Buurthuis de Bol: How the community centre in Amsterdam Noord gives back to their neighbourhood
Buurthuis de Bol, described as the living room of the neighbourhood, is a community centre in De Kleine Wereld, a growing area in Amsterdam Noord. It is more than just a communal space, though. It also acts as a work cooperative for residents of the neighbourhood by connecting them to the labour market. Since its opening in April 2022, Buurthuis de Bol supports the residents of De Kleine Wereld with social programs, job connections, and entrepreneurial opportunities. To get to know more about the Buurthuis and its impact, I’ve spoken with Floris van Bremen, a resident of De Kleine Wereld and one of the founders and coordinators of the community centre.
Can you please introduce yourself and your connection to Buurthuis de Bol?
My name is Floris, one of the initiators of the community centre in De Kleine Wereld. I started working in this neighbourhood about two and a half years ago through an organisation that focuses on social placemaking. That means finding ways to physically and socially ‘revive’ places. This can be done in all kinds of fun ways, like community art, for example. While working in the neighbourhood, I got acquainted with many different residents and professionals. They all had the same message: We need a central place to start self-organising and develop specific projects to get the community together and work with each other. With some research behind it, we started lobbying for it until the municipality got sick of us. One day, we got the call back, and now have a place!
How would you describe your role at the Buurthuis?
My role is mostly concerned with innovating new economic models in terms of shared ownership and democratisation. But, since I am partly responsible for starting this place up, my role is quite split up. I also write for different funds and help with creating partnerships with different domains of the municipality. I’m also there to just help around and create a positive and inclusive atmosphere.
What motivated you to start working at the Buurthuis?
Well, my motivation is to create a place where people can really self-organise and develop their entrepreneurship. The North of Amsterdam is developing rapidly but this development doesn’t extend to all of its neighbourhoods. And, with my heart and home already being in De Kleine Wereld, it felt that we had to start making this change from within and show the North what we are made of.
What is the goal and vision of the community centre? Whose needs does it cater to and how?
We don’t want to be a classical community centre. We want to extend our impact to the entire neighbourhood and beyond. This is why we came up with the cooperative system. It revolves around shared ownership and combines different forms of work and entrepreneurship. For example, instead of outsourcing labour, we ask housing corporations, welfare organisations, and green space management in the area to keep this work within the neighbourhood. This way, employment opportunities can grow within the area and help the financial needs of its residents. Next to these assignments, people can also start their own businesses with our support and facilitation. Most of all, we are like the living room of the area; a place where you can also come to hang out, chill and interact with others.
What kind of programs and activities are offered at Buurthuis de Bol?
Well, many things. Our gym is a big highlight. We have many different lessons throughout the week with a focus on fighting sports, like kickboxing and boxing. In our kitchen, we have pizza nights, catering, and our amazing monthly restaurant, Restaurant Sufra, where a different culture and cuisine is presented each month. We also write the neighbourhood paper, have mindfulness sessions, different kids programming, high teas and breakfasts organised by locals.
In what ways does the community centre foster social connections?
We are a place that gives the possibility for someone to organise and develop their projects. This creates a direct connection with their social circles as well. Also, we have certain programmes that cater to particular groups, like our all-female sports classes.
Does the neighbourhood house involve residents in decision-making processes?
So, this is where the cooperative system comes into play. Everyone who is a member of the cooperative has democratic control to some extent. The different neighbourhood businesses also bring money into the cooperative. They earn a big part, and the rest stays within the cooperative. So it becomes a shared fund. And everyone who has been a part of this fund can decide together what to do with it. This way we can reinvest in the different neighbourhood businesses. But eventually the cooperative should be able to create common real estate and other collectives to positively impact the district.
Can you share a favourite story or example of when the Buurthuis positively impacted its residents?
Yes! There is a lady who creates cakes for the community centre but never really dared to show herself at first. Even her cakes were being brought in by somebody else. But, because her cakes were so amazing, people wanted to know who this lady was, and the praise started reaching her. She felt more compelled to come and connect with the people enjoying her cakes. Today, she is part of the place.
Are there any lessons learned in this role that you would like to share with other coordinators or community organisers?
The biggest lesson is to not organise for but with. This way you align with the people.
And also look for ways to incorporate a form of shared ownership and responsibility. This is a more sustainable way of having it organically grow.
Do you have any plans in the near future for Buurthuis de Bol?
Our plans are to expand at the end of 2024 and have two locations. One will work with residents who are running their businesses, and the other will be like the ‘living room’ of the neighbourhood. We also want to diversify the businesses in the area. Like bike fixing, ‘kringloopwinkel’, garden and greenery care, social entrepreneurship, and expanding our sport activities to outside when the weather gets better. In terms of representation, we are working with residents to improve their political participation and have more formal partnerships with domains of the municipality to widen our impact. In May 2024, we will throw a gala oriented around our gym. There, we will really show ourselves as a determined gym and represent the youth training there everyday.
Can anyone in Amsterdam visit Buurthuis de Bol?
Yes! Anyone can visit! The cafe and communal area is open from 10:00-17:00 hrs and sometimes longer. The people behind the bar are mostly residents as well. We don’t want to be classic ‘buurthuis’ and keep to our surroundings, but also extend our impact to its surroundings and steer the developments of Amsterdam Noord in the right direction.
It was great to learn about the impact of Buurthuis de Bol on the residents of De Kleine Wereld. By reinvesting its efforts back in the neighbourhood, the Buurthuis works with residents to meet their needs through job opportunities and social programs. Thanks to collaborative decision-making processes, the Buurthuis is also able to create a tight-knit network for their local community. With organised pizza and restaurant nights, the residents also come together and share meals at the end of the month.
www.buurthuisdebol.nl
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