Informative business breakfast in the center of Wassenaar
On Tuesday, February 10, Restaurant Kitchen Eleven hosted a business breakfast for entrepreneurs, property owners, and shopkeepers from the center of Wassenaar. The meeting, organized by Stichting Centrummanagement Wassenaar, focused on the development of the center, current economic issues, and informing entrepreneurs about the joint ambition to make Wassenaar more dementia-friendly, step by step.
Vacancy rates in the city center have fallen sharply
After a welcome speech by Luc Blok, chairman of Centrummanagement, Alderman Laurens van Doeveren addressed the entrepreneurs present. He outlined the current developments in the city center and reflected on the completion of the city center renovation and the opening celebration in December, in which entrepreneurs were closely involved. He also mentioned the five recently opened new stores as a positive sign for the liveliness of the city center:
“The recent period clearly shows what cooperation between the municipality and entrepreneurs can achieve. With a renovated center, new stores establishing themselves here, and a targeted approach to vacancy, we are seeing visible results. In combination with the Economic Vision, this creates a solid outlook for all entrepreneurs in Wassenaar, and that makes me optimistic about the future.”
Anne-Rose Vincente, center manager, then actively asked those present to share their ideas and points of attention regarding the approach to vacancy. She also explained the status of the €1 campaign, which aims to activate the retail property at Langstraat 61 and stimulate new entrepreneurship. Registration for this campaign closes on February 14.
Dementia-friendly municipality calls for committed entrepreneurs
Alderman Ronald Zoutendijk emphasized the importance of an environment in which people with dementia and their caregivers can participate in daily life for as long as possible. He underscored the important role of entrepreneurs in our joint efforts to create a dementia-friendly municipality:
In shops, restaurants, and other facilities, situations arise in which recognizing the signs of dementia and being able to act calmly can mean a lot to residents. Alzheimer Nederland's training courses offer entrepreneurs practical tools to deal with this. By working together with local partners and increasing knowledge, we are building accessible neighborhoods and facilities that meet the needs of people with dementia.
Project leader Monique de Ruiter then explained that Wassenaar is facing double aging, which makes dealing with dementia in stores even more relevant. The physical training helps entrepreneurs provide better service, create a more accessible image, and reduce stress among staff. Participating entrepreneurs also receive a window sticker showing that their store is dementia-friendly. Finally, Ms. Astrid Homan, representing Alzheimer Haaglanden, provided more information about the training courses and how attendees could register for them.
With up-to-date insights and plenty of opportunity for networking, the breakfast provided a valuable moment of inspiration around developments in the center. What's more, almost all attendees signed up for the training on the spot, clearly underlining their commitment.
Would you, as an entrepreneur, also like to contribute to a dementia-friendly community? Visit www.samendementievriendelijk.nl/trainingen for more information about the short online training courses. Would you like more in-depth information, including a window display card? Then sign up for the physical training course via MdRuiter@wassenaar.nl.
