News item | 13-01-2026 | 4:55 PM
This year, even more residents of Groningen and North Drenthe will receive help with stress, poverty and social problems, among other things. More children receive help through their school with practical matters, such as a bicycle or glasses, if there is no money for this at home. Twice as many young people can also participate in Route Rubicon. Through this route, young people who have dropped out of school can still obtain an MBO 2 diploma.
These initiatives are part of the Social Agenda of Nij Begun which was established last year. The government releases 100 million euros for this every year for 30 years. Today, State Secretary Eddie van Marum (Recovery of Groningen) and Minister Mariëlle Paul (Social Affairs and Employment) informed the House of Representatives about the progress of the Social Agenda.
First projects started
The first projects started after the summer. For example, money went to extra cultural, sporting and musical activities at schools. Attention was also paid to digital literacy and Gronings and Drents (Low Saxon).
Two examples of these projects are Route Rubicon and the Youth Education Fund.
- Route Rubicon reduces early school leaving. Young people who have dropped out of regular education for various reasons are given the opportunity to obtain an MBO 2 diploma. With the expansion from the Social Agenda, there is now room for approximately 120 students. That’s double what it was.
- The Youth Education Fund helps children with practical matters, such as a bicycle or glasses. The fund also helps children to participate in activities, such as a school trip, sports or culture. From September 2025, fifty additional schools in Groningen and North Drenthe were affiliated with the Youth Education Fund. In 2026, one hundred children from groups 2 will be screened for language delays and helped to catch up.
Continue working on mental well-being
The Social Agenda team is committed to launching even more measures in the coming months. Special attention is paid to mental well-being. Various programs will be launched for young people to strengthen their resilience. In addition, Prescription wellness extensive. This allows people with non-medical problems (for example due to stress, poverty or social problems) to visit a GP. They are then referred to a well-being coach.
Extension of Henk Nijboer’s assignment
The Social Agenda is implemented under the leadership of Henk Nijboer, who has been quartermaster since December 2023. His assignment will be extended by one year. He will focus on the further implementation, safeguarding and anchoring of the Social Agenda. This is done in collaboration with the region and the national government.
Part of the assignment is to develop the organizational structure, in which coherence with the Economic Agenda is explicitly sought. From 2027, there will be a stable, compact implementation organization that contributes to increasing broad prosperity in Groningen and North Drenthe.