HISTORY OF WOUDSCHOTEN

Founded in 1896, the Dutch Christian Student Association already felt the need for a private building from the beginning of the last century, from which the work among students and high school students could be carried out. This center should house the NCSV office and its employees and also have the opportunity to hold conferences, study weeks, etc. Rented shelter was found in 1916/1917 in villa “Bloemenheuvel” near Zeist and from 1917 to 1932 in castle “Hardenbroek “at Driebergen. In the late 1920s, three former members of the N.C.S.V. the initiative to found an own building. The memorial plaque unveiled in 1957 in the hall of Woudschoten reminded of the purpose: “Ut omnes unum sint” (that they are all one) and to the founders Rutgers, Nachenius and Dudok de Wit of the Woudschoten foundation.

In 1932 the Dutch Christian Student Association (NCSV) took the stylish main building of estate Woudschoten into use as a conference center. The NCSV was an organization that offered students in-depth study in the form of conferences and summer camps on relevant topics. The NCSV no longer exists, but the Woudschoten Foundation – once part of the NCSV – still owns the estate and Woudschoten Hotel & Conference Center.

MAINTENANCE OF WOUDSCHOTEN

An objective of the Woudschoten Foundation is to maintain the Woudschoten estate. To ensure its financing in the long term, investments were made in the main building of the conference center and a beautiful new wing was created. Furthermore, much attention is paid to the management of the forest and the terrain.

MAKING THE WORLD BETTER

The second objective is ‘to initiate and facilitate activities in which the sense and basis of responsible action in a changing society are central’. Stichting Woudschoten therefore supports activities that make the world a better place. In the latter category she primarily focuses on young people, specifically young adults in training in the Netherlands.

The Woudschoten Foundation supports, among other things, the following goals. Do you represent a charity that could support the Woudschoten Foundation? Send a mail with extensive motivation and financial data to stichting@woudschoten.nl. The Woudschoten Foundation receives many requests and selects with a critical eye. Applications must fit within the objectives of the Foundation and in any case have to do with young adults in the Netherlands in order to qualify. More information can be found on www.stichtingwoudschoten.nl