NEIGHBOURHOOD APPROACH

In the neighbourhood, you see what works straight away.

The policy is there. The budget is there. And still that one resident stays at home, two streets away. The last step to taking part is the hardest, because it's slightly different for everyone.

That's where we come in. In the neighbourhood, alongside your neighbourhood team, your community coaches and the people who know the area. Not a programme, but one concrete barrier that we remove. A bike. A course. Workwear. Sorted quickly, without setting a precedent and without a waiting list.

And we record everything. Per resident, per neighbourhood, per theme: what the barrier was, what we did, what it delivered. So you see exactly what works in your neighbourhood, and where your next euro is best spent.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HEROES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Activation starts in the street itself

SO YOU CAN KEEP GOING

That someone can move on and doesn't need me any more.

"I'm happy when a resident says: I can do it myself now, I don't need you any more. It's the greatest gift, that someone can move on and doesn't need me any more."

A Buurtbaan (neighbourhood job) is a temporary job for two years. Every Buurtbaan comes with a coach who helps shape a personal development plan. There's also a budget for training. Phlip uses Everyday Heroes to top up that budget with things like a laptop or a certification. Things that aren't lofty at all, but are stumbling blocks to moving on.

"I appreciate the tailored approach and the pace. Things get solved fast. And that's good, because it's exactly those 'small inconveniences' that can suddenly get very complicated. And so the paid Buurtbaan also offers prospects for development. People can move on. To regular work. To a business of their own.

It's wonderful to see residents here start believing in themselves again thanks to a Buurtbaan. I'm happy when a resident says: 'I can do it myself now, I don't need you any more'."

Apply now

Phlip Korthals Altes | Director, Sociaal Artistieke Projecten Metafoor | Project lead, Buurtbaan programme Amsterdam

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