Netherlands

LIFE GOALS FOUNDATION

Life Goals Foundation help vulnerable people at the edges of society integrate through sports. The foundation provides special sports programmes for people who have faced major negative life events.

Under the supervision of specially trained Social Sports Coaches, Life Goals Foundation run sports programmes. By participating in these programmes, players improve conditions across all areas of their lives, such as housing, work, and leisure.

Sports are not only fun, but can be a huge incentive to reconnect with society.

ORGANISATION DETAILS

PARTICIPANTS

Homeless, socially disadvantaged men and women, those affected by substance abuse, victims of domestic violence, and ex-prisoners.

LOCATIONS

30 municipalities across the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Maastricht.

Country statistics

8 out of 189 in Human Development Index rating
(UNDP, 2019)

$51,060 average annual salary (World Bank, 2021)

1 in 3 homeless people are between 18-30

The Netherlands has a population of 17.3 million (as of 2021) with 92.6% of population living in urban areas. 1.1 million people live in the capital city, Amsterdam, with the next biggest city being Rotterdam with a population of 1 million (CIA Factbook, 2020).

Considered the European transportation hub, the Netherlands have the 6th largest economy in the European Union and are the world’s 2nd largest agricultural exporter. With an unemployment rate of 3.14% in 2019, and a youth unemployment (ages 15-24) rate of 9.1%, the Netherlands is increasing their demand for workers and forecasting a further decline in unemployment (CIA Factbook, 2020).

In 2019 there was a total influx of asylum seekers at 29,435, which was a slight decrease from the previous 2 years. This includes 1,046 unaccompanied children. The majority of people came from Syria, Eritrea, and Nigeria (UNHCR, 2020). As of 2020, there were a total of just over 58,000 refugees, coming from Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan (CIA Factbook, 2020).

People who are homeless are often living in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, with the vast majority being male (NL Times, 2021).

As of 2019, of out of the 39,000 people considered homeless, 57% of these were deemed to have a migrant background. 84% of homeless people were men. According to figures from Statistics Netherlands, there are three times more homeless people between the ages of 18 and 30 than in 2009. Researchers say the rise in homelessness is connected to the shortage of affordable housing. (RTL Nieuws, 2019).