The story of Friesland Beweegt

“Friesland has eleven cities, but it feels like one large village. This sense of connection is our strength.”

-Eric, founder Friesland Beweegt”

Sixteen years ago, it all started with a simple question during a walk in the west. Eric was taking part in the Strandvijfdaagse (Five Days on the Beach) with his son when some fellow walkers approached him. “You’re Frisian, aren’t you?” they asked. “Can we do this on the Wadden Sea too?” Eric, who is originally from near Rotterdam but has fallen in love with the North, set out to investigate. What started as a one-off outing with a skipper grew into Friesland Beweegt. This organisation gets thousands of people on their feet and has had a more personal mission since 2016.

A hobby that got out of hand

“The next day, I had already sorted it out,” Eric recalls. “I found a skipper and, at the end of the walk, I asked who was interested. I expected a small group, but 150 people signed up immediately – enough for six ships.”

The foundation was born. From there, it spread like wildfire to Koudum, IJlst and the rest of the province. Eric and his team now organise trips to the Wadden Sea, as well as walking and cycling tours of the Eleven Cities. “It got a bit out of hand,” he laughs. “But in the best possible way.”

Don’t think inside the box

In the early years, Eric took part in every activity himself. Until 2016, that is. He fell ill, which permanently affected his ability to walk. “I can no longer walk unaided,” he admits. “But I didn’t want to sit at home. My goal became: how can we ensure that everyone can participate? Even if you have a disability.”

Friesland Beweegt achieves this in a unique way by not creating separate categories. “People are pigeonholed far too quickly. With us, you just join in with everyone else. It doesn’t matter if you have a visual impairment, use a wheelchair or are a top athlete. When I see participants feeling fully included because of this, it gives me goosebumps. That’s why we do it.”

Conviviality over competition

Friesland is the backdrop for all this activity. It is a province that often surprises outsiders with its green and varied landscape. But it is the mentality above all that makes it unique.

“In our Winter Cycling Elfstedentocht, we deliberately take the competition out of it and bring in the fun,” explains Eric. “Fast racing cyclists also take part, but we just let them get off their bikes at the checkpoints. They can just have a chat and meet each other. Friesland feels like one big village where everyone knows each other. That social connection is our strength.”

.frl: choosing identity

Such strong local roots call for a fitting online identity. For the foundation, the choice for frieslandbeweegt.frl was obvious. “We organise events in Friesland, and the pompeblêd is in our logo. Okay, we make one exception for a trip to Texel, but our base is here.”

According to Eric, a general .nl domain would not fit with this. “It’s branding. With .frl, you immediately show that you are from here and that this is your identity. For us, and many other Frisian entrepreneurs, that’s a great way to stand out. It radiates pride.”

Future

What are the ambitions for the coming years? “We want to set up more working groups throughout the province and get even more people involved. We want to forge connections,” Eric concludes. “So that everyone, regardless of their background or disability, can say: I’m in.”

Are you proud to be Frisian or an entrepreneur in Friesland? Then claim your .frl domain!

Watch the video series we made with Friesland Beweegt here: