Returning 'noaberschap' to Goor? : A research on the social impact of the community centre 't Doesgoor

In 2013 it was announced in the annual King's Speech that the Netherlands would be moving towards becoming a participation society. This entailed that citizens were expected to take responsibility for their own lives and environments and that the government would step back from certain policy areas. As a result numerous social and citizens initiatives were started. This research concerns the social impact of one of these initiatives: the community centre 't Doesgoor in the Netherlands. The social impact of the centre on its participants, volunteers and the social infrastructure of its community was examined. The goals of the centre and those of its municipality, which is an important investor, were ascertained and they were reviewed for alignment. Six social impact dimensions were measured in this research, which are: social interaction, loneliness, self-reliance, neighborhood cohesion, noaberschap and well-being. Additionally the quality of the community centre as a meeting place was measured.