donations
Landpark Assisië The picturesque Landpark complex in Biezenmortel, a village close to the city of Tilburg, was the result of a large donation. In 1901 a woman, whose father had been nursed by local catholic brethren, decided to donate an area of 45 hectares including three farms to the church, to build the hospital Huize Assisië. In 1904 the first patients with a disability moved to the complex, where nowadays 220 people live, close to the Franciscan chapel built in 1908. Assisië also had a school for mentally impaired children between 1922-1980. Since 1996 Assisië became part of a larger care provider, Prisma. The current organization of the Landpark combines on the site an institute for mental healthcare and daily activities for those with mental disabilities, with an enterprise for leisure, hospitality and business meetings. The result is a lively yet tranquil village with great landscape quality, where literally everyone can feel at home and do inspiring work. Landscape plan The site of Landpark Assisië lies near the nature reserve Loonse en Drunense Duinen. It is part of the recently founded Van Gogh National Park, a large area including various cities of Brabant and landscapes where the famous painter worked. It is also part of Landscape park Pauwels, whose masterplan (2017, Strootman landscape architects) includes a variation of economic and ecological functions and landscape types, including water treatment sites, renewable energy, agriculture, nature and recreation. The masterplan for the Landpark Assisië area (2016, MTD) follows similar lines, featuring reuse of heritage, retaining rainwater, recreational routes, biodiversity, nature development and room for artistic expression. The conservation and development of the landscape is an integrated part of the business strategy of the Landpark, combined with the care and leisure functions.
The business model Health care is the most important economic activity. The interesting part of the concept, however, is the overlap with the business meeting rooms, park management and restaurant, as the personnel consists largely of (day)care and activity clients with a mental disability. Besides creating room for these individuals to participate in society, the concept provides leisure and business users with a pleasant and refreshing atmosphere. The income is a mix of fees from health insurance and other care payments, donations, subsidies and business revenues from hospitality and leisure activities. Several partnerships add nonmonetary value to the model. Since 2016 the larger share of the more than forty building complexes on the site have a function for activities or park management (instead of stay facilities), increasing the livelihood of the village.
Initiative: Landpark Assisië, 1901 Type of organization: Landscape focus: heritage village, forest and rural landscape Scale: 57 ha Contact: www.landparkassisie.nl Financing model: private donations, public subsidies and business revenues from care and hospitality
Read more: https://www.prismanet.nl , https://www.josvdlans.nl/publicaties/PETER_ NOUWENS_40%20jaar_vooruit_minibiografie-spread.pdf https://www.vangoghnationalpark.com/ https://www.strootman.net/project/landschapspark-pauwels/
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