During the New Years meeting of the municipality of Overbetuwe, Lieke Derksen from Elst was named Volunteer of 2025. She traditionally received the accompanying award ‘Het Toonbeeld’ from Mayor Patricia Hoytink-Roubos and child mayor Benthe Riemsdijk. Lieke has been committed for years to inclusion and clear communication, so that everyone can participate.
Years of commitment to understanding and clear language
Lieke has a mild intellectual disability and autism and has been committed for ten years to people with intellectual disabilities. Through ABCDate.nl (a website and app for people with intellectual disabilities) and Steffie.nl (a website that explains difficult things in an easy way), she helps people with friendship, love, self-confidence, and inclusion.
Building inclusion with experience and conviction
Lieke is also actively committed to clear language within the government. This enables more people to actively participate. She creates inclusive tools together with the target group and shares her knowledge through guest lectures, presentations, and advice for more inclusion. In addition, she is involved with many organizations. Think of the Disability Platform Overbetuwe and ‘Geef me de Vijf’, focused on autism methodology. She helps the municipality by making polling stations more accessible and assists the police at meetings on digital resilience. With her years of commitment and involvement, Lieke shows how one person can make a big difference for inclusion and understanding in society.
People who make a difference
The annual volunteer award Het Toonbeeld is intended to highlight a volunteer or group of volunteers. The jury received so many good submissions that two other nominees were awarded a certificate for honorable volunteer this year. For example, Elly and Peter Kuijper from Heteren have been committed to their environment in many ways for more than twenty-five years. Arien Boekhoudt from Heteren is ready at events and ensures that AEDs in our municipality are ready for use. All examples of people who take responsibility from the heart. And that is exactly what society is about. That is community strength: the power of people who find each other, listen to each other, and take responsibility for their environment.
Appreciation for volunteers
‘Het Toonbeeld’ refers to Toon Driessen from Heteren, a volunteer through and through. This volunteer award has been given since 1992, first in the municipality of Heteren and since 2001 in the municipality of Overbetuwe to the volunteer of the year. This year marks the twenty-fifth year. With this, the municipality also expresses thanks and appreciation for the contribution of all Overbetuwe volunteers.
Read the speech that Mayor Patricia Hoytink-Roubos gave during the New Years meeting.