Our reading tip: Monique’s Buurtmobi gives the elderly back freedom: “Only outing of the week”

Once a week, Mr. Vos and his wife drive with the Buurtmobi from their home to the shopping center in Kerkelanden on Kapittelweg in Hilversum. He wouldn’t be able to get out of the car, says 75-year-old Mr. Vos, who has difficulty walking. Every Tuesday he travels with the Buurtmobi to the indoor shopping center for a cake with his wife. “Then I’ll be away for a while, I won’t go outside any further.” For Mr. Vos, the Buurtmobi means freedom. “It costs nothing and is also very cozy.”

Since the start of the neighborhood initiative on March 1, 2019, it has been a household name among the elderly in the Kerkelanden district. The Buurtmobi is available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. A ride can be reserved by calling the voluntary center. Everything is still old-fashioned with pen and paper, because many volunteers are 70 years or older. “There is even a 90-year-old lady working at the reception,” says initiator Monique Gijsman.

Get out of isolation

The rides are driven by volunteer drivers, who make about a thousand rides every year. One time for a cake in the mall, the other time for a cup of coffee with a friend a little further away. Monique saw many elderly languish in the retirement home in her neighborhood. They are often not very mobile, children live too far away. It touched her heart. “With the Buurtmobi I want to get people out of their isolation and offer rides with a golf cart.”

She goes to the municipality to make an inventory of how many elderly people live in the municipality. “At the time, about 36 percent of the people in the Kerkelanden district were older than 65.” She recruits volunteers from the neighborhood and applies for a subsidy from the municipality. With the start-up budget she rents a golf cart and the first rides are a fact. Later, two generous neighbors donated their own golf cart to Stichting Buurtmobiliteit Kerkelanden.

Mrs. Winkelman, 87, likes to travel with the Buurtmobi. Every week she goes from her home to the church for her weekly choir rehearsal. “I used to always go by taxi, but sometimes it didn’t show up or came too late. Then I missed my choir rehearsal, my only activity of the week.” She has been riding along weekly for a while now. “They are such nice people, I couldn’t be happier.”

Survival under pressure

Less prosperous is that the continued existence of the neighborhood mobile is under pressure again and again. Not only due to technical defects, but also due to the shortage of volunteers. Monique has seen many a driver come and go. For example, someone gets a dog or has to babysit a grandchild.

Too bad, thinks Monique, who voluntarily drives the bus herself. She says it’s a rewarding job. Moreover, you really build a bond with the elderly. “And as a driver you have an important signaling function, for example for loneliness.” Still, Monique dares to dream on. For example, she would like to add two trolleys to help even more elderly people. “But then those extra volunteers will have to report.”