The folkloristic association ‘t Volk van Grada in Emmen is in financial trouble. The annual expenses exceed the income and the reserves are exhausted. In addition, there have been many changes of the guard in recent times. The result is an unstable situation.
The association recently made a request for a one-off subsidy of 25,000 euros from the municipality of Emmen to be able to hold out until at least the end of 2023. The municipality rejected this because of the current circumstances in which ‘t Volk van Grada finds itself.
A downer for the association, because without help the existence of ‘t Volk van Grada is in serious danger, according to chairman Roelof Steenbergen. According to him, the cause of the financial malaise mainly lies in the real estate on the site.
In addition to the centuries-old farm, there is also a carriage and theater shed and a tea house. An exhibition hall was built against the last building in 2019, in which farm life on the Hondsrug is central. The tea house itself was also renovated and renovated by the volunteers of the foundation.
For these matters, the association (as owner) had to take out an extra mortgage. According to Steenbergen, the problem is that municipal taxes have now tripled. Both things weigh heavily on the household budget. Add to that the fact that the number of visitors and activities decreased due to corona, which also meant that less money ended up in the drawer.
Steenbergen also agrees that there have been many board changes. “That may have had to do with leaving a sinking ship. The people who are still there (the association has about 70 members) are committed to ‘t Volk van Grada with heart and soul. They have their last breath to keep the association afloat.”
Steenbergen does not want to comment on the rejection of the subsidy request for the time being. “I just got back from vacation. I want to discuss this with the other board members first.”
‘t Volk van Grada submitted an improvement plan to the municipality on the basis of which they hoped to receive the requested subsidy amount. Components include extending the opening hours of the tea house and the exhibition hall, improving the catering industry, boosting the website and external communication, developing new activities and strengthening the organisation.
The city rejected the request for several reasons. In the first place, the one-off contribution of EUR 25,000 will not be enough to solve all the problems. Moreover, the association is accused of knocking at the door much too late (‘five past twelve’). Due to the current uncertain situation, the municipality does not expect many of the proposed improvements to materialise. Finally, the amount requested is above the subsidy ceiling applied by the municipality.
Nevertheless, the municipality wants to discuss how the cultural heritage of ‘t Volk van Grada can be preserved for the future. Alderman Dewy Leal wants to talk to the board about this.