Joop Veldhuis, Tina Lantink and Johan Korsaan
Silent forces
Meet the driving forces behind Winsum: Joop Veldhuis, Tina Lantink and Johan Korsaan. All three are entrepreneurs and volunteers. Joop and Tina are on the activities committee of the Winsum Entrepreneurs’ Association, and Johan is also involved with Promotie Winsum. These enthusiastic groups are committed to keeping the village vibrant. They do this through a wide range of activities. All with the aim of making Winsum a village that every resident is proud of and which, thanks to its atmosphere and conviviality, also attracts visitors from further afield. To this end, the activities committee regularly seeks to collaborate with Promotie Winsum, which has a large pool of volunteers at its disposal. “With so many volunteers, you’re never on your own,” says Johan.
Prouder and more aware
In the run-up to the ANWB’s ‘Most Beautiful Village’ competition, Tina in particular played a major role. “I happened to read the ANWB’s call for entries and shared it on our Facebook page; that’s how the ball started rolling.” Later, she received a call informing her that Winsum was in the top five, followed by a visit from the judging panel. The rest is history: Winsum has now been able to call itself the most beautiful village in the Netherlands for three years. “That accolade made us prouder, but also more aware of the village’s beauty,” says Joop.
“ “We do it together, and that results in a wonderful village.” ”
Hospitality and a sense of community
Johan was born and bred in Winsum. He has seen the village grow. “The hospitality and sense of community have remained the same. Perhaps they’ve even grown stronger.” You can see that reflected in the welcome given to the Afghan refugees, adds Joop. “In no time at all, a group from all the local clubs and churches sprang into action to help these people with whatever they needed.”
Dreams
Of course, Tina, Joop and Johan also have dreams for the village. For instance, they’d like to develop something that puts the Winsumerdiep in the spotlight. The village’s illustrious history also offers opportunities. “The most important thing is that we do it together, and that results in a beautiful village,” concludes Johan. “With wonderful people,” adds Joop with a laugh.
