15 July 2024
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Prosperity and well-being belong together
Brainport for Each Other will be an association of social employers. In this way, member companies, educational institutions, governments and social organisations will work together even better on social issues in the Brainport region. In the run-up to the establishment of our association, we are pleased to share that Yvonne van Mierlo is part of our intended executive board. Yvonne knows the social field in both Helmond and Eindhoven particularly well and is therefore happy to connect and represent the social sector on the board. Read more here.
As director of the regional social development company Ergon, I am involved every day in helping people who need support to develop in, through and into work. I know all too well how important work can be for self-esteem, belonging and being missed when you are not there. Based on that commitment, I am also already active in Impact040, one of the initiatives before Brainport for Each Other. From Impact040 we are, among other things, working on a project where employers helped over-50s as buddies to get back to work.
When the plan arose to turn Brainport for Each Other into an association to increase its clout, Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem approached me: whether I wanted to take a seat on the executive board of Brainport for Each Other on behalf of civil society organisations. I was happy to do so, because I am very enthusiastic about the cooperation within our region.
I think civil society organisations can gain a lot from joining Brainport for Each Other. There is a lot of useful knowledge and enthusiasm in companies and governments. When it comes to digitalisation, for instance. You can also get a lot of pleasure from deploying corporate volunteers. In addition, civil society organisations can help companies and governments with their knowledge and expertise. At Ergon, for example, we once started a financial desk to help our own employees get their finances in order. We then shared the knowledge we gained from this with other employers. Financial Fit is now an important part of Brainport for Each Other. As far as I am concerned, this is really an example of the added value we can offer as a social organisation within Brainport for Each Other.
We face a huge challenge in the Brainport region. Economically, things are going like clockwork here, but we see that not everyone benefits from that success. Via the association Brainport voor Elkaar, organisations can help from their own background. With substantive programmes and clout from employee volunteering. By combining forces from business, social organisations, education and government, we can make even more impact and increase our realisation power. Because it is all about doing. Precisely because the participating organisations focus on their own employees. They receive support, for instance to become more financially resilient, but can also help themselves, as corporate volunteers. That is good for society and does wonders for your self-esteem.
I myself want to work as an ambassador for Brainport for Each Other, by spreading the ideas. I actively approach organisations and companies that I think could make a nice contribution to our common goal. Of course, organisations can always sign up as members, everyone is welcome. In addition, as a general board, we will draw up an agenda together in coordination with the programme office: what do we focus on? Which themes matter? Because of course we have to make sure we remain relevant, also in the future.
I hope that our efforts lead to our region being not only economically successful, but also socially inclusive. Prosperity and well-being belong together.