128 million euros per year to improve the quality of life in North Drenthe and Groningen: it is a lot of money that the ‘gas extraction region’ can use for a generation. But what will happen to it?
The latter measure was announced last autumn, but money has now actually been made available for it. Every year, 36 million euros are available to give children in North Drenthe and Groningen more school lessons.
Under the heading ‘Time for the Future’, schools in the entire area will receive at least two extra ‘development hours’. Schools in villages where there are greater learning gaps can receive up to six extra hours.
In addition, the Nij Begun courses catch the eye. Every year, 500 of these jobs must be created for residents who are at a distance from the labor market.
Developing these jobs costs 10 million euros every year. Housing associations and welfare organizations, among others, work together to make workplaces available.
Quartermaster Nijboer strives to spend all funds allocated for the social agenda in the area. Residents will also have a say over part of that money, for example by coming up with their own initiatives. Ideas that benefit sports and culture, for example, can be financed from a special fund for residents’ initiatives. 6.5 million euros has been allocated annually for this purpose.
In addition, almost 10 million euros is available annually for ‘community workers, youth workers, neighborhood sports coaches and culture coaches’. “We are working with them on a shared task: forming and strengthening communities of residents and strengthening their own control over life and the environment,” the text reads.
In addition to the social agenda, an economic agenda is being worked on. Jakob Klompien is its quartermaster. The starting point here is to strengthen ‘broad prosperity’, including the entrepreneurial climate in the region.
The economic agenda will be presented in early March.