With a new bag of money, municipalities in South and East Drenthe want to tackle socio-economic disadvantages over the next four years. 60 million euros will be made available for future projects that should broaden prosperity.
This concerns a deal between the municipalities of Assen, Emmen, Hoogeveen, Coevorden, Borger-Odoorn and the Overijsselse Hardenberg and the provinces of Drenthe and Overijssel with the central government.
Together they cough up an amount of 60 million euros, half of which the government pays. Education, entrepreneurs, housing associations, social organizations and residents are involved in devising new plans.
Fewer children in poverty
The money from the South and East Drenthe Regional Deal mainly goes to healthcare, welfare, housing and the economy. With projects for children, young people, the elderly and entrepreneurs. The aim is to have fewer children grow up in poverty, improve average income and create more employment.
Drenthe also wants the opportunities of the children growing up now to be equal in the future to their peers in the rest of the Netherlands. A project that is already running, called ‘Kansen4Kinderen’, should give children a fair chance at talent development. More than 90 primary schools in Drenthe are currently participating in this project.
Previously 40 million
The South and East Drenthe Regional Deal started four years ago with an amount of 40 million euros. An additional 60 million euros has now been added.
When allocating funds, the central government looks at, among other things, the size, urgency and complexity of the problems in a region, the approach and involvement of other parties.
The central question in the assessment is whether the approach contributes to strengthening the broad prosperity of residents and entrepreneurs in the region in question.