No heavy fireworks, but hot chocolate with whipped cream. This Christmas holiday, the nuisance in Raamsdonksveer must make way for winter fun and sportsmanship. At least, if it is up to the Het Veerse IJsplein foundation. She wants to bring the free skating rink along the A59 back to Heereplein, in the heart of the village.
“It is our social duty to get the skating rink done for the youth of Veerse,” says chairman Jan Kievith of the Het Veerse IJsplein foundation. If nothing is organized for them during the Christmas holidays, Kievith fears that they will hang out on the street and the village will again have to deal with fireworks nuisance.
At the beginning of this month, a group of young people ‘terrorized’ the streets of Raamsdonksveer. After fireworks nuisance and intimidation, such as assault by the so-called ‘grandmother’, acting mayor Madeleine van Toorenburg introduced an emergency ordinance. Kievith hopes that the return of the skating rink on Heereplein will prevent a recurrence and contribute to a pleasant atmosphere in the village.
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“We would like to return to the old nest,” says Kievith. Due to complaining neighbors and entrepreneurs around the Heereplein, where the free skating rink was located in the winter of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, Het Veerse IJsplein moved in 2012 to a now-disappeared event location. Since 2016, the sports fields of handball club HMC, along the A59, have been the permanent location for ice fun. Due to the corona and energy crisis, no editions took place in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In 2011, a number of entrepreneurs wanted to stop the skating rink on Heereplein with summary proceedings:
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The Heereplein is located in the heart of Raamsdonksveer, making it more accessible than the handball courts and there is more social control. “It radiates much more coziness,” says Kievith. “The skating rink should be located behind the kiosk. You skate around from a tent and back into the tent.”
The skating rink, whose costs are estimated at more than 60,000 euros, was actually supposed to return to Heereplein last year. In 2024, the foundation had planned discussions with the municipality of Geertruidenberg about the costs, but on the day of the conversation the responsible municipal employee was ill. They did not inform the foundation about this, which meant that Het Veerse IJsplein did not feel taken seriously. She decided to cancel the plan for a skating rink. However, a small Teflon track appeared at the Christmas market in Geertruidenberg, arranged by the Winterfair Geertruidenberg foundation.
Now there is finally a permit for the Heereplein, but getting the skating rink done is still difficult. Sponsorship has been declining for years. According to Kievith, more than 15,000 euros are still needed to get the skating rink on the Heereplein.
He doesn’t think asking for entrance is an option, because he wants to keep ice cream fun for everyone. “I can’t bear it if children have to be sidelined because their parents can’t afford it.” You do have to pay for snacks and ice skates and renting skates.
“We would love to see our child realized.”
With sponsorship and voluntary contributions Kievith hopes that the skating rink on Heereplein can be built this Christmas holiday, so that Raamsdonksveer can enjoy winter fun, sportsmanship and hot chocolate with whipped cream. “It is our baby. We would love to see this realized.”