So many ideas chosen for an improved Velsen-Noord, ‘is there room for that?’

For more than six months last year, Velsen-Noord received around a thousand asylum seekers on a ship. The municipality received approximately four million euros for this, of which residents can spend half a million on ideas that brighten up the village, in the Samen Gezellig Velsen-Noord project.

The 180 entries were converted into 37 contenders, of which the municipality thought it could realize 4 or 5 after a voting round. Last night, to the luck of the Velsen-Noorder residents present, it turned out that that was a very conservative estimate: there were almost three times as many winners.

The winners

Benjamin Pel, director of De Plataan primary school, was the first of many to win with the idea for a so-called Tiny Foresta garden for young and old at his school (see video).

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In the same category called ‘Animal and nature’ there was another winner: there will also be this or next year a dog playground come to Velsen-Noord. And there needs to be one more nature playground come for children, with a sloping playground and equipment.

“It’s great that the idea and the budget are there, but where do you want to realize it? That’s still a question,” a woman from Velsen-Noord wonders in the video above.

Events

There will be one next December multicultural Christmas market with food and music in the village. “This is a combination of different ideas submitted,” explained Renate Ooms and Kirsten Keukelaar from the municipality.

“Some wanted a Christmas market, others an opportunity where the people of different nationalities that we have in the village can eat together. This way we have a budget for all of that at the same time.”

The Velsen-Northers from all corners of the world will be able to unite under one Velsen-Nordic flagbased on the idea of ​​Hans Jaspers, chairman of the Friends of Velsen-Noord foundation (see video).

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There will be a few useful, necessary and fun extras in the public space: a long-awaited one electronic information board and the Stratingplantsoen becomes more beautiful made, “hopefully with fountains” expects idea contributor Lucie. Also the different give-and-take cupboards in the village were properly replenished with a budget from Samen Gezellig Velsen-Noord.

With a funny face, Hans Jaspers suggested earlier this year that there should be a ‘fountain at the entrance of Velsen-Noord.’ Velsen-Noord turned out to be quite up for it: this artwork by Pieter Theissling will be there this or next year (see video)

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We’re not there yet: a few existing clubs will also receive a share of the half million euros: the canteens of bicycle cross club FCC Wijkeroog and football club FC Velsenoord get a boost and the bus of the Friends of Velsen-Noordwhich organizes many outings, receives a share.

One winning idea is, strictly speaking, outside Velsen-Noord: if everything goes according to plan, it will open next month a toy bank the doors on the Koningsweg in Beverwijk. “But it is intended for children from all over IJmond,” say the initiators. And so they also receive a contribution from the Samen Gezellig pot.

Finally, there was an honorable mention for it the service road and its parking problems for the shops on Wijkerstraatweg (see video).

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Councilor Sander Smeets includes the renovation of that service road in another plan, with the promise ‘that it will happen.’

“It’s a good thing that we won and it’s nice that it doesn’t come from this pot for Samen Gezellig Velsen-Noord,” Harry Stam of the business association responded last night. “17.5 years ago the municipality made a mess of it, so let’s hope that things will finally work out.”