In This Together 2020 Summer

SERVING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY www.access-nl.org Free for you to pick up In this together 2020 Summer In this issue | Good self-care | Voorlinden Museum | Cycling | Children and sport | Positive parenting | Schooling during lockdown | Island breaks | Homelike environment with dedicated teachers! Wide range of activities Long opening hours Early learning programme English speaking staff Free transport from school Learn and play in nature Scheveningen, Wassenaar, Kijkduin Healthy meals twice per day “Second home for my children!” “Fantastic care for the children with very a personal touch, allows the parents to relax and know that the kids are in good hands!” “It is like leaving the kids with their grandparents.” “Safe and secure environment for the children.” Letter from the Editor Dear ACCESS readers Homelike environment Here at ACCESS Magazine we plan our issues in advance, and when our team was looking at the amazing sporting events scheduled for summer 2020 in the Netherlands, we with dedicated teachers! decided to dedicate our summer issue to ‘sport.’ Throughout spring, as Covid-19 went from curiosity, to headline news, to a pandemic affecting every one of us, the theme of our summer issue was overtaken and it was obvious that the large-scale events we were going to feature would be cancelled or postponed. While a bump in the road for our magazine planning, it pales into insignificance compared to the catastrophic impact this virus has had worldwide. Those of us not affected directly by the illness are undoubtedly getting used to a different ‘normal’–socially-distanced; Steve Voyce most likely working at home; perhaps schooling our children ourselves; probably separated ACCESS Editor from family and friends. As we become familiar with seeing friends and relatives who we Wide range of activities Long opening hours [email protected] would have once hugged now in the rectangle of a computer screen, and people wearing Early learning programme English speaking staff gloves and masks in the bus or supermarket, it is understandably an anxious time. Hannah Behrens spoke to Katarina Gaborova, a psychologist working with many inter- Free transport from school Learn and play in nature nationals through the ACCESS Counselling Network (CSN), about maintaining our mental health and wellbeing during these unprecedented times. The Cover Story is Scheveningen, Wassenaar, Kijkduin Healthy meals twice per day must-read: interesting and informative and a reminder that we are not alone. For our Education article, Jaqueline Pemberton spoke to education Understandably an anxious professionals about their challenges during the pandemic. “Second home for my children!” While many students have benefited from online learning, time, but we are not alone Jacqueline writes that a school is a social community which “Fantastic care for the children with very a personal touch, we perhaps previously took for granted. allows the parents to relax and know that the kids are in good hands!” Elsewhere in this issue, an easing in restrictions means we can plan for summer trips to the Voorlinden Museum or one of the Dutch North Sea islands. We also look at parenting a child with ADHD, Dutch driving regulations, children’s sports activities in the Netherlands, “It is like leaving the kids with their grandparents.” and one of the greatest sports books ever written (it’s Dutch and about cycling). “Safe and secure environment for the children.” For now, from all of us at ACCESS, we wish you good health. ACCESS | SUMMER 2020 | 3 ACCESS is... Colophon Publisher a dynamic volunteer run, not-for-profit Stichting ACCESS organisation that serves the needs and interests of the international community Editorial content [email protected] in the Netherlands. We do so by: Advertising • personally responding to inquiries and providing information 070 345 1700 through our helpdesks [email protected] • providing face-to-face support through the expat centres we work with Editor offering answers to the most frequently asked questions on our • Steve Voyce website Assistant Editor • fostering cultural diversity, facilitating connections and encouraging growth for the volunteers we work with Nancy Kroonenberg • offering childbirth preparation courses in The Hague, Rijswijk, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam Design & Layout • maintaining an on-call Counselling M-space | graphic designers Services Network Printer • facilitating a network of Edauw + Johannissen Drukkerij Trainers to support the MISSION community ACCESS is an independent not-for-profit producing an informative Cover image • organisation serving internationals to settle successfully in the Netherlands. magazine intended to Elisabeth Schettle help the community get Contents images (clockwise) to know the Netherlands Alex, Christian Fregnan, RS, being available to • Annie Spratt, Elizabeth Explores international employers The ACCESS vision is to provide unique, comprehensive and essential services nationally, through the expertise and experience of its and their HRs to support volunteer expatriate community. their staff, partners ImportantVISION note Contributors & families Hannah Behrens, Katarina Gaborova, ACCESS' number has changed. You can Lorne Holyoak, Lisa Medved, now reach us on Jacqueline Pemberton, +31 (0)85 4000 338 +31 (0)85 4000 338. Giulia Quaresima, Elisabeth Schettle, Also when calling Ann Raben, Tracey Taylor, [email protected] @ from overseas. Deborah Valentine, Kim van der Velden, Daphne Vlachojannis www.access-nl.org Lange Voorhout 12 2514 ED The Hague Join ACCESS on 4 | ACCESS | SUMMER 2019 Summer 2020 Vol. 33 No. 2 Circulation: 5,000 Also available online at: magazine.access-nl.org Contents 28 6 ACCESS Family Municipalities and ACCESS 8 8 Cover Story In this together 15 Dutch Lifestyle Join the clubs 18 Education Schools rediscovering themselves during lockdown 23 Arts & Entertainment Voorlinden Museum 23 28 Food I love summer berry much 31 International Community Happy motoring 18 35 Health and Wellbeing Positive parenting 38 Review The Rider 41 Travel The North Sea islands Copyright ACCESS 2020 All rights reserved. No part of the ACCESS Magazine may be used in any form without explicit permission in writing from the Publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at the time of going to press. However, ACCESS and its writers cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information included. 41 ACCESS | SUMMER 2020 | 5 ACCESS family The ACCESS team of volunteers provides an “The ACCESS volunteers are a great example of giving back to your community by helping international invaluable level of expertise to municipalities newcomers feel at home,” says Gerko. welcoming newcomers from all over the world. Robert Snoeijenbos, Representatives from four municipalities share their Managing Director, experience of how ACCESS helps internationals International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region (IWCUR) settle into their region. The IWCUR provides services and events for international talent and entrepreneurs in the Utrecht Region. Robert Snoeijenbos spent over four years in Vienna ACCESS and Austria which helped prepare him for his job as Managing Director. Four days a week, ACCESS volunteers answer questions from internationals who visit the IWCUR office, located in the Utrecht municipalities Stadskantoor (City Hall). BY OLIVIA VAN DEN Gerko Visée, Adviser and “Because of the mostly international volunteers there BROEK-NERI Account Manager, The Hague is a natural connection with our target group,” he says. International Centre (THIC) “The volunteers of ACCESS are experienced and very THIC works with the cities of dedicated to help internationals in finding the way The Hague, Delft, Rijswijk and Leidschendam- in their new hometown,” he says. “and making the Voorburg, ACCESS and the Immigration and settling-in process easier, which is the purpose of Naturalisation Service (IND). “Our goal is to make the centre.” internationals feel at home in The Hague region,” says Gerko. Corine van der Ceelen, Manager, Expat Centre Leiden “ACCESS is a vital partner helping to provide inter- Since 2016, Corine has worked at the nationals with a soft landing in the region,” Gerko Expat Centre Leiden. ACCESS provides says. This year, 2020, marks the 10-year anniversary the centre with five to six volunteers. “They are really of the direct public/not-for-profit cooperation part of our team,” Corine says, “they know what the between ACCESS and the Municipality of The Hague. expat life is like. They know how to answer the questions.” “ACCESS is an essential part of our international community,” he says. “They help with the questions “The value for money that we get as a partner and what we get on the ‘softer’ side of relocation–how to make they do for our clients is really great,” says Corine. the Netherlands and The Hague their new home,” The information the volunteers gather is also helpful he says. Gerko points out that ACCESS also assists to the Expat Centre. “From a business point of view, companies by offering additional support for their the data that ACCESS collects is really important,” international employees. ACCESS volunteers also she says. “We can see what people are asking, what provide valuable feedback to the THIC. “ACCESS areas they need help and assistance. It is invaluable.” is part of our eyes and ears in the community,” This information is used to improve the Expat Gerko says. Centre’s services. 6 | ACCESS | SUMMER 2020 Corine states that the success of ACCESS is due at unteers give complements the service internationals least partly to its members being actively engaged get from IN Amsterdam, “ACCESS know everything, in the community. “They are always out there,” she and have a real understanding of international life,” says. “This is why ACCESS is so good at what it does adds Sietske. as it really has its ear to the ground of international and community life!” The true voice of international life in “I recommend volunteering with ACCESS to inter- the Netherlands nationals who are looking to get into volunteering or back into the workplace,” Corine says.

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