Beach, sand, and team building during Damen Naval Schiedam office day out

The Damen Naval office in Schiedam is growing, so it was high time for a team-building outing. On 10 May, 31 colleagues drove to Beachclub Natural High on the Brouwersdam beach. There, Office Manager Kelly Weustink had arranged an afternoon of beach activities. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough wind for all the planned activities, but that didn’t spoil the fun,” she says. “People could choose from volleyball, beach games, SUPing or a bow and arrow game. The colleagues had to work well together and got to know each other in a different way.”

Outfitting Engineer Vincent Koster chose Archery Tag: a cross between paintball and dodgeball, but played with a bow and arrow. “It was a fun game that put my archery skills to the test. As the arrows flew through the air, my mask fogged up with sweat and we challenged each other in a fun way.”

According to Technical Specialist Electrical Power and Propulsion Systems Laurens Mourik, things got off to a somewhat fanatical start. “With the beach games relay race, we were tasked with making a big pile of sand. Some colleagues even used their jackets in this battle to carry more sand, all for the win! No prize was handed out but I think these colleagues still took home some souvenirs,” he laughs. “Archery tag was an extra highlight for some; although I’m guessing this was mainly due to the fact that they got to shoot at colleagues.”

The day ended with an enjoyable barbecue where some more colleagues joined in. “Tasty burgers and lively conversations strengthened the bond between us. It was a perfect ending to a successful company day out,” Vincent said. Colleague Laurens concludes: “It was a great moment to get to know colleagues in a different setting.”