs in the municipality receive in terms of support, I think that is a bit skewed. Any subsidy amount is more than welcome.”
She would have thought some feedback about the status of the subsidy application would be appropriate. “If I treat my customers this way, I will lose them.”
Mieke Mulders of the Stedelijk Museum is also in the dark. For ages. She has no idea what direction the subsidy application will take on which the museum’s survival depends.
Vague cultural goals in Meppel
Meppel does not have a culture memorandum that provides guidance for the coming years. “Yes, there is a piece with somewhat vague goals: ‘culture is very important’. But it doesn’t say who, how many and why.”
The museum rents the building from the municipality… “Then I call the municipality: when will you make the subsidy so that we can transfer the rent to you? Then they say: ‘it is being processed’. That’s all you get to hear.”
At the end of February, the mayor and aldermen would make a decision on the subsidy applications from the two sports clubs and the two museums. These decisions were not made under circumstances that have not yet been clarified.
Stein van Ittersum knows more
Stein van Ittersum from the Printing Museum knows more. Not that he does have an open line of communication with the municipality. “But I met Mayor Korteland during a meeting with the May 4/5 Committee. I then went to him and he told me that we were receiving our subsidy. We have been asking for 26,000 euros for sixteen years. According to Korteland, the subsidy requests will be discussed today, Tuesday, March 12.”
Twenty-four hours before publication of this story, the newspaper asked for the city council’s view on the experiences of the four clubs. There has been no response to this yet.