About us
Introduction
Hello, my name is Liesbeth van Tilburg. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I was itching to start my own business at an early age. After graduating in 'policy and organisation sciences' from the Catholic University of Brabant (KUB) in Tilburg, I started working in my parents' company. But my plans to start my own business became more and more concrete.
While visiting an indoor playground in Belgium, something started to bubble up in me. In the mid-1990s, indoor playgrounds were not yet a common concept in the Netherlands and we saw opportunities there.
Roosendaal municipality was enthusiastic but did not have a suitable location. In contrast, Breda municipality was so enthusiastic, and just developing a nice recreational site, that we opened indoor playground Joepie in Breda in early 1999. But how did we end up at Vrouwenhof? For that, we go back in time.
How it all began
1948
Father Alphons was the man who made plans with Janus and Toos van Haperen during the war to establish a holiday colony for children. Unfortunately, Father Alphons did not survive the war and Janus van Haperen made plans for a playground in his mind. The official opening was performed on 8 August 1948 to musical sounds together with the then mayor Anton Freijters.
Over the years, this initiative grows into a comprehensive 'relaxation centre' for young and old alike. Of course, the term 'relaxation centre' has changed enormously in recent years. Therefore, we move with the times, but the original purpose remains intact.
"Not looking back but working towards a new future." - Jacqueline van Haperen (daughter of Janus and Toos)
2005
In 2005, the Roosendaal municipality was looking for a new atmosphere for the playground, an entrepreneur who wanted to turn the increasingly deteriorating Vrouwenhof back into a beautiful playground. It should become of added value again for Roosendaal's children and adults. Because we had already been in contact with the Municipality in the late 1990s, we came into the picture when they started work on the Vrouwenhof project.
Marten and I took over the Vrouwenhof from the municipality in 2006 and, together with our team, started restoring and innovating Vrouwenhof. We wanted to create another beautiful place Roosendaal for all Roosendalers. And with success! The playground became an attractive place for young and old again. But in 2017, fate struck and Marten passed away suddenly. The face of the playground, also known as "the gentleman of the playground", was no more.
2019
To offer the guests of Vrouwenhof the total package of relaxation, a pancake restaurant was opened in 2019. A renovation turned our canteen into a real, cosy restaurant where we sell delicious pancakes today.
2022
Since 2022, we have been refurbishing Vrouwenhof as a leisure centre for young and old. The playground will be adapted to today's times and our vision. 2022 was a year with lots of news and, of course, a big reason to celebrate, because on 8 August 2023, Vrouwenhof will celebrate no less than 75 years!
Mission
"Offering young and old a place in a familiar and natural environment where they forget about time"
Vision
We aim to create a natural and safe environment where young and old are challenged. With new elements and many play options, guests should be kept surprised. All this combined with authentic "Brabant hospitality" to offer an unforgettable experience.
Core values
Togetherness is very important to us. Both internally and for the guests, this is an important value at Vrouwenhof. Treating each other as you would like to be treated, with respect and kindness. This is something we also convey to our guests.
Trust is, of course, not to be forgotten. The "coming home" at Vrouwenhof is something we try to maintain. This includes working towards a bright future with a sober and proud look at where we come from.
Hospitality comes naturally with an exclamation mark in the list of our core values. Everything we do, we do with an eye to the guest of Vrouwenhof. Every step we take, we move towards improving the guest's experience.
Flexibility stands for thinking in solutions. We try to make every situation so that everyone experiences it as pleasant. In this, we like to think along with the guest and are able to empathise with their point of view.
Our colleagues
What makes Vrouwenhof unique is partly due to our fantastic team! After all, for us, our colleagues come first. We enjoy working together to create and offer guests a pleasant and relaxing day out. We believe that when employees work with a nice and pleasant feeling, this automatically transfers to the guest. After all, this is how it has worked for 75 years!
This is why Vrouwenhof also sets itself up as an ideal learning school for (young) adults in the field. Our focus is on guiding and training our employees. We like to offer them a safe place where they can develop into an independent, insightful employee. Through respect, trust and a personal approach, we all enjoy working at Vrouwenhof.
It is not only for employees that Vrouwenhof is a good learning place. We also open ourselves up to trainees of any level. We believe in the power of cooperation. Not only do students learn from us, but we also continue to learn from the young and fresh perspective of students!
Introducing!
Rick
Marketing & Events
Sienna
Hostess
Marion
Cook
Steven
Cook
For the future
It is with pride that we continue the development of the playground. With all our developments, we are building on the original purpose of the playground: to provide "a 'relaxation centre' for young and old." Through a child-friendly theme, Vrouwenhof will become the place to visit for young and old. We aim to offer a pleasant and safe place where fun and relaxation come together wrapped in a natural setting.
After delving into the history of Vrouwenhof park, we found that the park used to be more attractive at night than it is now. It was even described as a "fairy musical walking park". This is what we are trying to restore with our future plans for the playground. This has already seen the return of water, light and even a real open-air theatre and we continue to develop.
One should never stop dreaming. Eventually, we want to grow into a destination that offers a year-round experience for everyone. Things we want to achieve this with are its own character, performances, its own merchandise and more. Where we are redesigning the playground into play areas, grouping different equipment and we want to build a walking path throughout the park. During a visit, the children can go on an adventure all day and the adult visitor can relax.
For now, we wish you a great day and hope to see you soon at Vrouwenhof!
