jvlhp_2017_LR_ENG_web

Annual
Report
2017

Airport Chaplaincy

Welcome to Amsterdam Airport

‘The way you treat people is a direct
reflection of how you truly feel about
yourself’

Rev Run

Table of contents

Foreword 4

A chaplaincy at an airport? 7

Staffing 9

Retrospectives from departing volunteers 12

From our logbook 15

The old and the new Meditation Centre 16

Who contacts us? 19

Four emergencies in 2017 23

Financial statements for 2017 24

Personnel 29

3

Foreword

Dear reader, hard look at this issue, listening to and
respecting each other’s opinions, a pro-
The foreword to an annual report is cess that is still ongoing.
usually a time to look back on the year
gone by. However, the opening of the In the meantime, our work at Schiphol
new Meditation Centre at the begin- continued as normal. Thanks to Mark
ning of March and the opening cere- Hafkenscheid and Joop Albers, our cha-
mony on 5 April give us every reason plaincy has been temporarily restored
to look to the future. The Meditation to full capacity until we can appoint a
Centre was originally announced in permanent team. Mark takes care of
the 2014 annual report and scheduled day-to-day duties and our former cha-
to open in 2015. So we may have had plain Joop provides assistance during
to keep the faith for a while, but now church services. These reinforcements
our new Meditation Centre has finally came as a great relief to Marieke Mei-
opened its doors. It was definitely ring and Gerard Timmermans, who were
worth the waiting! responsible for all of the work and the
volunteers at Schiphol throughout the
The 2017 reporting year was certainly hectic period from 1 April to 1 July 2017.
noteworthy. The events in Cambodia In 2017, the chaplaincy received a total
involving Chaplain Sarot shook our or- of 311 requests for assistance, which is
ganisation to its very core. The board, similar to the previous year in terms of
chaplains and volunteers took a long time spent.

4

Several years ago, we formulated our Without financial and tangible contri-
mission statement, which reads as fol- butions from the Royal Schiphol Group,
lows: ‘The goal of the Airport Chaplain- we would not be able to conduct our ac-
cy is to maintain and contribute to the tivities at Schiphol. Moreover, we can’t
spiritual welfare of people at Schiphol, possibly forget the financial contributi-
regardless of their ethnicity, nationa- ons made by the various denominations:
lity, religion or belief system. The Air- the Roman Catholic Church, the Angli-
port Chaplaincy is an organisation that can Church, the Old Catholic Church, the
is borne of and promotes Christian be- Protestant Church in the Netherlands
liefs and ethics, and it conducts and sup- and the Remonstrant Church.
ports activities that are consistent with
the Christian identity. This goal is to be In 2017, the General Conference Men-
achieved by means of a wide range of nonite Church also joined the collective
pastoral and diaconal assistance.’ In of churches that provide us with finan-
2017, these wonderful principles once cial and administrative support. In addi-
again allowed us to provide a great tion to these national organisations, the
deal of practical support and resulted in Airport Chaplaincy also receives donati-
many meaningful encounters, a number ons from a number of regional churches
of which are described in this annual re- and foundations, mostly in an indirect
port. manner via one of our foundations. We
are extremely grateful for all this sup-
Our mission also inspires us to examine port.
and reflect upon the future of our work
and the Meditation Centre within such Last but not least, we would like to
a dynamic environment. Schiphol’s plan- thank our chaplains and our many vo-
ned expansion in the years to come will lunteers for their substantial dedication
mean that the physical presence of the and expert contributions to the Airport
Airport Chaplaincy will be rather restric- Chaplaincy in the turbulent year that
ted, with only one Meditation Centre in was 2017. They are the very heart and
Departure Lounge 2. At the same time, soul of our organisation.
the passengers’ need for peace and
quiet prior to their journey will certainly On behalf of the board,
not diminish. Wouldn’t it be wonderful
to have a second Meditation Centre in Flip Poort, chair of the Schiphol Airport
the new build? Chaplaincy Support Foundation.

April 2018

5

God’s ground crew

Every day, everyone at Schiphol makes their way through the crazy hive of activity wit-
hin the airport’s immense arrival and departure halls. For many of them, this is familiar
ground, as they make their way to one of the 100+ gates quickly and confidently.
For others, especially those going through a period of stress, fear or sadness in a strange
and unfamiliar environment, it can often feel like you are lost among a huge crowd.

In such situations, many people find it useful to have a personal assistant to handle
their business affairs. However, people often have an even greater need for somebody
to tend to their emotional side: who you are as a person and how you feel inside. In
a place where people of all different religions are embarking on their own journeys,
many people greatly value having somebody who accepts and understands them on a
spiritual level.

Within the dynamic and multicultural melting pot that is Schiphol, ‘God’s ground crew’
can play a key role in connecting people. By paying attention to individuals before they
depart, the Airport Chaplaincy can also leave a lasting impression of the Netherlands’
caring side. The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is one of the many denominati-
ons that is very keen to support this work.

Fred Tjeerdsma
General Project Manager, The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN)

6

A chaplaincy at an airport?

‘Does Schiphol really need a chaplain- from feeling lost in a strange and hec-
cy?’ is a question frequently asked by tic environment. It’s about guarding the
intrigued passers-by who see the airport autonomy of everyone we come into
as the fleeting transit location that it contact with. We’re a buddy, a friend
undoubtedly is. It’s a fair question. Can and a fellow traveller who helps you to
we really make a difference, and what find your way once more.
exactly do we do? Well, the majority of
Schiphol’s passengers and staff don’t An employee from an emergency cen-
need our services, and for that we’re tre once came to us for a working visit
very thankful. and asked us ‘Are you religious?’ Well,
of course we’re religious, but perhaps
even more importantly, we have a good
ear for the unsaid. We are sensitive to
what makes people tick and what is im-
portant to them. From a holistic point of
view, our presence at the airport is enti-
rely justified. To ensure efficient passen-
ger flow, you need basic facilities such
as signage, transport, assistance, food
& drink and information provision, and
in some cases, passengers need a family
counsellor, someone to listen to them or
someone to protect them.

After all, the job of a chaplaincy is to In this hectic environment, many peo-
help people whose journey through life ple long for a bit of peace and quiet.
has hit a patch of turbulence, who have For these people, the Meditation Centre
ground to a halt and are not sure how to offers a safe place to get away from the
continue. Sometimes, Schiphol staff run crowds. In the tranquillity of the centre,
out of ideas and options to help stran- you can fall back on the support and
ded passengers. The chaplaincy always structure of a long-established tradi-
has time for these unfortunate travellers tion. By distancing themselves from the
and we’re ready and waiting to come cacophony of stimuli that is the outside
and help. Every hour of every day, one world, people can rediscover their ba-
of the chaplains is available to give as- lance and inner strength. We are very
sistance when called upon. happy with our centre, which we run to-
gether with 25 trained volunteers.
The word ‘chaplaincy’ can cause some
confusion. It tends to make people think However busy we may be in our capacity
of religious rituals, and people often ask as chaplains, we try to keep our schedu-
if we walk around the terminal in cleri- les empty. As a result, our days are al-
cal robes. Sometimes, people worry that ways unique. If someone comes to us,
we bombard traumatised families with we do all we can to provide the support
prayers or that we would favour a reli- they need. We are just a small cog in a
gious approach above a personal, hu- big airport. We rarely say no, and if any-
man approach. A chaplain is essentially one is ever unsure of which way to turn,
a guardian, whose role is to protect their we’re happy to help them find their way.
fellow man from suspicious looks and

7



Staffing

Three professional staff members and In 2017, we bade farewell to several
45 volunteers are involved in the day- members of our group. Due to work de-
to-day running of the Airport Cha- mands elsewhere, Deirdre Burk, Jans de
plaincy. The chaplains are trained to Zeeuw-van Rees and Harriët Kroon were
provide spiritual support in times of forced to give up their roles at the cha-
crisis and continually develop their ex- plaincy. We spoke to Harriët about what
pertise via further training. In March working in the Meditation Centre me-
2017, Marieke Meiring earned her di- ant to her, and you can read what she
ploma in Spiritual Guidance, and in au- said in this report. These three departu-
tumn, she took the Spiritual care and res mean the number of volunteers once
Trauma course. Gerard Timmermans again declined in 2017. A few years ago,
has attended conferences in Warsaw we had a waiting list of people intere-
and Lyon. Furthermore, the team are sted in working for the chaplaincy. We
proficient in all of the most important approached the people on the list and
modern languages. updated it, but were still in need of more
volunteers after doing so. We decided to
Nearly 20 of the 45 volunteers hold a po- initiate new recruitment activities to at-
sition on the Airport Chaplaincy’s board. tract new volunteers. This was done via
They work behind the scenes and serve notices in regional and national church
as a think tank. They also play a more vi- newsletters and other religious publica-
sible role as representatives of the cha- tions, as well as by word of mouth.
plaincy during contractual agreements
with the Royal Schiphol Group, as well There is a great deal of interest from po-
as getting involved in aspects such as PR tential volunteers and we carefully as-
and fundraising within their own con- sess their suitability based on a number
gregations. Many of them have intricate of criteria. We make sure they are open,
knowledge of the airport, aviation, ICT, respectful, tactful and attentive when
counselling or politics. The board mem- speaking to people. Physical and men-
bers conduct activities throughout the tal fitness is important, and volunteers
country as well as in the Airport Cha- must speak at least one foreign langu-
plaincy’s office on the sixth floor of Ter- age. Finally, it is important that they
minal West. have a positive connection with a par-
ticular belief system. However, this does
In addition, 25 volunteers carry out their not mean we demand the same level of
duties airside in our Meditation Centre. expertise from our volunteers as we do
They are the public face that greets any from our chaplains or board members,
passengers looking for a place of peace and we also offer training programmes
and quiet. The volunteers operate a ro- tailored to meet the needs of and the
tating schedule in which they provide developments within the chaplaincy at
hospitality and support to users of the Schiphol.
Meditation Centre for an average of one
half-day every two weeks.

9

Offering a shoulder to cry on

In olden times, people usually travelled for very different reasons than today.
In general, nobody went anywhere just to see things. Back in the day, travellers also had
to endure much greater hardship than most of today’s passengers. Nowadays, a vast ar-
ray of transport is available to us, whereas in the past, the choice was merely whether to
travel by land, by sea or both. The rapid development of transport solutions has its roots
in the early 20th century and the development of the aircraft, which initiated the demi-
se of many shipping companies that had dominated the passenger transport industry.

Unfortunately, on occasion, passengers still endure pain, loss and/or accidents when
travelling. Should this ever happen, the Airport Chaplaincy is always ready to help. They
have provided support and a shoulder to cry on since the 1970s, not only for passengers
at Schiphol, but also for us. Every day, floor managers and other chain partners are res-
ponsible for managing immense passenger volumes. If any passengers are confronted
with hardship or distress, then the Airport Chaplaincy will give them the support they
need. Our communication and collaboration with the Airport Chaplaincy is extremely
effective.

To increase the chaplaincy’s impact, I would advise boosting its visibility, both in general
and from our perspective. For example, when meeting with floor managers or other
parties, let them know what you’ve been doing. It would also be nice for you to attend
a team meeting or an operational briefing.

I wish you good luck, strength and wisdom for the new year

Bas Hageman
Team Manager Operations / Floor Management

10

This past year, we gave attention to Volunteer work for the Airport Cha-
the support provided to the airport by plaincy is a really rewarding experience,
the Salvation Army. The Kennemerland and it’s often not until you leave that
GGD (Municipal Health Service) gave a you really take stock of things. With this
presentation on their role in providing in mind, we asked Harriët Kroon – who
psychosocial care in the event of a disas- has left us – to look back on her time at
ter, and in October and November, two the chaplaincy. We also spoke with Pe-
training sessions entitled ‘What to do ter Daas, who volunteered at the Air-
in the event of a terrorist attack’ were port Chaplaincy for nearly 25 years and
organised for volunteers in accordance decided to step down after the opening
with the same training format used for of the new Meditation Centre.
Schiphol Security and the Royal Nether-
lands Marechaussee.

New meditation centre under construction

11

Retrospectives from departing volunteers

‘Some people need something more: you In such cases, I’d offer a sympathetic ear
can see it in their eyes or their actions.’ in the neighbouring kitchenette, which
was effectively my workstation. You
Harriët Kroon, an enthusiastic energy really can work wonders with a simple
therapist, has worked at the Medita- cup of coffee and a biscuit. For example,
tion Centre for four years. She decided I once gave a Kenyan woman a shoulder
to vacate her post as of 1 January 2018 to cry on. She lived in England and had
and her successor is yet to be named. missed her connecting flight to Nairobi
We asked Harriët about her time as a to see her terminally ill mother. I also
volunteer at the Airport Chaplaincy – spoke with a distraught Surinamese
what are her fondest memories and man who was unexpectedly refused
what did she gain? entry to the Netherlands and couldn’t
see his son. To make matters worse, he
‘Silence is slowly disappearing from our couldn’t go back to Indonesia either,
ever-more-crowded planet, and as a re- where he’d lived for four years before
sult, meditation centres are becoming getting on the plane. I made an Argen-
increasingly important. You can come tinian mother and daughter very happy
here to get your breath back, recharge with my mediocre Spanish, because
your batteries, reconnect with the spi- they didn’t speak English and had been
ritual and escape from the illusions of waiting for three days for their return
everyday life. I found it immensely ful- flight. They hadn’t been able to com-
filling to help provide such a haven of municate properly with anyone for all
tranquillity and reflection. that time.

Schiphol is an amazing place to be a vo- No room for small talk
lunteer. The atmosphere is very pleasant, Encounters such as these are incredibly
as most of the passengers are excited to compelling. They’re the most real en-
embark on their journey. We are a cog in counters you will ever experience, and
the middle of an extremely complex yet small talk is certainly not on the agen-
very well-oiled machine. That gives me a da. People who need help truly come to
deep sense of purpose and I really feel you with an open heart, as indeed do
I’m in my element. people seeking connection with their
true self or a higher power. That really
Holding ‘sacred space’ resonates with me, resulting in a gen-
People would sometimes ask me what uine connection, and that’s always a
I did there, and I would tell them, ‘hol- memorable experience.
ding sacred space’. It’s difficult to ex-
plain. It’s about facilitating an area – I also love working in a place where all
simply by means of your presence – in of the cultures of the world are repre-
which passengers can find what they sented. At Schiphol, you meet people
need in complete silence. Some people with the most beautiful clothes and
need something more; you can see it in backgrounds, each with their own ha-
their eyes or their actions. bits and customs. This really expands
my horizons and bursts my ‘rich Wes-
tern bubble’.

12

Peter Daas Harriët Kroon

Our self-made haven of world peace It should be this way everywhere, but unfor-
The Airport gave it the name Meditation Centre tunately that’s not the way the world works.
to make it neutral and therefore more accessi- Our visitors would often thank me extensively
ble to people of different religions and non-re- for these uplifting experiences. One thing I’ve
ligious people, including practitioners of yoga. noticed is that the Meditation Centre is being
I was regularly moved to tears when I saw peo- increasingly used by yoga practitioners. Yoga is
ple with vastly different traditions and cultures booming around the globe, and who doesn’t
sharing the same space. A Jewish man praying like a good stretch after a long flight?! I’d like
at the table, a Muslim man on his prayer mat to see a special yoga room set up at Schiphol,
facing Mecca, a Christian woman kneeling in so my colleagues will no longer have to curb
front of her chair and someone sitting on a me- the enthusiasm of yogis! Furthermore, it would
ditation cushion. This little space has become really help put Schiphol on the map.’
our self-made haven of world peace.

Peter Daas (b. 1936) worked as a purser for KLM for 33 years, and after leaving in 1993, traded
his career in aviation for a voluntary post within the Airport Chaplaincy. Almost 25 years la-
ter, he is once again taking his leave. What memories stick with him the most? And what has
changed the most about the Schiphol Chaplaincy in his 25 years of service?

Clad in his pyjamas, Peter was just about to go to bed after Christmas mass when the telephone
rang. A Transavia plane had touched down hard and slid off the runway. Quickly, Peter slid a note
under the door of the choir leader saying he wouldn’t be able to make it in the morning and then
rushed to Schiphol.

As an experienced purser, dealing with disruptions was second nature to him. This was exactly
what attracted him to the Airport Chaplaincy, where he applied for a volunteer post in 1993.

13

Peter Daas He wanted to use his experience to help as- Another time, Peter arrived at the Meditati-
sist distressed and traumatised passengers. on Centre early in the morning to find a man
loudly playing the trombone. Upon being
When Peter joined in 1993, the organisation asked what he was doing, the man declared
consisted of just eight volunteers and two ‘I’m playing for the Lord!’ Peter proceeded to
chaplains, so there was no pressing need for gently and tactfully explain the house rules
structure. Everyone did what they had to do to the man.
and had a large degree of freedom. Over
time, the number of volunteers increased to Peter has witnessed multiple relocations of
match the growth of the airport. By 1997, the Meditation Centres at Schiphol and has
their numbers had increased to twelve. A seen 13 chaplains come and go. In all this
second centre was added in Terminal West, time, he has experienced many emotionally
next to the old centre in the Schengen area. contrasting scenarios. For example, he once
The volunteers were very busy, constantly guided a Chinese woman to the gate who
running from one centre to the other. Follo- had lost her daughter and was understanda-
wing the introduction of a new Meditation bly distraught. On the way to the gate, they
Centre in 2000 – by which point church ser- passed a Dixieland orchestra that had come
vices were also being held – the need for an to entertain the passengers. The woman’s
organisational structure became apparent. weeping and the upbeat music created a
At the time, Peter was both chair (on an strong contrast.
alternating basis) and secretary of the cha-
Peter says that his time with the chaplaincy
plaincy. According to him, one of the main enriched his life and made him more sen-
disadvantages of the new development was sitive to the emotional side of life. ‘You
the long lines. also have to learn to let things go’, he says.
‘Whenever I encountered aggression or in-
Our longest-serving volunteer has plenty of tense grief in my work, I never let it affect my
unforgettable stories to tell. For example, loved ones. Music was my primary source of
he once met a German woman who had distraction. I would play the piano or listen to
witnessed her husband being murdered by a beautiful Bach cantata, which would give
islanders during a sailing holiday and had me an immense feeling of comfort and inner
then been set adrift at sea for days in a boat. peace.’ Finally, Peter has an important piece
With nothing but a little water and a packet of advice for the Airport Chaplaincy: ‘Over
of aspirin, she managed to survive and even- the course of my 25 years as a volunteer, the
tually drifted ashore in Curaçao. group got much bigger. The more volunteers
you have, the more important it becomes to
make sure everybody knows each other, as
it’s vital to have a feeling of ‘we’ rather than
‘I’. The communal activities are extremely va-
luable opportunities to meet each other and
bond. Because of the renovations, the ves-
pers on Holland Boulevard during the New
Year’s concert have been somewhat abando-
ned; it is time to revive this tradition!’

Peter, a tireless devotee to the chaplaincy
whose immense drive is matched only by his
great courtesy, will be sorely missed.

14

From our logbook

The volunteer on duty records any ob- how they pray. The Jewish man then
servations in the logbook, as this facili- said it doesn’t matter how you pray and
tates communication and helps ensure that everyone should do it in their own
any practical problems are identified way. It was a wonderful moment at the
and resolved. If a conversation has table.
been conducted with a visitor, this is
usually reported. Saturday 24 June
Today, I saw a man stand bolt upright on
Wednesday 31 January his head for about 10 minutes. When he
Today, we have been busy in and around was done, I spoke to him and he told me
the Meditation Centre working with six it’s a yoga pose that he does after every
Iranians who were refused entry to the flight he takes.
United States. After three days, four of
them chose to return to Tehran. Howe- Friday 18 August
ver, an elderly couple decided to stay at A young woman couldn’t stop crying, so I
Schiphol in the hope of gaining a tourist went to her and tried to start a conversa-
visa for the Netherlands. We were in the tion. She didn’t want to tell me what the
office with them and several lawyers un- problem was, but she said she felt safe in
til late in the evening. the Meditation Centre and thanked me. I
left her alone and told her that if she felt
Monday 3 April she needed to talk, I’d be there. Later, she
Today, I experienced something that I started talking to a Muslim woman who
will never forget, although I am unable came to the centre to pray. She continued
to write down any of the details. It was to cry and kept thanking me for my atten-
an extremely intense moment of spiri- tion and the water I had given her. She’s
tual clarity, a wonderful experience and now sitting with me, but she’s not saying
a perfect encounter. I am immensely much. She’s stopped crying and is on her
happy that this happened. way to Geneva.

Monday 1 May Last year, the group was reinforced by
Quiet upon arrival, no one around. After two new volunteers: Maghalie Treffers-
half an hour or so, a priest from the Scot- Haas and Marian van Amsterdam. They
tish Church arrived and asked me to pray combine their voluntary work with regu-
with him for his wife, who is seriously ill. lar jobs, a challenge that they both say
He was on his way to see her in Uganda works well for them. They are already fully
(he was also Ugandan). So we prayed up to speed with their new roles and we
together, which was a great comfort to are very happy with our new, friendly col-
him. He then had to dash, as boarding leagues.
was at 09:50. It was a great experience!

Tuesday 16 May
I looked around the corner and saw two
young Muslim men talking to a Jewish
man who had just finished praying.
The Jewish man was explaining how he
prays and the Muslims were explaining

15

The old and the new Meditation Centre

Four years ago, our former and much- and grateful to have excellent-quality
loved Meditation Centre was demolis- facilities once more, which create an
hed to make way for the construction even better haven for meditation. We
of the new transfer security filter and do everything we can to connect people
the renovation of Departure Lounge with each other and with their source of
2. The works of art by Jan Murk de personal inspiration, whoever or whate-
Vries were packed away and put into ver that may be. All are welcome to visit
storage, and the key to the closet with or use the centre.
vestments for passing priests was re-
moved from the KLM Lounge until Over the past year, our visitors have been
further notice. We moved to a small extremely positive about the facilities in
temporary area in Pier F. Upon comple- Pier F, with many saying how pleasantly
tion of Departure Lounge 2 and Rijks- surprising it is that Schiphol has a sepa-
museum Schiphol, we hoped that we rate space for meditation and prayer.
would be next. We were very happy Every day, Schiphol’s management, the
when construction work on the new volunteers and the chaplains receive a
Meditation Centre finally started in great deal of thanks from visitors to the
September 2017. Meditation Centre, as can be seen from
our visitor’s book.
We won’t be forgetting our last Christ-
mas in our temporary centre near F-2 Quotes from the visitor’s book:
any time soon. The Corporate Affairs
content team had posted a notice for
our Christmas celebration on Facebook
together with a beautiful photo, the in-
formation desk had made a general an-
nouncement and the Royal Netherlands
Marechaussee had sent two trumpeters.
As a result, our little centre was bursting
at the seams on Christmas Eve!

The construction of the new Medita-
tion Centre in Departure Lounge 2 was
successful. Project manager Andreas de
Rooij held extensive consultations with
the parties involved, including our ac-
count manager, Meinou Kutsch Lojen-
ga. Gerard Timmermans was the point
of contact for the chaplains. Enthusiasm
was growing among all parties involved
as a new jewel in Schiphol’s crown was
carefully crafted.

The new centre makes our work much
more enjoyable, and the more we talked
about it around the terminal, the more
support we received. We are very happy

16

Users of our centre and interested par- other people. Anyone who wants to be
ties realise that we are doing something alone can seek refuge behind one of the
very special here. Spending time with pillars, which were added to the centre
people of different religions and with for this purpose. As a result, the new
different belief systems in an oasis of Meditation Centre offers even more op-
peace and quiet at the airport is an ex- portunities for tranquillity than the old
perience that our visitors never forget. one.
At our centre, there’s absolutely no divi-
sion between the separate faiths, which The opening of our new Meditation
frequently gets our visitors thinking. We Centre was a source of inspiration and
seek connection and mutual respect, enthusiasm. It’s a fresh start and we’re
which often sparks compelling conver- all brimming with ideas that help us to
sations about the ordinary and extraor- see ourselves and our services from a
dinary things that inspire people. new perspective. One of the things we
wanted for the new centre is a contem-
Exceptions plation wall. This will be a special place
In addition to praise, people also make where people can light a candle for sup-
requests in the visitors’ book. We grant port, in someone’s memory or to seek
their wishes whenever possible. Ho- solace.
wever, if we receive any requests that
differentiate between certain types of The kindling of light has always been a
people or groups, then we explain that symbolic action throughout the world.
this is against the ethos of the Medita- The centre is open day and night to any-
tion Centre, or we simply ignore it. The one who wants to use it.
new centre also has no separate rooms
where you can avoid seeing or hearing

17

Always available, always enthusiastic

2017 was a year of new beginnings. The Airport Chaplaincy moved into a new office
and preparing to move to a new Meditation Centre, and we introduced a new opera-
ting model on 3 April, with new structures, positions and faces. In addition, the Passen-
ger Flow Manager and the Airport Control Coordinator are your new points of contact.
This will mean a period of reacquaintance for both our departments, and in some cases,
people will be meeting each other for the very first time.

There’s no easy answer to the question of how we can optimally boost the positive im-
pact, but with you, the positive impact and mutual appreciation is always clear to see.

As the growing passenger volume directly corresponds with the growing number of
requests for assistance, your presence at the airport – and hence awareness of the Air-
port Chaplaincy – will continue to increase among all parties involved, including among
Schiphol staff. The increasing complexity of everybody’s processes means that central
coordination via fixed lines of communication is becoming increasingly important. It
would be interesting to examine whether new structures and/or opportunities could
further boost the chaplaincy’s impact.

On behalf of all Schiphol staff, I would like to thank you sincerely for your 24/7 availabi-
lity and the enthusiasm with which you provide help and support to anyone who needs
it.

Xander Hana
Flow Manager Passengers and team

Who contacts us?

Request statistics

The chaplains ensure they are opti- mary of the reasons for the requests and
mally accessible to passengers and therefore sheds some light on the chan-
employees of the various airlines. We ge in the number of requests.
constantly walk around Schiphol both
individually and in teams. At least
twice a day, we go to the Meditation
Centre for a chat with a volunteer or
a visitor.

In addition to informal chats in the ter- Figure 2
minal, we also provide help and support
on request. In 2017, we received a total In line with the increase in passenger
of 311 requests, the majority of which numbers, we once again see an increase
were requests to help passengers stran- in the number of requests for assistance.
ded at Schiphol. The Control Centre is This means that the Royal Netherlands
the first line of the request process, as Marechaussee and the airport staff con-
this is where the requests are submitted. tinue to call on us when somebody is in
The staff of the Control Centre then de- need. The decline is mainly evident in
cide whether or not to call the Airport the number of reunions and promotio-
Chaplaincy, which is often done in con- nal/PR requests. The declining number
sultation with the Flow Manager Pas- of reunions has been a continuous trend
sengers– the highest operational mana- over the past few years. The requests
ger in the terminal. The Control Centre to reunite family members at a time of
receives requests on our behalf from all sadness in a separate location are usu-
over Schiphol, as well as from external ally made via the insurance companies’
locations. emergency centres.

Figure 1 Requests continue to come in from the
four major emergency centres, but there
Figure 1 shows that the number of re- is a suspicion that awareness of the cha-
quests has declined slightly compared plaincy and the services we provide has
to 2016, a trend for which no simple declined among the staff of the emer-
explanation exists. After all, the number gency centres. All of the families that we
of passengers travelling to, from or via assisted at the request of the emergency
Schiphol has never been so high as last centres were positive about the assis-
year (68.5 million). Figure 2 gives a sum- tance we provided at Schiphol, as evi-
denced by the many e-mails, messages
and flowers that we received as thanks
for our support. We have noticed that
airlines sometimes approach us them-
selves, and every now and then, we hear
at a later date that the emergency cen-
tre coordinated the repatriation.

19

Schiphol’s anniversary year of 2016 re- tics show that we assisted at least 113
sulted in a record number of requests KLM passengers, while other airlines
for interviews. The PR work in 2017 that made substantial use of our assis-
remained higher than in 2015, but the tance included easyJet, Transavia, Delta
100th anniversary of the airport was a Air Lines, Emirates and Singapore Air-
unique event and therefore a satisfac- lines. Figure 4 shows an overview of the
tory explanation for the peak in 2016. airlines we assist. The statistics match
our expectations. KLM is one of our
most important partners, but we could
make efforts to increase awareness of
the chaplaincy among a number of
other airlines. To do this, we will appro-
ach the umbrella organisations of con-
sultative bodies representing airlines at
Schiphol (SAOC and Barin) and provide
information about our services.

Figure 3

As you can see from Figure 3, the origin Figure 4
of the requests displays little fluctuation
over the years. There has been a slight The Airport Chaplaincy is not the only
decline in the number of calls from the institution providing assistance at the
Control Centre to the chaplaincy, which airport. The Salvation Army has been an
could be explained by the decline in the important partner to Schiphol for a long
number of promotional requests. The time and we regularly refer passengers
assistance provided by the Meditation to each other. Since 2015, Schiphol So-
Centre has increased once again, and cial Work (landside) has focused on as-
although the number of direct requests sisting confused individuals and people
from external locations has declined with psychiatric issues and guiding them
slightly, this is probably due to people to an appropriate care process. We refer
submitting their requests to the Con- passengers to both of these institutions,
trol Centre instead. The main conclu- as the expertise they possess and the
sion is that we have to continually boost mental healthcare network to which
awareness of the assistance services we they have access ensures the aforemen-
provide. ‘I wish we’d known about you tioned target group is provided with op-
before’ is a statement we hear from pas- timal care.
sengers too often.
This is the first time we’ve created an
overview of the airlines with which we
work in order to assist vulnerable or
stranded passengers. Last year’s statis-

20

Finally, one statistic that is particularly The requests are the core of our work
noticeable is that the average time and it is good that the necessary hours
spent per request was 4.3 hours. Some are being spent on this duty. We are stri-
requests took a short time, while others ving to maintain or further expand upon
took a day or more. Over the years the this level of assistance.
average amount has varied around 4
hours. Since 2008, the maximum annual
average has been 5 hours, with a mini-
mum of 3.4. Last year had a somewhat
higher average as well as a relatively
high number of requests, meaning the
number of hours spent responding to
requests has never been as high (see Fi-
gure 5). This does not yet say anything
about the workload as a whole.

Figure 5

The morgue at Schiphol

21

Escaping the hustle and bustle

Last year, it was once again busier at Schiphol than the year before, with the airport
welcoming 68.5 million passengers in 2017. With the exception of a few days during
the May holiday, Schiphol managed to successfully guide these substantial passenger
numbers through our facilities.

However, raw statistics such as these do not reflect the experiences of passengers in-
dividually. They don’t say anything about the man or woman, who has to make his or
her way through a relatively unknown terrain. Nor do they reflect on the passenger’s
perception, motivation and thought processes while doing so. Not all passengers are
able to manage on their own. They may need assistance. Alternatively, they may need
somewhere to escape the hustle and bustle, relax and find their balance again.

These passengers can always turn to the Airport Chaplaincy. We offer a place for quiet
contemplation, as well as the knowledge and expertise to help any passengers who
need assistance. And judging from the large number of requests for assistance received
by the chaplaincy in 2017, there are clearly plenty of people that need it.

Schiphol is proud of the Airport Chaplaincy. The professionals and the many volunteers
are an indispensable part of the ‘city’ of Schiphol and this oasis of tranquillity is an in-
tegral part of the airport. Schiphol Group would therefore like to express its sincerest
thanks to all of the staff of the Airport Chaplaincy for their tireless efforts

André van den Berg
Chief Commercial Officer
Royal Schiphol Group

22

Four emergencies in 2017

We regularly witness major events, In September, the Royal Netherlands
often with global consequences, that Marechaussee approached us on se-
affect the lives of the people who veral occasions to assist evacuated re-
cross our paths. For example, in Janu- sidents of Sint Maarten. The hurricane
ary 2017, President Trump’s entry ban had rendered them homeless and they
affected a number of passengers at had been told they could fly to the Ne-
Schiphol. Many were unable to com- therlands for aid. The stories they told
plete their journey to the United States and the photos they showed confirmed
and some could not even return to all of the horrific details and images we
their country of origin. Some of them had seen on TV and in the newspapers.
had waited years to obtain an entry One mother with a baby and an older
visa so they could visit their children son was particularly distraught. Her son
and grandchildren, while others were was a pillar of strength for her and kept
going to work in hospitals or conduct his baby sister entertained whenever
scientific research. The Airport Cha- things got too much for the mother. In
plaincy supported the affected passen- consultation with the Salvation Army,
gers by providing basic facilities and Schiphol Social Work and the municipal
offering them a save place in which and central government, we organised
they could consult their lawyers. accommodation for the evacuees and
entrusted them into the care of others.
In addition to the repercussions of poli- Our area of operation is limited to the
tical developments, we also had to deal airport, but no one ever leaves the air-
with two flights that suffered technical port without a plan or a roof over their
difficulties. The first case involved defec- head.
tive landing gear, while the second was
a charter flight that was forced to make A fourth disaster requiring our assis-
a precautionary landing at Schiphol, me- tance involved a group of Dutch citizens
aning passengers were unable to reach who were robbed while abroad – an ex-
their destination and tried desperately tremely shocking and traumatic experi-
to get home to England. In both cases, ence. Upon request by the Dutch Auto-
the chaplaincy was asked to come to mobile Association (ANWB) emergency
the emergency reception area in Pier G. centre, we prepared and assisted their
In collaboration with the airport’s Floor arrival, passage and departure from
Management department and emer- start to finish. The collaboration with
gency team, the unfortunate passengers both the ANWB and the various units
were given the assistance they needed. within Schiphol was extraordinary, ena-
Once the initial shock of the event and bling the group to return to the Nether-
relief at its outcome wear off, passengers lands in peace, fully protected against
in such situations have an urgent and unwanted media intrusion.
substantial need for information. Our
role is to be there for the passengers, to
listen to what they are going through,
sometimes to mediate for them and to
pass on any questions to the relevant
parties.

23

Financial statements for 2017

1. Introduction Church in the Netherlands. The finan-
The SOLS (Schiphol Airport Chaplaincy cial accounts of these three foundations
Support Foundation) hereby gives ac- can be found on the PBO pages of their
count for its financial-management websites.
activities over the past year. This
overview accounts for SOLS’s balance 1.2 SOLS
sheet (transactions), revenue and ex- All revenue and expenditure relating
penditure, as well as providing expla- to the direct duties of the chaplaincy
nation thereof. (board members, chaplains and volun-
teers) at Schiphol are managed by SOLS.
1.1 SOLS and the three participa- To cover these expenses, we received a
ting foundations contribution of €32,300 from the Schip-
The chaplaincy activities conducted at hol Group in 2017. The Schiphol Group
the airport are the responsibility of the also contributed funds of €7,100 to co-
chaplains, who have an employment re- ver the parking costs of our chaplains
lationship with one of the participating and volunteers. In addition, Royal
foundations. Therefore, the staff costs Schiphol Group also bore the accom-
are paid by these three foundations. For modation costs for the Meditation Cen-
this purpose, they received a total con- tre and office space. An agreement with
tribution of €125,800 from Royal Schip- Royal Schiphol Group has been in place
hol Group via SOLS. The three founda- since 1 January 2016. This agreement is
tions supplement this contribution with valid for three years with the option to
other donations from ecclesiastical bo- extend it twice, each time by a period
dies and other funds. In this regard, do- of one year. A long-term contract is of
nations are made by the Roman Catho- vital importance to the foundation, as
lic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, the it secures the continuity of our activities
Protestant Church in the Netherlands, at the airport.
the Remonstrant Church, the General
Conference Mennonite Church, Christ
Church Amsterdam and the Old Catholic

24

2. Explanatory notes on the Operating expenditure for the chaplains
2017 operating result was also lower than expected, as they
2.1 Revenue submitted fewer claims for travel ex-
In addition to the aforementioned penses than was budgeted for, and in
contributions made by Royal Schip- 2017, only one chaplain attended the
hol Group, we also received a total of IACAC conference. Organisational and
€9,046 in collections and donations (fo- administrative costs were also lower
recast: €4,700). This is an increase of ne- than expected, although due to circum-
arly 28%(!) compared to 2016 (€7,072). stances over the past few years, we can
In particular, revenue from collections conclude that the forecast in the multi-
in the Meditation Centre has increased year budget has been systematically too
substantially. high (€2,712 on average for the past
three years, forecast for 2017: €4,080,
However, our total revenue from inte- actual costs in 2017: €2,630).
rest was €246, which was considerably
less than forecast (€1,150) due to the 2.2.2 Parking costs
low interest rates and the transfer of the In accordance with the budget for 2017,
staff-costs reserve to the participating we received €7,100 for parking costs
foundations in 2015. from Schiphol and claimed €5,549. We
therefore came in under budget by
2.2 Expenditure €1,551. The main reason for this is that
2.2.1 Tangible costs: the volunteers made greater use of pu-
In 2017, €27,962 was spent on direct blic transport and fewer parking per-
tangible costs relating to our duties at mits were therefore required.
the airport (2016: €32,292, forecast for
2017: €32,761). For this purpose, we re- 2.2.3 Contribution to the provision
ceived a contribution of €32,300 from for the Meditation Centre
the Schiphol Group. One notable aspect opening ceremony
with regard to the expenditure items is The new Meditation Centre was expec-
that the costs of providing assistance ted to be completed in 2017, but due
were substantially higher than forecast, to a change in the schedule will now be
as was also the case in the previous re- delivered in Q1 of 2018, and the official
porting year (forecast for 2017: €8,585, opening will take place on 5 April 2018.
actual costs in 2017: €10,161). Compa- The expected expenditure for the ope-
red to several years ago, the number ning ceremony will therefore be carried
of instances of assistance has increased as a provision for the year 2018.
and the need for funding has increased
on average. Another noteworthy aspect 2.3 Result
is that expenditure on volunteers has Thanks to a combination of increased
been substantially lower than both ac- revenue from collections and donati-
tual expenditure in 2016 and the expen- ons and decreased expenditure for a
diture forecast for 2017 (actual costs in number of tangible costs and parking
2016: €8,874, forecast for 2017: €8,671, costs for volunteers, we have realised a
actual costs in 2017: €6,230). The main surplus of €9,164. This amount will be
reason for this is that two volunteers added to the general reserve, taking it
who live further away from Schiphol to a total of €28,140.
on average have left their posts and
therefore are no longer claiming travel
expenses.

25

3. Our financial statements

Below are our financial statements plus balance sheet and operating result for 2016
and 2017 (in euros, with figures rounded to the nearest whole number):

Balance as of 31 December

Debit/Assets Credit/Liabilities

Year 2016 2017 Year 2016 2017

Chaplaincy 4.161 2.501 General reserve 18.378 26.742

bank funds

Chaplaincy cash 600 372 Provision for the

Meditation Centre

opening ceremony 0 3.919

SOLS bank funds 15.715 30.686 Accounts payable 2.098 2.898

Total 20.476 33.559 Total 20.476 33.559

Operating result

Revenue

Description Result in 2016 Result in 2017 Result in 2017

Contributions from Schiphol

-for staff costs 123.160 125.800 125.800

-for tangible costs 31.935 32.300 32.300

-for volunteer parking costs 7.000 7.100 7.100

Collections and donations for 7.072 9.046 4.700

the Meditation Centre

Interest and other income 832 246 1.150
169.999
Total revenue 174.492 171.050

26

Expenditure

Description Result in 2016 Result in 2017 Result in 2017

Payment of staff-costs 123.160 125.800 125.800

contributions to foundations

SOLS tangible costs:

-volunteer costs 8.874 6.230 8.671

-chaplaincy operating costs 5.498 5.609 7.141

-entertainment/PR 374 2.661 3.264

-Meditation Centre 1.290 2.069 1.020

-organisation and administration 3.375 2.630 4.080

-assistance costs 12.881 10.161 8.585

SOLS administrative costs 0,00 1.500 1.500

Volunteer parking costs 6.334 5.549 7.070

Miscellaneous 0 598 0

Contribution to the provision 0,00 3.919 3.919

for the Meditation Centre

opening ceremony

Total revenue 161.786 166.726 171.050

Description Result in 2016 Result in 2017 Result in 2017

Total revenue 169.999 174.492 1 71.050

Total expenditure -/- 161.786 166.726 171.050

Operating result surplus + / deficit - + 8.213 +7.766 0

Allocation of

operating result to reserves 2016 2017
8.213 + 7.766+
Surplus + / deficit - 299 - 0 -
7 .914 - 7.766-
Allocation to staff-costs reserve 0 0

Allocation to general reserve

On balance

Drawn up by the treasurers,
Lano Jansen

Han Warning

27

Attention and emotion

Schiphol is a world unto itself, with an eclectic melting pot of tens of thousands of
people passing through our airport on a daily basis. The non-stop, ever-growing flow
of passengers travel for all kinds of reasons, such as work, holiday or visiting friends and
family. These trips are sometimes for fun, sometimes serious and sometimes urgent,
and every passenger travels with a unique combination of emotions. People are com-
municating more and more via social media, which makes it very difficult to see, feel or
realise these emotions. Furthermore, the immense passenger volumes make it difficult
for us to pay attention to individual passengers who may need extra attention. Thank-
fully, we can always call upon the Airport Chaplaincy.

Marieke, Gerard and Mark’s assistance is extremely valuable to us, as they can provide
the attention, assistance and guidance that these people need.
We can call on them practically at any time, which is always a comforting thought, and
thanks to their warm and sincere professionalism, we can rest assured that the passen-
gers are in safe hands.

We would like to extend our warmest thanks for our extremely pleasant collaboration,
which we hope to continue into the new year and beyond,

Duty Managers Passenger Services of KLM

28

Personnel Members of the RKLHP
(Roman Catholic Airport Chaplaincy Foundation)
Volunteers in 2017:
Jos Traudes (chair)
Marian van Amsterdam Ton Overgaag (secretary)
Anneke de Blieck Lano Jansen (treasurer)
Dethmer Boels Mieke Blankers-Kasbergen
Ton Brinkman Steven van Weede (advisory member on behalf of
Deirdre Burk (until May) the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam)
Dineke Cohen
Peter Daas Members of the OCAAM
Eva Dalmulder (Old Catholic and Anglican Airport Ministry)
Annemarie Fakkeldij
Jan Hemink Dave Thomas (chair, as of July)
Fransje Hoogendoorn-van Schaik Corinne de Klerk
Ton de Kleijn Jaap Wijker (chair,until April)
Harriët Kroon (until October) Alex Blok (secretary)
Elly van Kuijk-Spaans Iwan Tensen (treasurer)
Gerrit Medema Cees Borst
Hans van de Pieterman Benjamin Arthur
Anita Plasmeijer
Petra Ringenaldus-Burgerhout Board members of the SOLS (Schiphol Airport
Nico Schoorl Chaplaincy Support Foundation)
Stieneke van Stam
Maghalie Treffers-Haas Flip Poort (chair)
Toos Verkuijl-de Nie Jan Blankert (secretary)
John Visser Han Warning (treasurer)
Ati de Zeeuw-Kroesbergen Marja van Gaalen-van Veen
Jans de Zeeuw-van Rees (until December) (representative of the SPLS in the Protestant
Church in the Netherlands classis in Hoofddorp)
Team members: Gloria-Jeanne de Meijer
(representative of the Remonstrant Church)
Acting Chaplains Joop Albers and Arida van Oudenallen
Mark Hafkenscheid, (representative of the General Conference
Old Catholic Church/Anglican Church Mennonite Church)
Father Gerard Timmermans, SMA,
Roman Catholic Church Website:
Reverend Marieke Meiring-Snijder, SOLS: www.luchthavenpastoraat.nl
Protestant Church in the Netherlands

Board members of the SPLS (Schiphol Protestant
Airport Chaplaincy Foundation)

Flip Poort (chair) 29
Jos Traudes
Corinne de Klerk
Dave Thomas (as of July)
Jan Blankert (first secretary)
Ton Overgaag (second secretary)
Lano Jansen (first treasurer)
Han Warning (second treasurer)
Cees Borst

Stockholm Arlanda Airport 2017

In 2017, the international organisation of airport
chaplaincies celebrated its 50th anniversary in
Sweden. To mark the occasion, airport chaplains
travelled from multiple continents to meet each
other.
The commemorative book Facing the Future
explains how the organisation came about and
discusses the challenges airport chaplaincies will
face in the future.
The conferences take place every year. In 2014, the
IACAC conference was held at Schiphol.
IACAC stands for the International Association of
Civil Airport Chaplains. The affiliated chaplaincies
either provide professionals, meditation centres or
– as is the case at Schiphol – both.
In 2018, the conference will be held in Charlotte in
the United States.

The Tree of Life, decorated with gift wishes
from every airport chaplaincy represented in

Stockholm.

30

‘Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the
barriers within yourself that you have
built against it’

Rumi

31