Our excursions fit well within this theme. Everyone likes to hear how a former colleague is doing. Obviously you chat about the good old days too. A joint outing is also an exchange of what we have experienced in recent times. This regularly leads to a spontaneous "I'll help you out".

The Care and Welfare working group focuses on the human side. This is often done by providing information on topics from everyday life. The meetings are usually well to very well attended and in many cases lead to conversations that deepen the topic.

For many, retirement seems a bit more distant from everyday concerns. Still, everyone would like their pension to remain up to par and preferably grow in line with inflation. The members of the Pensions Working Group put their heart and soul into this, even if it does not always prove easy. 

The History Working Group looks back at the past, as its name suggests. How did TNO fare, and how did we fare? This often produces moments of recognition along the lines of "Oh yes, that's how it was back then" or just a "Hey, I didn't know that". It highlights that we formed a kind of TNO family together – a family in which we looked out for each other.

Our association is organised regionally, largely along the lines of the former TNO branches. The regions (West, Central and East) organise numerous activities. And here too, meeting and chatting is an important motive.

Our membership magazine is obviously an important connector with stories of the present and the past.
Actually, you can say that looking out for each other has always been in our blood and it is still alive and well within the eTNOs association.

Talking about money worries is still a taboo subject. Often there is a great sense of shame in sharing these concerns with others. Unable to make ends meet at the end of the month, constantly being in the red; having money worries can happen to anyone. Even when you manage money well, events can disrupt your finances significantly. Think about divorce, death, job loss, informal care or problems with your children. Worrying, insomnia and uncertainty are often the result. Fortunately, something can be done about this, because a future without money worries provides room to be able to function better again.

Big or small money worries; try to stay in control. If you can't, don't hesitate to ask for help. Debt usually starts small, but can quickly become a big problem if you don't do anything about it.

You can also ask for help to eliminate a negative bank balance. This way, you will quickly be able to pay your monthly fixed expenses on time again. The Social Personnel Fund (SPF) is there to work with you to find a structural solution. The threshold is kept as low as possible. E-mail us at spf@tno.nl if you need help.

The Social Personnel Fund looks mainly at what they can do for you. Every situation is different. Debts/arrears can be taken over with an interest-free loan with an appropriate repayment schedule. The SPF provides guidance itself or engages the expertise of a budget coach if needed.

Even if there are no financial concerns, the SPF can provide help for social reasons. Sometimes, due to illness or an accumulation of unpleasant events, people are walking on eggshells for a long time. Depending on the situation, there are several ways to take a break for a while. Gifts are provided in these situations.
 

The SPF is independent and can therefore ensure confidentiality. We do not provide information to third parties without your consent. That includes the pensionfund.

​​​​​​​E-mail us at spf@tno.nl

The list of deceased pensioners is longer this time. The July 2025 special edition of Life & Pension did not include a list of deceased pensioners. 

The death of a loved one is a profound event. If you are coping with the loss of a loved one, Rouwinformatie (grief support) can help.