A playground where all children can play. This also includes children with disabilities. There is no such place in the municipality of Westerveld. Not yet.
“We don’t even have playground equipment that is suitable for this,” says councilor Henk Doeven. The foundations Het Gehandicapte Kind and Jantje Beton have written a letter to the municipality stating that there is no ‘co-playground’ in Westerveld. To achieve something like this in every municipality, the two foundations have created a fund: the SamenSpeelFonds. They also offer their knowledge to create a place.
Chantal Starke asks on behalf of the VVD in Westerveld whether the municipality actually wants to do that. “We are going to talk to the foundation, because we really want attention for this,” the councilor responds. “We are happy to take advantage of that.”
There is one thing, Doeven warns. That is money, despite the fund. The municipal council has previously released 50,000 euros for the renovation and maintenance of playgrounds. “We can free up part of that for an apparatus, but a whole playground requires much more money.”
The municipality itself cannot use the fund. A foundation or association that manages a playground can do that. The municipality already has a location in mind: the playground in Lhee. “It is already used a lot. School trips even stop to play there.”