A day full of valuable impact

Ninety employees of insurance company ADD spent a whole day rolling up their sleeves at ecological and social organisations. They helped seven organisations around Antwerp with all kinds of tasks, such as cleaning, painting, crafts, dismantling wood, nature work, and much more. A day full of impact, value, and connection.

Tuesday, 3th of June 2025

With sleepy eyes but curious enthusiasm, the 90 employees of insurance company ADD flock to seven different organisations in the Antwerp-Wilrijk region. For the second year in a row, they are participating in a Forest Forward impact event, but this year at a different location, which means new organisations and new people. The base camp was located at Kinderboerderij Wilrijk.

Forest Forward once again provided an interesting mix of different organisations, so that people, nature, and animals all receive attention. The tasks themselves are also diverse: things that the organisations often don't have the time or resources for, and which therefore they really need help. Participants were allowed to register in advance with the organisation that they preferred.

The organisations

Curious about the organisations and what ADD employees did there? Then read on!

De Maanwandelaars

De Maanwandelaars non-profit offers accommodation and daytime activities for people with intellectual disabilities. At their main site in Hoboken, the ADD employees got to work cleaning: they washed all the windows of the buildings and also gave the transport buses a much-needed makeover. In between, they were of course able to take a break for a pleasant chat with the residents.

Klimaatplatform

Climate Platform Antwerp, or Klimplant for short, connects and inspires people and associations in Antwerp around climate issues. They support all actions that make the city of Antwerp more climate-resilient and climate-conscious. Five colleagues from ADD eagerly set to work planting a neighbourhood garden.

Hobokense Polder

The Hobokense Polder is a valuable and beautiful nature reserve covering 170 hectares and forms part of the Scheldt Valley National Park. Nature also needs to be worked on, otherwise the area will become neglected and overgrown with exotic species.

Under the guidance of Natuurpunt, ADD employees set to work on various maintenance tasks: mowing, haymaking, pruning, etc.

Villa Clementina

Villa Clementina is an integrated and inclusive childcare centre for young children with and without disabilities. The children can play and learn in the child-friendly, renovated villa and on the beautiful green grounds surrounding it. Maintaining such a large space naturally requires a lot of helping hands. Our ADD participants therefore helped with maintenance work in the garden, cleaning toys, tidying up, and painting. Because Villa Clementina was organising an art exhibition this summer, the horse stables on the grounds were given a lick of paint so that they could be completely refurbished and serve as an art gallery.

Buurman

Buurman Antwerpen is a circular DIY store and educational workshop that gives local waste wood a second life. In 2024, they saved no less than 46 tonnes of material that would otherwise have ended up on the waste pile. By working together with workers from sheltered workshops, they also combine circularity with inclusivity. ADD employees set to work dismantling wood: nails were removed and the wood was cut to size so that stocks could be replenished.

Uilenspel

There are no owls at this organisation, but there are enthusiastic people who help children at home with basic school skills. Six colleagues from ADD spent a whole day helping to prepare for a large neighbourhood party and distributing flyers to find new volunteers.

Kinderboerderij Wilrijk

Last but not least, the goats at the petting zoo in Wilrijk were also pampered. ADD employees built a new climbing structure for the goats, repaired fences, and did all kinds of other gardening jobs.

Kinderboerderij Wilrijk is a lively meeting place where education, sustainability, and relaxation come together. Run by the non-profit organisation De Koempanie, the farm works with social organisations to offer opportunities to vulnerable young people. The farm also focuses on innovative and sustainable agricultural techniques, such as growing crops on hay bales.

In the evening, the petting zoo also served as a base camp and was nicely decorated for the occasion. The 90 colleagues from ADD enjoyed delicious pasta and unlimited drinks.

A successful day

It was a successful impact event, and a day we all look back on with pleasure! The people at the organisations were also very happy with ADD's help. The following day, Uilenspel wrote on Facebook (freely translated):

Who says people from the insurance world are only good with numbers and other boring things? 😉 The volunteers from ADD proved the opposite during their social team building event at our office in Antwerp! With paint in one hand and flyers in the other, they set to work with enthusiasm: painting signs for our Antwerp summer party 🎨 and hitting the streets to find new volunteers. 💬🕵 An unexpected but fantastic match – and the results speak for themselves! Thank you for your dedication, creativity, and the great collaboration between Forest Forward and ADD. 💪

Want to read more? You can also find an extensive report of this fun day on the website of ADD.

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