Royal Honours 2026

Royal Honor for Ms. L.C.M.J. Braam
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Titia Braam (60) has been volunteering in the Son en Breugel community for many years.

Almost Home: Madelief House

Titia Braam has been involved with the Bijna Thuis Huis, a small-scale hospice for terminally ill patients, since before its official opening in 2013. During the preparatory phase, she served as a volunteer coordinator, working alongside the board and a fellow coordinator to, among other things, furnish the facility and help select the first volunteers. She was also closely involved in drafting the necessary protocols, developing a handbook for volunteers, and creating a Guide for future residents and their loved ones. 
As a coordinator, she was responsible, together with her fellow coordinator, for: the allocation and execution of tasks within the guidelines of the position and taking into account the wishes of the residents; the professional development of the volunteers; monitoring and promoting the quality and effectiveness of care provision; ensuring good coordination of work among volunteers; maintaining contact with families and other care providers; collecting key figures for reporting to the national umbrella organization, VPTZ (the national umbrella organization for volunteer organizations in palliative and terminal Health), the board, and the Advisory Council. She served as a volunteer until December 2022. From December 2022 through October 2024, she also worked as a (part-time) paid staff member. In addition to her coordinating duties, Titia Braam also performed various caregiving tasks.

Health

In addition, Titia Braam has taken on various other healthcare-related activities:

• During the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2022–2023), she administered vaccinations at the Rijnlaan family practice in Son en Breugel to villagers who were unable to get vaccinated at the practice or at a vaccination site.
• Because of her involvement in founding the Bijna Thuis Huis, she is serving as an advisor in the establishment of Domos Soteria, a hospice for young adults, at Strijp-S.
• She is a volunteer with Hartslag.nu. As soon as someone goes into cardiac arrest, a call is made to get to the victim as quickly as possible and administer first aid. This is a 24-hour service.
• She has been caring for her father for many years. Her father has been living with her and her partner since 2005.

SonenBreugelConnects

Titia Braam is a member of the SonenBreugel-TV team and also assists with various other activities organized by SonenBreugelVerbindt, such as the Neighbors’ Days and Sustainability Day. From 2017 through 2021, she worked as a driver for AutoMaatje. In her role as a healthcare advisor at VGZ, she advises SonenBreugelVerbindt on various projects related to zero-line activities.

Dommelhuis and Vestzaktheater

Since 2018, Ms. Braam has been assisting with all activities held at the Dommelhuis and the Vestzaktheater. Her roles include hostess, bartender, supervisor, and first-aid responder.
 

Royal Honor for Mr. D.A. Onnink
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Dick Onnink (69) has been active in numerous organizations, foundations, and associations in and around Son en Breugel since 2008.

National organizations

Since his retirement, Mr. Onnink has been an advocate for people with visual impairments. From 2017 to 2022, he actively contributed to the NESTOR project of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience as a representative of the visually impaired community. This project focuses on the development of a visual brain prosthesis for the blind.
From 2017 to 2021, he was a member and vice-chair of the Readers’ Council. This council serves as the advisory body for the Royal Library and the Foundation for Library Services for Adapted Reading, which supports people with disabilities.
As of June 2024, he has been a member of the Members’ Council of the Eye Association. The Members’ Council represents the members of the Oogvereniging. Half of the Members’ Council represents the patient domain and the other half the participation domain. The council contributes to the development of policy guidelines and monitors the board and the association’s office regarding the implementation of policy.

Son en Breugel

From 2008 to 2016, Mr. Onnink served as a member of the Members’ Council of Rabobank het Groene Woud.
From 2009 to 2012, he was a board member and treasurer of the Onsnet Son en Breugel Cooperative Association. This association represented the interests of its members regarding the broadband network. His duties included helping to draft project plans, preparing annual meetings, drawing up budgets and financial reports, and handling tax and subsidy matters.
From 2010 to 2021, he served as a board member and treasurer (for 4.5 years) of the CDA. He remains an active member of this political party.
From December 2023 to December 2024, he served as a board member of the Son en Breugel Social Domain Advisory Council. His responsibilities included participating in consultations with the Alderman preparing and issuing recommendations Alderman supporting the Inclusivity Working Group.
Since 2019, as a social worker with the Refugee Council (LEV group), he has served as the first point of contact and confidant for refugees. Dick Onnink has helped many refugees with residency status integrate into the Son en Breugel community. From the moment Ukrainian refugees arrived in Son en Breugel, Dick Onnink—together with his wife, Conny Onnink—has been dedicated to helping these people get settled. He assists with arranging basic services and communicating with government agencies. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Onnink have been providing long-term support to a vulnerable family.
 

Royal Honor for Ms. C.J.M. Onnink – van den Broek
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Conny Onnink (69) has been volunteering in the Son en Breugel community for many years.

Protestant church

Conny Onnink has been involved in youth ministry at the Protestant church congregation for 30 years. She started out as a leader in the nursery. She then went on to lead the children’s and youth services.  Since 1985, she has also served as the contact person for church members in the 't Harde Ven neighborhood. She visits sick and elderly members. In addition, she has been an active member of the Cantorij since 1985. She is always ready to offer help and support to the members of the Cantorij. Between 1997 and 2007, she was the driving force behind the annual Shoe Box Campaign in Son en Breugel, in which boxes filled with toys, school supplies, and personal care items were sent to children in vulnerable situations. In addition to all these duties, she performs various odd jobs, including making coffee on Sundays and assisting with activities.

Helping people in need

Since 1999, Ms. Onnink has been assisting a young resident of Son en Breugel, first as a foster parent and later as an informal caregiver.
From the moment Ukrainian refugees arrived in Son en Breugel, Conny Onnink—together with her husband, Dick Onnink—has been dedicated to helping these people get settled. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Onnink have been providing long-term support to a vulnerable family.
 

Royal Honor for Ms. J.H.W. von Reeken-van Dommelen
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Annie von Reeken (79) has been volunteering at the church and various other organizations for many years.

St. Oda Parish

Ms. Von Reeken has been active in the Parish of St. Oda and its predecessor since 1985. From 1985 to 2020, she was a member of the Funeral and Wedding Choir. This choir provides the music for funerals and weddings. Since 1985, she has also been a member and chair of the Parish Choir. Among other things, she organizes the annual festivities and outings, arranges the awards for long-serving members, and plays an important supporting and mediating role. From 2005 to 2020, Annie von Reeken was also a member of the sick call group and visited parishioners who could use some extra attention. From 2006 to the present, she has served as hostess for various activities and festive occasions. From 2007 to 2014, she delivered the parish newsletter. Since 2007, she has been doing the grocery shopping for the church.

Other associations and organizations

Since 2012, Ms. Von Reeken has been a church volunteer at the Berkenstaete residential care facility and the right-hand person of Berkenstaete’s chaplain. Services are held every two weeks, and the church volunteers ensure that everything is prepared and that the residents can attend. She serves as the eyes and ears of the chaplain and handles several coordinating tasks.
From 2020 to 2024, she also served as treasurer of the Heistaete Homeowners’ Association.
In addition, from 1999 to 2003, Annie von Reeken served as a counselor for people with disabilities and the sick during the De Zonnebloem vacation week. She has also been a fundraiser and contact person for the Heart Foundation from 2006 to 2024.

Royal Honor for Ms. S.M.A.G. de Rooij-Claasen
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Ms. Sannie de Rooij-Claasen (83) has been active in the Parish of St. Oda and its predecessor for over 30 years.

St. Oda Parish

Ms. De Rooij has been very active in the parish since 1995. She serves as a lector at services and ensures that the lectors are provided weekly with the readings and intercessions for the respective Sunday. She prepares Mass booklets that allow churchgoers to follow the liturgy. 
She has been appointed as a confidential advisor within the parish. Parishioners can contact her with complaints or reports of inappropriate behavior.
She is a member of the Parish Caritas Organization and helps many people, whether parishioners or not, with financial problems and in finding work or housing. Every year, she puts together Christmas food baskets for families in the community with low incomes. Within the interdenominational diaconal council, she helps Health the annual Health and is a strong advocate Health the “Shoe Buddies” initiative, in which shoe boxes are filled with all sorts of small gifts to surprise children living in poverty.

She mentors new communicants in the Parish of St. Oda. She has also assisted with the preparation program for Confirmation. She is involved in developing the family ministry in the parish. Twice a month, she leads the children’s liturgy, during which young children learn about the theme of the celebration in a way that is appropriate for them. In addition, she helps organize the monthly family afternoon to bring families from the parish together.

In addition, Ms. De Rooij plays a key role in managing and ensuring the availability of the parish office in Son; she also advises the Son en Breugel tower group on the day-to-day operations of this part of the parish and frequently serves as the meeting secretary.
 

Royal Honor for Ms. M.M. Wijns-Ramakers
Appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Margareth Wijns (75) has been volunteering for many years with various organizations and associations in the Son en Breugel community.

Fire Department and Carnival

From 1985 to 2014, Ms. Wijns cleaned the fire station in Son en Breugel every week. Since 1985, she has contributed annually to the construction of the carnival float. She made the costumes and handled the catering. Ms. Wijns is still involved in the construction of the carnival float.
Since 2019, Ms. Wijns has been a co-organizer of the annual Creadag for elementary school students, organized by CV De Krutjesrapers.

Rawazzi, De Zonnebloem, and Archipel

Ms. Wijns has been a member of Rawazzi since 2013 and contributes to the choir in various ways. She provides catering during rehearsals and helps organize the choir’s social events and performances. She also always helps clean up after receptions and social events at De Boerderij.
She has been a hostess at De Zonnebloem since 2015 and a member of its activities committee since 2017. She looks after three guests, whom she visits at home and accompanies to various activities. She also lends a helping hand during the biannual volunteer day.
Since 2016, Margareth Wijns has been a hostess for various activities at the Berkenstaete residential care complex and at the Dommelhuis. At Berkenstaete, she is active in the Doe en Deel team. Every Monday morning, she serves coffee and tea, joins the “Kom eens buurten” activity, and helps prepare and serve lunch. Ms. Wijns also serves as a hostess twice a week during the rikken at the Dommelhuis. She is a regular at the carnival evening at Berkenstaete and helps out at other times as needed.
 

Royal Honor for Mr. C.A.J. van Beukering
, Appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau

Mr. Cees van Beukering (73) has been actively involved in real estate management in a unique and meaningful way since the 1980s. He has fundamentally professionalized real estate management in the Netherlands by focusing on property users rather than on finances or the buildings themselves. He has trained hundreds of real estate managers in this approach.

Real Estate Programs

Mr. Van Beukering served for decades as program director and instructor for post-bachelor’s real estate programs at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (1985–2018) and Euroforum (1990–2012). 
Around 2012, Cees van Beukering created an online platform offering various workshops and courses. This platform evolved into the Vastgoed Business School. As director and instructor (2012–2022), he spearheaded a broad new range of courses that focused on the value real estate can bring to the lives of end-users.  This alternative approach to value has had a significant impact on the quality of real estate in the Netherlands.
Since 2023, he has served as director of the Vastgoed Regie Academie (VRA) and played a key role in its founding. The Vastgoed Regie Academie is an innovative and forward-looking educational organization that offers courses, training programs, and masterclasses in the fields of real estate management, real estate development, and real estate direction.

Professionalization of Real Estate Management 

Cees van Beukering has undertaken various initiatives aimed at professionalizing the sector. For example, he has collaborated with other parties to develop software packages for managing real estate portfolios, particularly those of housing associations. At his initiative, standard values were developed for real estate maintenance activities. 
In 2001, Mr. Van Beukering founded VGME, a registry for real estate managers. This has grown into an influential foundation and now constitutes the largest real estate network in the Netherlands. The VGME meetings are consistently attended by hundreds of real estate professionals each year. Cees van Beukering has held various board positions (unpaid – 2001 to present) and is an honorary member.
Mr. Van Beukering founded the Platform for Economy & Space in 2012. The participants in this platform focus on sustainable business operations, healthcare, housing, facilities management, and mobility. . He played a key role in developing vision sessions, writing position papers, facilitating regional meetings, organizing book cafés, and fostering collaboration between policymakers and entrepreneurs.

Author

Cees van Beukering has written several standard works in the field of real estate. In addition, he has been an author and editor-in-chief of textbooks and course materials for over 20 years.