Rouwen & Vieren Deventer

Founded in 2026, Rouwen & Vieren Deventer is a charity based in Deventer, Netherlands working on mental health, community development.

Rouwen & Vieren Deventer is a Dutch foundation, officially established in July 2026, that works to create space for grief, remembrance and connection around loss in the city of Deventer. It is part of the national Rouwen & Vieren movement, which started in Amsterdam in 2021 and has spread to a number of cities. Its first project is the Rouwen & Vieren Kas, a temporary meeting place on the Grote Kerkhof in Deventer, open to all ages from 16 to 27 December 2026, where visitors can light candles, tie ribbons to a memory tree, leave messages in a guestbook or talk with trained volunteers who offer a listening ear. The foundation is run by a volunteer board and core team, relies on volunteers, donations and sponsors, and collects clothing of deceased loved ones through a container at a funeral centre in Deventer, with proceeds going to charity. The foundation states it aims to recognise and normalise grief and loss in society and that it is working towards CBF certification.