Twenty Years of Black & White Community
What an extraordinary journey we have traveled! Twenty years ago we began our adventurous journey in de Inslag, a location in Breda with a large hall on top of former bowling alleys. That place was our starting point, where we passionately taught our first classes. I still remember how happy we were when we were able to enroll the first members, now exactly 20 years ago.
Back then, our halls were completely different from what we are used to now. Sometimes we even shared the space with a salsa school, so the room had to be changed again and again to accommodate other activities. And the venue where we were located had squash courts and a cozy bar where smoking was still allowed in those days and where the necessary beers and bitterballen were also served. A completely different environment that did not really fit our vision. Not to mention the compact spinning room, filled with bikes between which you could barely move. But this did not stop us from persevering and even though it was not all perfect our offer was very diverse; we taught a range of classes such as Body Pump, Hi Lo 2 Funk, Body Shape, Gogo Dance and Spinning. Trends such as Zumba and Thai Bo we embraced and added to our class schedule. The hectic nature of those early days, where we ran the front desk ourselves, meant quickly running from class to class or quickly changing a shirt and standing behind the front desk with a smile. It was busy but well worth it because that's where we laid the foundation for what Black & White represents today.
We began primarily with sports classes and gradually expanded to include more and more yoga and pilates. The morning classes started small, sometimes with only one or two people, but grew steadily. And on Saturday afternoons after teaching the morning classes, we would go into the neighborhoods ourselves to do flyering. And because we were teaching so many classes, we were regularly knocked out on the couch in the afternoon or so tired that we almost fell asleep during a relaxation at the end of class.
Thirteen years ago we took a big step by moving to this building. We entered an empty warehouse, but for Marcel it was immediately clear what it should look like. He started the renovation, I was pregnant with our 4th son and you can imagine that we had a full schedule to keep everything running. But the result was our amazing and beautiful dream club. The new club allowed us to express our vision even better.
Over the years we have formed a great team, with some instructors who have been with us almost from the beginning. The dedication of the team has made Black & White what it is today. 'Passion for Healthy Living' has always been and will always be our slogan. Our mission is to inspire people to live a positive, healthy and conscious life.
Five years ago we started Black & White Kafe to also bring attention to our food vision. It started as a small idea for a coffee bar with healthy salads for lunch. But thanks to the enthusiasm and possibilities we saw, this idea grew into a bigger concept. Marcel went back to remodeling and this project also turned out beautifully. In addition to Kafe with extensive lunch options, we now even have meeting rooms to offer the business market a healthy environment.
For twenty years we have built our club with dedication and passion. We are incredibly grateful for all that we have accomplished. The trust you, our members, have placed in us has inspired and motivated us time and again.
But honestly, the period with corona was not easy. It was without a doubt the most challenging part of our 20-year journey. It was heartbreaking to watch our club almost go under. But thanks to the support of our regular members and our determination, we managed to keep going. And now here we are, with renewed energy and enthusiasm, ready to carry our mission even further and make Breda healthier. We have big plans and are busy giving them shape. With your input and our entrepreneurial drive, we are eager to take new steps and launch this in 2024.
Our goal is to serve our current members even better and welcome new members. Together we want to create an environment where everyone feels at home and inspired to live a positive, healthy and conscious life. We believe we can really make a difference with the atmosphere we have created, the professional training we offer and our personal approach.
We want to thank you, our amazing community, for all you have contributed to our journey. Together we have lived twenty years full of passion, dedication and health. Let us take this anniversary celebration as an opportunity to look back on the wonderful time we have experienced and look forward with enthusiasm to what the future holds for us.
Love & Peace,
Babs
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