Ter Apel
Spirit

NETHERLANDS

2022

4,500

After four years of collaboration, the clubhouse in Ter Apel is now run entirely by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). The clubhouse is welcoming unaccompanied minors to the Netherlands through the contagious joy of sports.

Ter Apel is located in the northeast of the Netherlands. The village has 9,000 residents and hosts 2,000 newly arrived asylum seekers.

A colourful clubhouse needs a colourful sports court

The initial reception: Ter Apel asylum seeker centre

All newly arrived asylum seekers in the Netherlands need to go to the asylum seeker centre in Ter Apel to start their asylum procedure. Ter Apel is a small village in the north-east of the Netherlands, and the camp is situated 45 minutes walking distance from the town with limited access to public transport. The camp is therefore quite isolated and access to leisure activities is particularly limited.

While the majority of the people in Ter Apel are single adult men and families, there is also a significant group of unaccompanied minors. Unaccompanied minors are children, usually between the ages of 14 and 18, who have travelled to the Netherlands on their own in order to seek asylum. This is a particularly vulnerable group. There are very few positive distractions for these young people during their stay in Ter Apel as they are dealing with extensive trauma and stress.

Designing the clubhouse with the Ter Apel community and muralists from VAAF
Turning the container into a clubhouse with VAAF and the local community
The Ter Apel clubhouse offers a place for daily sports activities and a social space to relax

The clubhouse in Ter Apel offers a safe, fun and open social space for unaccompanied minors. It is always filled with energy, life and unbeatable spirit!

In 2022, we opened a clubhouse in Ter Apel where all unaccompanied minors could come to borrow sports equipment, listen to music and chat to the clubhouse manager Koen. You will recognise the clubhouse through its vibrant and beautiful artwork, created by the unaccompanied minors themselves and the muralists duo VAAF. The clubhouse, along with the colourful court, creates a positive and welcoming energy for all, where the unaccompanied minors can come borrow sports equipment, play games and watch TV.

When you come to the Ter Apel Spirit, you will see dozens of children rollerblading and playing football - the two favourite activities at the clubhouse. In addition, COA also organises sports activities during the week with days and hours varying on a weekly basis.

The new chapter of the Ter Apel Spirit!

Since 2022, the community and project showed that sports activities, community building and sharing joyful moments are crucial for a healthy stay in Ter Apel.

It is now time to pass the ball to COA, who have taken over the operation of the project fully since March 2026 and it is now successfully run locally. We call this process a "graduation" where the project transitions to full local autonomy. The project continues to thrive under COA's supervision, with clubhouse manager Koen hyping up the kids to join the fun through sports!

We are proud of what we have achieved together, and even more proud that we can now successfully pass it on to them for this next phase.

Clubhouse agenda

For three days a week, the clubhouse is open to the unaccompanied minors in Ter Apel. Here, they can borrow sports equipment, play and hang out together.

Wednesday

06 May ’26

12:00 - 16:00

Weekly Open Clubhouse

The unaccompanied minors are invited to come to the clubhouse, enjoy a game of football or any other sports they want to play, listen to some music and hang out.

Thursday

07 May ’26

12:00 - 16:00

Weekly Open Clubhouse

The unaccompanied minors are invited to come to the clubhouse, enjoy a game of football or any other sports they want to play, listen to some music and hang out.

Friday

08 May ’26

12:00 - 16:00

Weekly Open Clubhouse

The unaccompanied minors are invited to come to the clubhouse, enjoy a game of football or any other sports they want to play, listen to some music and hang out.

Ruliana playing table tennis at the clubhouse
FOOTBALL training on THE KLABU PAINTED PITCH
Ter Apel Spirit community posing in front of their clubhouse
Clubhouse members enjoying the shade after an intense football match

Impact between 2022 and 2026

In the east of the Netherlands, the Ter Apel Spirit unites all unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the country.

Between 2023 and 2026, over 4,500 unaccompanied minors joined the activities and enjoyed the clubhouse facility.
The clubhouse was and still is the only open social space in the unaccompanied minors section where young people can come and socialise outside of their dorms. This combats isolation, loneliness and offers a fruitful place for new friendships to blossom.
By painting their clubhouse and the football court in front of it, the unaccompanied minors brought loads of colour to the area and also ensured a sense of ownership and belonging for them, crucial for a feeling of inclusion in Ter Apel.
From the start, people with a refugee background were involved in managing the project. At first, a team of adult residents of the reception centre ran it, followed by Samra, originally from Pakistan, and Onyekachi, originally from Nigeria, who organised weekly football trainings. In Samra, many young girls in Ter Apel saw an example, alongside whom they could also play, learn and take part in the fun.
Since January 2024, Koen manages the clubhouse and provides sports training and activities. He has worked as a sports coach for over 10 years at MV moves.
Finally, the Ter Apel Spirit is the gateway into Dutch society for many children. For example, thanks the UEFA Foundation, some were able to go to the Women's Champions League final. Others also got the chance to play in a football tournament in the stadium of FC Emmen and got coached by professional football player Soraya Verhoeve, which was a huge source of excitement and pride.

Discover more about the Ter Apel Spirit, its members and impact through the stories below.