Village associations in North Drenthe are pleased with the residents’ budget from the Social Agenda of Nij Begun. Since today, residents can apply for money for ideas that improve the quality of life and social connection in their neighborhood, district or village.
“We knew it was coming and we are very happy about it,” says Piet Wolters of the De Brug village cooperative in Gasselternijveen. “There is a lot of money in the pot, so it won’t run out easily.”
A total of 6 million euros per year will be made available to clear the backlogs in the municipalities of Aa and Hunze, Noordenveld and Tynaarlo, after years of gas extraction. Every idea that meets the conditions will receive 10,000 euros to get it off the ground.
“This is an opportunity that we will certainly take advantage of,” Wolters is certain. De Brug does not organize large events, although it can easily cost a few hundred euros for a meeting with a speaker. “We are therefore constantly looking for subsidies here and there, that is what we live on.”
According to Wolters, it is still unclear what ideas De Brug will come to Nij Begun with, so soon after the announcement of the residents’ budget. What is certain for him is that the scheme works out particularly well for villages like Gasselternijveen. “So I expect that it will be used eagerly.”
This is also the case in Nieuw-Roden, where they mainly want to build on an already existing idea. “We have a self-started initiative with our flowering zone,” says Reina Bouma of Dorpsbelangen Nieuw-Roden. “We are actively working on that. It is a place where residents come together and connect, and that requires a lot of money.”
She is therefore pleased with the arrangement that encourages social activities. “That is very nice, especially to strengthen the connection in the village.”
New ideas to improve the quality of life have not yet been discussed, according to Bouma. “That is not yet on our agenda, but we will think about it further and give substance to it.”
In smaller villages they are also enthusiastic about possible subsidies from the Social Agenda. This also applies to Dorpsbelangen Midlaren, says chairman Hilde van Ree. “It was unclear to us for a long time what this arrangement would look like, so this feels like a surprise. It is very nice that it is now possible.”
The money from Nij Begun can provide a solution for Midlaren to build its own meeting place. There is now a small building near the ice rink, but it is no longer suitable. “We have no water and toilet, so we want to build it again and well insulated, with a stove in it.”
These plans have been running for two years, but with a new financial injection, construction could gain momentum. “We hope to break ground in the short term,” says Van Ree.
Even after that, she expects that Midlaren will not sit still. “We are still very active for such a small village. Next week we will see if we can map out everyone’s wishes and claim the budget.”
