Local residents have raised enough money to ensure local bar, Balls, stays open.
Balls, located in the city centre’s popular Stratum area, closed its doors at the end of July 2019, to the disappointment of many local residents. Soon after, Yolanda Jochems, Elian Cremers and Priya van Breugel set up a crowdfunding campaign to help their favourite bar reopen its doors.
According to residents, the bar is an important meeting place for people from various nearby neighbourhoods.
Ninety thousand euros were needed to fund the renovation and reopening of the bar. That figure has now been surpassed.
Joy
‘It feels like we have made the impossible possible,’ says Jochems. ‘No one believed that we could do this. Once again, the neighbourhood has proved itself to be very involved in local matters.’
Next steps
The ninety thousand euros was raised through a combination of donations and loans. The bar’s owners also came up with the idea of a ‘wall of fame’, where donors can pay 25 euros per month for the bar to hang their name on its walls. ‘There have already been people donating money for three signs each. I am proud of the neighbourhood,’ Jochem says.
The building belongs to a local entrepreneur, who is said to agree with the interpretation of Balls as a local meeting place.
Bals is expected to reopen this summer.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Rachael Vickerman
