Dismay and sadness among staff and clients of Amarant in Tilburg. A fire on Monday night reduced part of the riding school on the grounds of the care institution for people with intellectual disabilities, autism or brain injuries. A few stables and a room where materials such as saddles were stored went up in flames. Fortunately, there were no horses due to the summer holidays. The fire brigade takes arson into account.
When a boy comes to look at the fire damage to the stable, manager Mariëlle Holstein becomes too much and tears are shed. The damage may only be material, but the impact of the fire is enormous.
“We have a daytime activity here, which 280 children use. That is no longer available. Children can ride horses here in the woods to relax, or take care of animals.” The stable normally houses ten horses and six dogs, but luckily they weren’t there when the fire broke out.
The horses were supposed to return from their holiday accommodation, but that is not possible for the time being. “The loss of daytime activities is a major drama for our clients. Children come to work here every day. They have nothing for the time being and now have to stay at home and that is very sad for them,” says Mariëlle
She and a few clients walk to the burned-down blackened stables, from which the water is still dripping. The dismay is great. Mariëlle’s phone is red hot from people who inquire about the fire: “Everyone thinks it’s terrible that this happened.”
How to proceed now. “There is now an investigation. After that, unfortunately, it is dismantling and rebuilding,” says Mariëlle. The extent of the financial damage and when the manage will rise from the ashes is still unknown.