Village hall De Schakel in Koekange has been given access to an ultra-modern meeting system. De Schakel owes this to the De Wolden Fiber Optic Incentive Fund.
During the corona period, De Schakel village hall in Koekange was confronted from one day to the next with no or very limited reception and meeting options. This was also accompanied by a total collapse of revenues.
For better or worse, meetings were planned from home, but it was soon concluded that a digital meeting and communication system would be essential for this. However, there was no income during the corona period to make this feasible. Through a publication in the Meppeler Courant, the board learned that money could possibly be made available through the Glasvezel De Wolden incentive fund.
Upgraded meeting room
Pleasantly surprised by the financing, the people at the village hall immediately started working on not only purchasing the system, but also upgrading the meeting room. Ultimately, this led to a complete metamorphosis in the spring with a fantastic digital meeting and presentation system.
The incentive fund recently used the new meeting facility for the first time. The village hall board obviously did not want to let this go unnoticed. Chairman Jan Willem Homan of the incentive fund symbolically handed over the remote control to village hall manager Jennie Zwiers. “This allows the village hall to face the future with confidence and using the modern system.” Homan: “This is exactly one of the projects this fund is intended for.”
By volunteers
The incentive fund was created after the construction of the fiber optic network in De Wolden, which was entirely run by volunteers. After the fiber optic network was installed throughout the municipality, their job was done. The shares that the then Stichting Glasvezel De Wolden owned in the BV Glasvezel De Wolden, were sold to NV Rendo and the proceeds were deposited into the incentive fund. The fund now supports projects in the municipality of De Wolden that are submitted by the population and that are related to the constructed fast fiber optic network.
For example, subsidies have already been provided to Ruinen football club, Bastogne village hall in Ansen, Wemme museum in Zuidwolde, Passion in the Countryside youth project, Ruinerwold Reformed Church and De Wolden online. Homan indicates that the incentive fund is becoming increasingly better known: “Associations and village halls are increasingly finding their way to our fund. There is also regular consultation with the municipality about which applications can come to us.”
The project applications can vary from healthcare and welfare, art and culture, sports and recreation, nature and environment, energy and sustainability to education. “Unfortunately, applications from education and healthcare are still lagging behind. We challenge them to also consult with us,” says Homan.
The application form can be found at www.stimuleringsfondsgdw.nl