Children and young people with immigrant background do not have spare-time activities in the same degree as Danish children and young people do. This often means that especially the boys hang out in neighbourhoods, malls etc. and might vandalise or commit petty crime. Often these groups dominate the public space in deprived areas, which can be a contributing factor in driving out other resident groups from the public spaces.

The Boys of Tranen' is a drop-in centre for boys between 10 and 18 years old, primarily with immigrant background. Its main purpose is to prevent the boys of 'doing nothing'. The activities of the centre are video nights, homework café, soccer tournaments and camps, and in 2004 around 90 regular users were connected to the centre. The purpose is primarily to activate the boys to avoid that they get bored and hang out in the neighbourhood and perhaps commit crime. In this way the project contributes to decreased in crime in the area, while activating the boys and giving them 'healthy' hobbies.

The idea behind the project is that by creating spare-time offers based on the wishes of the target group one can reach a residual group of young people -often with immigrant background- which is not included in traditional spare-time activities. The young people's involvement builds solely on voluntary activity. 'The Boys of Tranen' is an autonomous organisation, which is supported by the state, but has its own rules.

Boys between 10 and 18 years old, primarily with immigrant background.

There are around 90 regular users of the drop-in centre (2004) and this number is still increasing. The activities have been expanded to include a camp and homework café. It is difficult to measure the effect of the drop-in centre on the crime level of the area, but at least it ensures that the boys do not commit crime while they are in the drop-in centre.

The project benefits both the young people, who get a meaningful spare-time, and the crime decreasing effects also benefit the neighbourhood in general.

The project is based on voluntary, municipal and state resources (Kvarterløft, area-based regeneration programme).

The project has a total budget of 510,000 Danish kroner financed within the frames of 'Kvarterløft' (an urban area-based regeneration programme) and the municipality of Brøndby has granted 183,000 D.kr. after 2003 to the employment of project-staff.

Secretariat of 'Kvarterløft' in Brøndby Strand
Denmark
Pia Blådal, tel. 0045 43 28 20 95

01/06/2002

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Young people