Utrecht, 13 February 2025 - During the BouwBeurs, organised by Royal Jaarbeurs, the organisation supported impactful initiatives by the Helen Dowling Institute and Gered Gereedschap. The Helen Dowling Institute raised money for the renovation of their new premises, which will enable them to provide psychological care to even more people with cancer. During the Bouwbeurs, Gered Gereedschap introduced visitors to their mission and had 1,000 toolboxes hammered out for craftspeople in Africa.
Contribute to renovation of Helen Dowling Institute building
Jaarbeurs supports various charities. One of these is the Helen Dowling Institute, which offers psychological help to people with cancer and their loved ones. Jaarbeurs offered the Helen Dowling Institute a place at the BouwBeurs to raise money to renovate and refurbish its premises. Under the heading 'Do your bit', visitors could take part in a playful competition with a chance to win great prizes and, of course, make a donation. Esther Driessen, head of corporate communications Royal Jaarbeurs: "We are happy to contribute to the mission of the Helen Dowling Institute. The mental side of this life-threatening disease deserves more attention. By investing in this, we prevent people from getting stuck and dropping out. This is important not only for these people, but for their families and the companies where they work." Renate Koers, programme manager of the Helen Dowling Institute: "We were delighted to be at the BouwBeurs to raise money. As a healthcare institution, we can use all the help we can get to make our building, which needs a lot of maintenance, sturdy again so that we can continue to offer families, young and old, a place to stay when they are mentally stuck by cancer. We would like to thank everyone who did their bit!"
1,000 tool chests for craftsmen from Africa
In addition, visitors were introduced to the organisation Gered Gereedschap and their special mission: during the fair, 1,000 toolboxes were hammered out for 1,000 craftsmen in Africa. Together with volunteers and visitors to the BouwBeurs, they ensured that craftsmen in Africa receive the tools and machines to build an independent livelihood. "It is inspiring to see how the organisation of the BouwBeurs has committed to these important causes. The carpentry of the toolboxes is a great example of how we can make a huge impact with practical actions," says Peter Schmidt of Gered Gereedschap. "We are very satisfied with the fair and the cooperation with Jaarbeurs. There was a lot of traffic due to the carpentry of the crates, and many people stayed at our stand to carpenter a crate themselves. We also received many donations and volunteering applications, and were able to welcome many relations from the technology sector to the stand."
With these joint efforts, Jaarbeurs highlights the power of collaboration and the shared passion to make a positive change in the world. "We are proud to partner with the Helen Dowling Institute and Gered Gereedschap to support these impactful initiatives and look forward to continuing and expanding this collaboration in the future," Esther Driessen explained.
