Closure of Therapeutic Pool in Willebroek Sparks Disappointment Among Users
The Het Dolfijntje therapeutic pool in Willebroek will close on November 1, 2025, after over 30 years of operation, due to escalating repair costs, reports 24brussels.
Families, schools, and care organizations have expressed profound disappointment over the closure. Rita Van der Spiegel from vzw De Kompanie in Mortsel, which provides care for young adults with disabilities, stated, “We were really shocked.”
Van der Spiegel emphasized the lack of similar facilities in the area, noting that while some travel to the Gielsbos in Gierle, it poses significant challenges for residents. “There’s no similar initiative in this region. We sometimes go to the Gielsbos in Gierle, but that’s a long drive for our residents,” she added.
Impact of Closure on Local Community
Local officials acknowledge that for many individuals with disabilities, swimming in warm water is a vital component of therapy, alleviating pain and improving mobility. The absence of Het Dolfijntje complicates the search for suitable alternatives nearby. Local organizations are now urging the municipality and regional authorities to devise a new solution.
The closure has also raised significant concerns at the Groenlaar Special Education Primary School in Reet, which frequently utilized the therapeutic pool for students with physical and motor disabilities. Teachers and therapists are currently searching for alternative facilities, but options are scarce.
Guy Apers, chairman of the organization, remarked, “The news has come as a complete shock,” and he acknowledged the financial challenges leading to this decision. “I didn’t expect it, but it’s understandable because the costs are extremely high. It’s not good news; we were moved to tears.”
The therapeutic pool, which opened more than 33 years ago, has provided critical services to individuals with severe motor disabilities throughout the region. Although it faced temporary closures in the past, notably in 2015, it was able to reopen shortly after.
Concerns regarding the pool’s future resurfaced in 2017, prompting a public petition that garnered over 7,000 signatures, later exceeding 20,000 in 2018. In response, the Flemish government granted annual financial support of approximately €132,000 to sustain operations.
However, recent inspections in early 2025 uncovered serious structural issues, including leaks and concrete damage, which deemed the repairs financially unfeasible. Consequently, the operator has been forced to close the pool permanently, marking the end of decades of essential therapeutic and community services reliant on its warm-water treatments.
