De Kei in Reusel: the beating heart of the community

A place for everyone

De Kei is the beating heart of the village and provides space for voluntary organisations and cultural associations. Its central meeting space serves as an informal living room for all residents. ‘De Kei is much more than a building’, said Sasja Aleksic, policy adviser for educational accommodation and social real estate at the municipality of Reusel-De Mierden. 'It's a place where people come for a chat, or activities, or information about the local area.' The low-threshold community centre promotes social cohesion and improves liveability. Everyone, regardless of their age, culture or care needs, is welcome in De Kei.

From idea to reality

Following the demolition of the old building in 2020, the municipality carefully selected a new approach. As Aleksic explained,  'We wanted the new building to be something special. What we have now is a building that really meets the needs of our residents.’ De Kei’s strategic location in the centre of the village makes it easily accessible. The building is the permanent home of the local library, daytime activities for people with disabilities and older people, and the Visit Reusel-De Mierden office. ‘Combining functions in this way leads to unexpected encounters’, Ms Aleksic said. ‘For example, elderly people who come for daytime activities end up staying for cultural activities’.

Permanent funding partner

The municipality was able to rely on BNG as its permanent funding partner for the construction of De Kei. Their long-term working relationship is characterised by trust, knowledge-sharing and social commitment. ‘BNG has been a permanent, reliable partner of ours for large investments for many years’, Aleksic said. 'They actively contribute ideas, and they understand what's going on in a small municipality like ours.' The bank also appreciates their working relationship. ‘De Kei is a wonderful example of an investment that creates social value’, said Peter Neeskens, relationship manager at BNG. ‘It’s great to see how this municipality is focusing on connecting people and on care.’

Social and sustainable

De Kei was built to be future-proof and that has contributed significantly to the achievement of the municipality's climate goals. The building is completely energy-neutral, is gas free, and was constructed using sustainable materials. ‘This project is fully in line with what we stand for as a bank’, said Neeskens. ‘De Kei shows how our funding directly contributes to both social progress and sustainability.’

Picture and video by the municipality of Reusel-De Mierden