Opening of Community Swap Cabinet & Information Board in Eckart
On Wednesday 14 December 2022, a new community swap cabinet and information board for local activities was officially opened in Eckart. What started as a thoughtful initiative by a local resident grew into a wonderful collaborative project involving primary school children from De Bijenkorf, local residents and senior citizens from the Cees van Lienden complex.
A need to share and give
With many people currently facing financial difficulties, the desire to share and give has grown significantly. That’s how the idea of a swap cabinet was born: if you have something to spare, place it inside. If you need something, take it out. The idea quickly expanded. The fantastic facilities and wide range of activities in Eckart could also be shared.
A beautiful collaboration between young and old
Housing corporations Wooninc and Woonbedrijf, Municipality of Eindhoven and CKE made the project possible. They invited designer Almar Sinte Maartensdijk to design and build a swap cabinet together with younger and older members of the neighbourhood. Together, they also created signposts so that, in addition to the new information board, people are quite literally directed to other local initiatives such as the jeu de boules court, Huiskamer Vaartbroek or the Andromeda Soos. Local residents are warmly welcome in the community room of the Cees van Lienden complex for a cup of coffee, but also to borrow sports equipment for use on the nearby sports field.
The brand new information board offers local residents a complete overview of activities taking place in and around Eckart. The purpose of the swap cabinet is slightly different: to help people and reduce waste. Residents can leave items or non-perishable foods, which others can take free of charge. The swap cabinet is mounted on the outside fence of the Cees van Lienden complex and is partly managed by the residents’ group from the building. Everyone is welcome to make use of it—either by leaving something inside or taking something out.
Unveiling of the swap cabinet and information board
On 14 December 2022, the swap cabinet was unveiled and the information board was officially put into use. Local residents were warmly invited to come and admire the results, while enjoying a cup of coffee and a sweet treat. A plant cutting workshop also took place on site, where residents could decorate flower pots and share indoor plants with one another.
Got a question?
