Because of her work in childcare and as a volunteer in community center De Meent, the Amstelveen Esseline Ernst (48) has a lot of affinity with young people. She has been fighting for a youth center in Middenhoven or Waardhuizen for years, but so far without success. That is why she is now taking a different approach: a fundraising campaign.
Noise nuisance in the middle of the night, litter on the street and recently a trampoline on fire: the Middenhoven and Waardhuizen districts have been suffering from nuisance lately, presumably caused by (hanging) young people.
Esseline, who lives in Waardhuizen herself, has been committed to the youth of the neighborhoods with heart and soul for years and calls herself ‘mother superior of the youth’ with a wink. According to her, young people cause nuisance because there is little or nothing for them to do in Amstelveen. “If young people have nowhere to chill, do you think it’s crazy that they hang out on the street?”
‘stopped’
She thinks the lack of meeting places and activities for young people between the ages of 13 and 23 is a particular problem. “A lot was done at De Meent for the youngest, but when I tried to organize something for the older youth, it was stopped,” she says.
The 18-year-old Miranda from Waardhuizen recognizes the picture that Esseline paints: “In Amstelveen, young people do not have a designated place, so we often go to chill in a park or playground. But we are almost always sent away with the text: ‘This place is for little kids.”
As a result, Miranda doesn’t know where to go with her friends, because hanging out at home is not always possible: “We can’t really stand in front of someone’s door. Often we just walk around in circles.”
sea containers
There are some meeting places for young people in the municipality, but according to Esseline these are not attractive enough or insufficient. “That container wall, for example, is not used. And that equipment on which they can play their own music was, of course, stolen in no time.”
She actually thinks that every neighborhood in Amstelveen deserves a neighborhood center. But because you have to start somewhere, she is currently aiming for Middenhoven or Waardhuizen. And she’s been doing that for years. “We have tried it with the municipality, but if it says ‘no’, I will just look for other ways,” she explains combatively why she has now started a fundraising campaign.
Nuisance
In recent weeks, a lot of nuisance from loitering youth has been experienced in the Middenhoven and Waardhuizen districts. After a round in the neighborhood, several local residents around the De Praam playground say they are bothered by noise pollution: “I lie awake from loud music until 030 am, they often kick balls hard against the fence.” The police and the municipality confirm that local residents are complaining about this.
It happened again last Friday. Then a brand new wheelchair accessible trampoline went to the Praam up in flames† The trampoline was arranged by Samantha, mother of the limited Jayden† In front of the NH Nieuws camera, Jayden said the vandalism makes him ‘sad and grumpy’.
The municipality of Amstelveen says it regrets the inconvenience and is keeping a close eye on the situation in the two neighborhoods together with the police. Certain places receive extra attention from police colleagues, such as the Middenhoven shopping center. In addition, the community police officer has regular contact with the youth in the district. Municipal enforcement officers and youth workers also pay extra attention to it.
According to the police, the nuisance peak is related to the summer period. Good weather and the late sunset make it attractive for both young people and groups that experience nuisance to spend (long) time outside. According to Esseline, the problem lies deeper and a structural facility such as a youth center could tackle the nuisance.
It should then not become an ordinary hangout, but a center with several rooms in which young people can, for example, play table tennis or tinker with scooters. Supervisors are also necessary, says Esseline, but supervisors with whom the young people can ‘let their eggs go’. “And if necessary, security guards, but it must remain fun.”
“In the end, the centers only appealed to a very limited group of young people”
Her fundraiser has been online since this week. According to her, the fact that it has not yet been donated is because she has barely publicized it yet. And whether a target amount of one million is realistic? “It’s a guideline, because I might have to buy a piece of land.” She therefore hopes that local residents will realize that there really should be a center now, ‘where young people can chill, grow, flourish and develop’.
Last youth center
Amstelveen has had youth centers in the past. earlier local broadcaster turned up ON! in the history of the different centers. For Middenhoven and Waardhuizen, this community center was Het Galjoen. The Galleon was closed about ten years ago. Because one group was in charge, the place became unattractive to other groups. According to the municipality, the hangout no longer contributed to the development of youth.
Esseline believes that the negative experiences with previous youth centers need not stand in the way of the arrival of a new centre. “The previous centers were closed due to a few bad apples. The municipality should not lump everyone together. By simply not offering community centers, the problems of young people are not solved, but hidden away. The community center I have in mind is not a hangout, but really a place where young people can develop.”
Esseline has presented her idea to the municipality before, but has failed every time so far. Alderman Berkhout previously told the AAN! editorial team that the youth centers were not functioning properly and that he therefore does not intend to invest in a new one: “The centers ultimately only appealed to a very limited group of young people. So we have other choices there. made in. Helping many more ambulant young people on the street.”
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Like the alderman, residents of the playground on the Praam – where the trampoline burned down – doubt whether a youth center would help. “Do you really think they will go there if they can sit outside unaccompanied?” says a local resident.
The 18-year-old Miranda thinks otherwise. “As long as the adults present treat us equally, and don’t play teacher or security guard, I wouldn’t be bothered by their presence.”
“Young people don’t want to be spoken to in an authoritarian way, that doesn’t work”
According to Esseline, this brings Miranda to the core of the fight against youth nuisance. “Young people don’t want to be spoken to in an authoritarian way, that doesn’t work. In previous community centers things got out of hand as a result. In my community center I want to create an equal, safe atmosphere.”
The municipality now says that it is mainly focusing on organizing youth work through the schools. In the new coalition agreement, the municipality says it will make support and resources available to ensure that young people have enough to do. “We are currently working with subsidized sports associations, in which neighborhood sports coaches and youth work are important,” said alderman Frank Berkhout.
Future Face
This collaboration is of great importance, Jashin Baroud agrees. He is founder of youth organization Future Face and guides young people in discovering their interests and finding their place in society. Organizing events, making (video) podcasts and talking to each other a lot: several rooms in the Platform C building serve as the basis for Future Face’s activities.
“I used to visit the Galleon often,” says Jashin, who is now 38 years old. “And the whole story started on the Praamplein in Waardhuizen, where I grew up.” The youth counselor has positive memories of the community center. Although he no longer belonged to the target group, he was sorry that the hangout was closed. According to him, this was partly due to the decentralization of youth care. “The entire landscape changed due to the decentralization of youth care, and youth work also looked different as a result.”
nomads
He is not against the plan for a youth center, but Jashin is critical of Esseline’s plans. Mainly because he wonders whether she has given enough thought ‘about the context, the risks and the follow-up process’. “Such a youth center also has to be maintained, and ultimately youth counselors and partners – so we – are responsible for the organization, so you saddle the municipality and partners with extra work.”
He argues that today’s youth certainly needs a permanent place, but to a lesser extent than previous generations. “The youth of this time are a kind of nomads and less tied to a fixed location.” In addition to the spaces in the Stadshart and through the activities of Future Face, he hopes to soon reach young people with a youth bus with which he travels into the neighbourhoods.
“Because we want to represent all young people, you need champions”
The bus will be used for information purposes, but can also be used as a meeting place for workshops or to have young people produce music and video clips within a day and under supervision.
Jashin emphasizes that he thinks it is better to join forces and pool ideas. “To prevent a proliferation of initiatives. We know our young people in Amstelveen, have conducted countless studies and are actively involved in all institutions and schools from which we get our data.”
Anonymity
Esseline knows Future Face, but states that the concept is not what she envisions. According to her, this has partly to do with the lack of anonymity at the organization, but according to Jashin, young people can also remain completely anonymous at Future Face.
“The ones you see are not anonymous,” Jashin acknowledges. “But we have a lot of young people who can’t be found in the foreground or on social media. There are plenty of young people here who have been referred by Youth Work Amstelveen or vice versa, all anonymous. But because we want to represent all young people, you need champions , and they do not remain anonymous.”
“It would be fantastic if the municipality made an old building available”
Esseline believes it is very important that all young people can share their problems anonymously. “That they can walk into someone’s house during a consultation hour in a youth center, for example.”
Esseline has also already thought about a place for the youth center: for example on the Punter. “It is close to public transport and not directly in a residential area,” she says about the vacant lot.
Million euros
Esseline especially hopes that ‘people with a heart for young people will join’. In this way she hopes to build up a small organization and attract the attention of the municipality. “The municipality must ultimately give permission. It would be great if the municipality made an old building available, which already makes a huge difference in costs.”
Until then, she hopes the municipality will talk to her. Frank Berkhout says that the municipality is always open to a discussion with the initiator. And a simple solution for youth nuisance at De Praam? “Just lower the bushes around the square. Then they are less hidden,” said a local resident.