Stimulus afternoons for whom the normal fair is too intense: ‘No fair goes full all day full on the organ’

Whole pieces from the life of men and women with advanced dementia that live at Bosserhof care farm in Nederweert have disappeared. But Kermis In the village releases childhood memories. In childhood or the following years – the annually recurring event was the place to get dating.

“We already talked about that yesterday, to prepare everyone,” says Johanna Jacobs, owner of the care farm. It is the fourth time that the group has been invited to the stimulus afternoon of the Nederweertse fair. “Less sound, less light, less intense impressions, that works great for our target group. Nobody gets out of his normal doing. You can understand each other well. It is and remains pleasant.”

A little further on Jacobs invites an older gentleman to come to the shooting tent. He doesn’t want to shoot at first. “Only on rabbits.” Shortly thereafter the gun goes on the shoulder. The man takes plenty of time to focus and then takes over the tractor. The shots miss the goal. Yet he can count on compliments from the operator of the attraction, who always leaves the weapon for him. “It’s going well, you know!”

Zoom in

At the beginning of the afternoon, only the sound of the current generator and the rustling of the leaves of the trees on Raadhuisplein sounds. Just after half past one, alderman Jorik Franssen tries to hold an opening talk at the caterpillar. He reflects on the tenth anniversary of the stimulus fair in his Central Limburg municipality. He doesn’t get far. One of the guests, from a local care institution, enthusiastically takes the microphone away from him. Then all attractions open and the first laps are turned with radiant faces. In a single corner, music sounds softly. Furthermore, you can hear cheerfully goezemoes and the machinery of the attractions.

Stigma

Fair operator Pierre Swinkels – his company goes through the country with around twelve attractions – was at the basis of the stimulus fair in Nederweert ten years ago. The village was one of the first to start with it, “from the simple remark of someone that a fair visit is too intense for some people. Didn’t do something to be arranged for that?”

That succeeded. In Nederweert it started with 25 guests. This Tuesday afternoon there are 134, with supervisors. “The initiative was then quickly arrested elsewhere. As a fair, we offer our attractions for free. For the drink, the pie and the Oliebol after an hour or two, we successfully appealed to the middle class of Nederweert at some point.”

The municipality supports facility. “The stimulus fair suits us aim to involve everyone as much as possible in everything,” says director Liveability Harold van der Haar. “To the elderly in the nursing home, who can no longer leave the house, we bring oliebollen. Pupils from primary school get coupons for a free ride and a free oliebol, so that everyone can go to the fair.”

Swinkels: “The stigma of the fairground operator with the golden tooth and thick gold chain will always remain. But with this we show that we are not just about money. We enjoy this kind of afternoons.”

Zoom in

“The stimulus fair is a good example of corporate social entrepreneurship and a good signal to society,” says Atze Lubach course, chairman of the National Association of Kermisbedrijfs holders BoVak. He saw the number of stimulus fairs increase sharply in the past decade. “The Netherlands has around fifteen hundred fairs and I think that in the top 100 of the greatest there is virtually no one that does not run for a few hours with less light and sound. Never a whole day. That would cost too much turnover.”

It is striking that Lubach race also attracts people from outside the intended target groups. “They like the bigger peace. At the normal fairs you also see more and more small children walking with headphones.”

Flying elephants

According to Lubach race, virtually no fair is ‘full on the organ’ all day. “Regulations set 85 decibels as a maximum of sound. And of course we are always guests in the centers of places in the Netherlands. More is lived in that than before. You take that into account. But in the evening, when it gets dark and all those lights go on, it is nice if the music can also be heard on a large volume.”

Zoom in

Younes (4) and Davino (5) do not have to think long what they think is the nicest attractions at the stimulus fair: “The train and the flying elephants.” Their respective mothers Ingrid van Katwijk and Zenta Konings also enjoy the afternoon: “It’s great fun.” They are along with the guidance of the Bloezem development center in Nederweert where their children go during the day. Younes is autistic, Davino is a bit behind with speech and language.

To prevent the most sensitive children from getting over -stimulated, the Bloezem group leaves the fair after an hour and a half. That is not necessary for her son, Van Katwijk believes. “Younes is a real fair.” In two weeks, the Fair Van Weert, one of the largest in the Netherlands, awaits. He is already looking forward to it.

To share





Mail the editors