There was joy for chairperson Bente Kruse when she received the news that 'Fonden Sol og Strand by Margit og Kjeld' has decided to donate 50,000 kroner to the association's work to give vulnerable children and young people in Lolland Municipality the opportunity to be part of an active leisure life.

– BROEN Lolland relies on donations and voluntary contributions, and with this donation, we can help more children and young people with fees for leisure activities, says Bente Kruse.

BROEN Lolland, established in 2014, is one of a total of 33 local associations under BROEN Denmark, which helps vulnerable children and young people up to 18 years old to have an active everyday life in local leisure offerings.

– We are talking about children and young people from families with financial difficulties, and they are referred to us by employees in Lolland Municipality such as teachers, educators, and caseworkers, says Bente Kruse.

Rewarding to be a volunteer

In 2023 alone, BROEN Lolland has helped 468 children with payment of fees for a leisure activity, purchase of necessary equipment and clothing, or participation in, for example, scout camp, football school, handball cup, etc.

– We receive many expressions of gratitude from families who are very thankful that we give their children the opportunity to be part of the community that exists in an association. It means a lot for the individual to experience the friendship that arises when participating in a leisure activity, and furthermore, the children experience that they can talk about it when classmates discuss going to sports, scouts, or something else, says Bente Kruse, who has been a volunteer in the local association since its inception.

She has worked as a teacher for many years but chose to go on early retirement in 2014, and shortly before that, she was encouraged to take part in the establishment of BROEN Lolland. Currently, there are five members on the board, but Bente Kruse hopes that more volunteers will sign up and take part in the important effort.

– It has been and is very rewarding to be part of BROEN Lolland. It is a joy to receive all the positive feedback from families, indicating that we are helping to make a difference. Additionally, it is a pleasure to work with others who are passionate about the same cause and feel that we are making progress, she says.

A dream has come true

The couple Margit and Kjeld Andersen established Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental A/S in 1979. The couple has now transferred ownership to a foundation with the desire to both preserve and develop the business in Danish hands and to support charitable and local causes.

– It is gratifying for us that we can support an organization like BROEN Lolland, which is driven by volunteer efforts with the aim of giving vulnerable children and young people the opportunity to be part of an active leisure life. This contributes to creating communities and preventing loneliness among children and young people, say Margit and Kjeld Andersen.