Fyllingsdalen, Volunteering | Choir, cafe or homework help? Now this building is opened for good purposes

In Vestlundveien 19 in Fyllingsdalen, Stiftelsen Betanien owns a 2,447 square meter building. The building was built for educational purposes in 1973. Previously, Betanien College was located here, before the college merged with three other colleges in 2016 and became VID science college.

The building contains facilities such as an auditorium with 197 seats, lecture halls of various sizes, classrooms, offices, gymnasium and canteen.

Now the building is empty, and Stiftelsen Betanien wants to fill the building with new life.

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Beneficial to society

Per Martin Knutsen, managing director at Stiftelsen Betanien, tells Sydvesten that they now want to do something socially beneficial with the building. The foundation has started a project, where they initially map out how the house can be filled with people.

– The foundation has said that through this project, we want to make the 2,500 square meters available for good purposes.

Free

The foundation basically wants to make the building accessible without having to make money from it. Examples of use may be:

• A choir may be allowed to use the premises in return for holding some concerts at the nursing home
• Some teachers can use the premises to have homework help for children and young people in the local area
• Someone can create a neighborhood cafe open to everyone

– Whether or not one has to pay depends on whether the idea/activity contributes to the desire to create a place to come together, a place to see people, a place that gives belonging regardless of background, age and cultural point of view. A place to create social bonds, the foundation writes on its own website.

Director Knudsen concretizes the idea behind the project with the following example.

– If you are the leader of a men’s choir that does not have a place to practice, you can come to the building in Vestlundveien and have singing exercises. Maybe without paying anything, but you have to give something back. Then I can tell you that you must come and hold a concert at our nursing home or another nursing home, says Knudsen.

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Invites to brainstorm

If you or your organization have an idea or an activity that needs space, the foundation wants input from you.

Betanien receives input for ideas and wishes to use the building during April and May. In June, they assess the input and respond to them. This work may possibly continue beyond the summer. The wish is that the activities can start from the autumn of 2024.

The project manager for the project is Hilde Hagenes Christensen, and can be reached on telephone 950 00 925.