€10,000 Raised for a Meeting Space for Ukrainian Youth in Zoetermeer

Thanks to a highly successful fundraising quiz night, Rotary Clubs Zoetermeer and Voorburg-Vliet raised an impressive €10,000 on 31 March for the research project “Creating a Place for and with Ukrainian Youth” led by the Research Group on Urban Social Development at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. More than twenty teams from across the region participated in the event, with all proceeds going directly to support the project. 

From Quiz Night to Youth Meeting Space 

As part of the project, researchers are working together with Ukrainian young people and students from The Hague University of Applied Sciences and TU Delft to create welcoming meeting spaces for youth living in accommodation centres for displaced Ukrainians. Following the successful development of an earlier meeting space in The Hague, work can now begin on creating a new space for young people in Zoetermeer. 

The funds raised through the quiz will be used to organize workshops with young residents at the accommodation centre and to cover material costs for developing an inviting outdoor space. The aim is to create a place where young people can meet, take part in activities, and relax. 

Researchers and colleagues from the Centre of Expertise Governance of Urban Transitions also participated in the quiz evening to support the initiative. At the end of the event, project leader Marianne van Bochove and accommodation centre manager Marouane Mohcine accepted the €10,000 cheque on behalf of the project. 

Working Together to Create Meaningful Places 

The project “Creating a Place for and with Ukrainian Youth” is based on principles of participatory design and co-creation. Ukrainian young people themselves play an active role in shaping the meeting space, working alongside researchers and students to determine what the space should look like and what activities it should offer. 

At the heart of the research is the question of how collaboratively designing and improving the physical environment of accommodation centres can contribute to social connectedness, well-being, and a sense of ownership among young people. The project forms part of the university-wide research theme Just Society. 

Strong Regional Collaboration 

The project brings together researchers and students from several institutions: 

Research Group Urban Social Development 

• Marianne van Bochove  
• Stefanie Schuddebeurs  
• Stephan van Berkel  
• Anastasiia Navaliana  
• Kenan Bayrak  
• Arjan Hoeblal  

Built Environment 

• Jeffrey Marulanda  
• Damian Dekker  

TU Delft 

• Sofia Souvatzoglou  

Rotary Club Zoetermeer and Rotary Club Voorburg-Vliet also play a crucial role in making this initiative possible through their support and fundraising efforts. 

The Hague University of Applied Sciences would like to thank all participants, partners, and supporters for their contribution to this special project. 

For more information about the project and the earlier meeting space in The Hague, see the previous news article about the Ukrainian young people who created their own meeting place.