Inspirational conversation with Anita van Vlerken from the Aarle-Rixtel Monument Preservation Foundation

The Kouwenbergs Kerkje Foundation, together with the Spiritus Foundation, launched a series of inspirational evenings with people dedicated to creating a more beautiful local community.

Wim Daniëls was the special guest at the time. The series is getting a sequel. Marina Kapteyn, secretary of the Spiritus Foundation, will be in conversation with Anita van Vlerken, co-founder of the Aarle-Rixtel Monument Preservation Foundation.

Together with her husband Willem Verhoeven and numerous other residents of Laarbeke, Anita has ensured since the start in 2001 that the former town hall De Couwenbergh, café Bij de Dijk, and the Mariëngaarde Chapel, among others, were purchased, restored, and given new operators, ensuring the buildings retained their historic appearance and the village landscape was preserved. In recent years, her foundation has played a role in the repurposing of the Heemhuis and the former Bell Foundry, among others.

Where does Anita’s passion for iconic buildings come from? Which tasks are to be distributed within the foundations, and which of these does Anita herself feel more or less enthusiastic about? How well does she manage to invest a lot of time, money, and energy into such a property, only to have to hand it over to a new operator or owner? And how difficult is it to ‘pull the plug’ if an operator fails to honor the agreements? And what else does Anita do? What does her commitment to care and well-being within the Aarle-Rixtel Village Platform entail? What questions is the Municipality of Laarbeek grappling with, and how does the Village Platform assist with this? Admission is free (a voluntary contribution towards costs is welcome). And for those who want to know much more about Anita: there will be ample opportunity to ask follow-up questions!