NJV De Haven in Heemstede has almost received the money for the necessary replacement of the wooden quay and jetties for the youth sailing club at the Molenplas. A few thousand euros still need to be raised to complete the entire project.
NJV De Haven is a volunteer organization intended for young people between 7 and 18 years old. If possible, they go on the water on Saturday. You not only learn how to sail, but also how to maintain a boat.
Tijmen Verburgh (26) is a board member of the association and loves to sail. “I’ve been a member since I was eleven. My love for the water goes deep. It’s a really nice club. I’m on the board and I’m an instructor of the oldest group: the Seniors.” That ‘senior’ is not too bad: those sailors are between fourteen and eighteen years old.
“It really started to collapse a bit”
The quay wall and jetties of the association are in poor condition. The wood of the quay wall is rotten and the jetties also urgently need to be addressed. In total, about 200,000 euros is needed. “It really started to collapse a bit,” says Verburgh. “We already had the money for the first part of the renovation. Work on the inner harbor has already started. It would save a lot of time and money if we could also carry out the second part immediately. That is the outer shoring.”
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The vast majority of that money has now been received thanks to funds and donations. Tijmen Verburgh: “The municipality of Heemstede previously made 25,000 euros available and we are grateful to all other large and small sponsors who have raised so much.”
With a fundraising campaign on the internet, the sailing club hopes to collect the total amount quickly. “NJV De Haven hopes for the last helping hands to be able to make the last meters,” concludes Verburgh. “Then it will be completely safe here for all members again and we can focus on the best thing: sailing.”
At the time of publication, just under 6,000 euros is still needed to reach the target amount. Find more information about the fundraiser here.