Dutch royal couple: You support the community center project

“You will know that we were here,” laughed King Willem-Alexander (57) while mosaic stones flew through the air. On Friday, the Dutch king and his wife, Queen Máxima (53), helped as part of the nationwide volunteer campaign “Nldoet” to beautify a community center in Katwijk. The largest voluntary campaign in the Netherlands is celebrating its 21st edition this year and was able to look forward to prominent support.

the Royals in the Stappers community center worked by side with other volunteers on an impressive mosaic wall. For a resident, the royal visit was an unforgettable experience: “Very impressive to see her in real. My mother called me this morning: the royal couple comes here. I live nearby and ran quickly to catch a glimpse. A unique experience,” she enthused.

Social worker Hannah Bouman said the importance of the project: “The king and the queen helped on a small part of the mosaic wall. The project has been running for a long time, and with the help of the royal couple we really wanted to complete it.” The community center plays an important role in the district and promotes encounter and community.

King Willem-Alexander emphasized the importance of volunteering: “It is great to live in a country where volunteer work is so high. Nldoet is a great way to win new volunteers and bring people from the economy together with non-profit organizations.” The monarch visibly enjoyed the conversations during the handicrafts: “The nice thing is that when working on a mosaic you get to talk to other volunteers and learn what moves them.”

Queen Máxima was also enthusiastic about the experience: “Voluntary work is not only something you do for others, it is also good for you. I had a lot of fun and learned something new.” However, she joked, the mosaic laying will probably be “not a new hobby”.

The volunteers Demi Kaspers and Quincy Bernadina, who received three volunteers every year from their employer, a software company, were surprised by the royal visit. Bernadina, who was sitting next to the king, talked to him about Tuscany, Formula 1 and his upcoming fatherhood: “The king really listened. Very special, I would not have expected that this morning when I got up.”

Kaspers sat next to the queen. Here, too, the Grand Prix of Formula 1 was a topic of conversation. “This weekend is the first in Melbourne,” said Máxima. When a volunteer noted that you had to get up very early, the queen answered with a laugh: “I don’t think my husband will do it.”

Nldoet offers thousands of Dutch every year to get to know volunteer work. This year, over 7,100 projects were carried out nationwide, in which a total of 66,000 volunteers also tackled. Thanks to this use, town houses, playgrounds and care facilities can count on additional help.