Buurtkamer Weespersluis: Community centre in Amsterdam

★★★★★ 3.6

Buurtkamer Weespersluis is the shared living room of the new Weespersluis district in Weesp, at Fort Diemerdamstraat 71a. Neighbours of all ages meet here at activities organised by and for residents, from games evenings and craft groups to parent and child coffee groups. It is the place to go if you have just moved in and want to know who lives around you. The room is run entirely by volunteers who live in the area, with no permanent manager on site, and that shapes how it works: it is only open when an activity takes place, and it closes during the summer school holidays. The agenda shows what is on, with regulars such as a craft group for crochet, sewing and knitting, a games cafe, a grandparents' day, theatre dance for small children and an English class for kids. The organisation works from four values: accessibility, cooperation, sustainability and flexibility, and in practice that means residents decide the programme by bringing ideas and talents. The room can be reserved through the website for your own activity. Questions go through the contact form, and because everyone involved does this alongside a paid job, the team aims to answer emails within five days.