The building of The Saloon on the Singelpassage in Assen is emphatically in the picture as a location for a meeting place for young people in Assen. Last week – in the context of the new youth policy in the Drenthe capital – there was a meeting of a group of young people and part of the city council to exchange ideas.
Last week, the initiation memorandum ‘for and by young people’ was also discussed in the council chamber. Youth policy will need to be fleshed out in the near future and a budget of one million euros has been made available for this purpose. Over the past few months, a council working group on ‘young people’ has made an inventory of the wishes of the Asser youth. Various studies have shown that a meeting place in the city is high on the wish list. And The Saloon is a serious option, says Marnix Klaucke. The 19-year-old Assenaar was one of the first to complete the council group’s questionnaire and he will take a seat in the new youth panel, which has short lines of communication with the city council. Laughing: ,,Call me a ‘youth activist’. I like to take the lead when it comes to the interests of young people in Assen.”
Provincial capital unworthy
Because it is clear that something has to be done in Assen to preserve youth, according to Marnix. “There is little or nothing for us to do here. Unworthy of a provincial capital. The result is that young people look elsewhere and yes, they often settle outside Assen. And an ‘aging city’ also has consequences for organizations and companies that focus on young people. They drop out in Assen.”
A meeting place would, says Marnix, be a good basis on which to build on in terms of activities. And the eye fell on The Saloon. “This is all still in its infancy, but we now expect a growth spurt after the discussions with the city council. We want to and have set an ambitious deadline: the doors of the meeting place must be open in 2024. Yes, that’s fast, but otherwise it just takes too long. The ‘youth train’ is finally running, so you have to keep going. If it takes too long, there is a risk that the initiatives, but also the enthusiasm of the young people will bleed to death. And that should not happen.”
Positive
Alderman Bert Jan ten Oever (city center) was also present during the meeting in The Saloon. Marnix: “He responded positively to our proposal, but of course we are not there yet. I also understand that it will cost a lot of money, it is a considerable chunk of the budget. But again: having your own meeting place would be very valuable and if the municipality supports this, other financing options may also emerge.”
The Saloon closed its doors in 2017 after a period of many problems with the municipality and local residents. Marnix knows that history. “If The Saloon becomes a serious option, we want to do so in harmony with the neighborhood and limit nuisance as much as possible.”
Feasible
Jerke Setz, party member on behalf of the ChristenUnie in the Asser city council, is part of the council group ‘young people’. He praises the enthusiasm of young people like Marnix Klaucke, who stand up for their contemporaries in Assen.
Setz: ,,As far as The Saloon is concerned: I would think it would be a nice location as a meeting place for young people, the right atmosphere is present there. But it is still a bit too early to say more about it, first we have to see if it is financially feasible at all. But it shouldn’t take too long and I think it’s important that young people get their own, beautiful place. I will work hard for that and I have tasted that sense of urgency in several council parties. As far as I am concerned, the Municipal Executive should get started on this as soon as possible.”