The children, parents and the foundation itself are enthusiastic. Nevertheless, Petje Af Noordenveld will not return at the start of next school year. The foundation cannot manage the budget, but is not ready to give up. “We’ll be back, we just don’t know in what form yet.”
“I already had a lot of things planned, but that can be canceled for the time being,” says location manager Ronald Uilenberg, who also sees his employment contract being broken.
De Roner says he is shocked by the news. “It is very sad, especially for the children. You have seen them grow every Sunday in recent years. There are children who would soon go for their third year and could earn a gold diploma. That is not possible now.”
So the reason is lack of money. “In recent years we received contributions from national funds, but they stop after three years.”
There is a contribution from the municipality of Noordenveld, but it is not enough to run a full program of one year. “Every year something like forty or fifty thousand euros is needed,” says Uilenberg. Part of that money must come from donations.
Chairman Peter Frans agrees that his foundation has not succeeded in raising sufficient donations for the coming school year. “That’s why we just can’t get the budget around.”
But it is no reason to give up, says Frans. “We are now busy looking at a possible restart of Petje Af Noordenveld. We have agreed with the municipality of Noordenveld that we will present a new plan before September.”
Among other things, that plan looks at a new location and the possibility of no longer meeting on Sundays, but on Wednesday afternoons. “This project is too good not to continue,” says Frans. “So we’re going to see what’s possible, but I think something will definitely come.”
The board of the foundation will now submit a plan and hopes to have clarity about a follow-up before January 2024.