Meet
A chat, a cup of coffee, doing something together: it all starts with meeting. In Lelystad, there are plenty of places where you can get to know others, share your story or just be among people. Whether you need company, support or inspiration: you are welcome. Because together we make the city a little warmer.
Drop by
Meeting new people
Would you like to get to know more people, but you are not sure where to start? There are places throughout the city where you can just walk in. For a cup of coffee, a chat or to do something together. In the community room, for example, where you meet others from your neighbourhood. Or with a buddy who accompanies you, so you feel more confident in new situations.
Community workers and welfare coaches also think with you. They listen, help you on your way and put you in touch with people or activities that suit you. This creates space to participate (again), in your way and at your pace. Because meeting starts with being seen.
Frequently asked questions
I feel lonely. What can I do?
Have you ever been to a community room? You can find them in various places around the city. Feel free to pop in for a cup of coffee, a chat, an activity or to join us for a meal.
Sometimes it is just nice to have someone there. Someone who stops by for a cup of coffee, a walk, a chat or an errand. A buddy is a volunteer who gives time and attention. In a way that suits you. Not an aid worker, but someone who makes your day just a little bit brighter. Via the link below you can read the story of two buddies.
Is there anyone who can come to my place for a chat?
Yes, definitely! Through our buddies department, we can work together to see what your needs are and who suits you. A buddy can come to your home, for a chat, or drink coffee together but can also help you meet new people. By visiting a community room together, for example.
Where can I meet other local residents?
In the community centre in your neighbourhood, in the community room or during fun activities and meetings. Take a look at the agenda or check the opening hours of the neighbourhood rooms.
Are there coffee mornings or other activities for adults?
There certainly are. Coffee and tea are ready for you in our neighbourhood rooms. See which one is near you.
How do I expand my network?
You can meet new people by participating in community activities, coffee mornings or buddy projects. In Lelystad, there are neighbourhood rooms where you are welcome for a cup of coffee, a chat or an activity. Volunteering is also a great way to meet others and do something for them. We also work with buddies: volunteers who visit, for example to drink coffee together, have a chat or do something together.
Would you like to discuss this further? You can contact Bertineke Martens
I have an appointment with a doctor, but no one to go with me. What now?
Sometimes it is nice to have someone accompany you to an appointment. Not just for company, but also to listen in, calm down or help remember what has been said.
To that end, there is Patient Support
Our volunteers will accompany you, even to hospitals outside Lelystad. They offer a listening ear, follow along with what you are thinking, and can also relay the information from the conversation to your caregiver or healthcare professional.
Applying is easy
Complete the form on our website at least 4 working days in advance. We will contact you within 3 working days to discuss everything.
Is there a way for neighbours to help each other, without obligations?
A care circle is a small group of 8 to a maximum of 13 community members who live close to each other. You know each other and occasionally look after each other, without fixed obligations: everyone does what fits. It's about small, everyday things like having a chat, drinking coffee together, carrying a message or helping out. This makes the neighbourhood feel pleasant and familiar.
Read more about care circles on this page.
View our offer
View this knowledge base item Care circles: looking out for each other
View this knowledge base item Neighbourhood work
View this knowledge base item Neighbourhood rooms
More information?
Contact us
Curious about opportunities to meet others or have questions? We are happy to answer them.
Experience stories
People like you share their stories
Read more Anne and Lieneke are buddies
A volunteer
Anne (87) often felt lonely, but thanks to Welzijn Lelysta's buddy project, she now dares to go out on her own again.
Read more
Read more Cindy brings warmth to the street
An adult
How can I do something for my neighbours and make sure we look after each other more in the street? It was with this wish that Cindy, a resident of Zandbank, came into contact with Welzijn Lelystad's community work.
Read more
Read more: ‘Through volunteering, I’m learning the language and getting to know the people’
A volunteer
How do you start afresh in a country you don’t know? Where everything is different: the language, the people and the customs? For Mehrbakhsh (59), the answer is simple: by getting stuck in. He came to the Netherlands a few years ago. In Lelystad, he found a place to start afresh and, above all, to get involved. ‘I volunteer for three organisations. That’s how I learnt the language and got to know the people.’
Read more
Read more: Volunteering as a meeting place
A volunteer
Pregnant with her first child, Khadija, now 29, fled the war in Syria. She lived in a tent camp in Turkey for five years and went on to have three more children. In 2023, she found a safe haven in Lelystad. Through her voluntary work, she is learning the language and getting to know other people.
Read more
Read more: ‘It’s all about looking out for one another’
A senior citizen (65 years and older)
In the Salentein neighbourhood of Lelystad, a group of residents has formed a ‘prevention circle’. They are using this to prepare for the future. That way, if they ever need care, they will already know their neighbours. The group has agreed to be there for one another – whether it’s for small jobs, a listening ear or simply some company.
Read more