1.1 Security of livelihood

Security of livelihood and a stress free life for all Tilburg residents is our goal. We want to transform the municipality into a supportive partner with a simple and accessible support system. Together, we are building a Tilburg where everyone can participate fully.

• Simplify support schemes.

• Create one single point of contact for people facing multiple challenges such as debt, care needs or income issues, inspired by the Mechelen model.

• Increase residents’ freedom of choice.

• Launch a pilot with a basic income.

• Establish a municipal debt purchase fund, following the example of Arnhem, allowing problematic debts to be written off.

• Strengthen and support organisations combating poverty, such as Quiet, the Food Bank and local neighbourhood initiatives.

• Maintain the bicycle and public transport plan for vulnerable groups.

• Add poverty reduction as a policy objective alongside the National Prevention Agreement and embed it in Tilburg’s municipal goals.

1.2 Youth care

• Set a maximum profit margin of 3 percent for youth care organisations.

• Invest in stronger prevention by working more closely with youth workers, schools and care providers.

• Improve accessibility of youth mental health care and youth services. Since three quarters of mental health issues arise before the age of 25, mental health care will be free up to age 25.

• Ensure young people in youth care can remain in their familiar living environment until age 23.

• Invest in neighbourhood based care teams, a single access point for support requests and short communication lines.

1.3 Digital and social inclusion

• We versnellen de inclusieagenda in het kader van het VN-verdrag Handicap.

• We vragen meer input van belangenorganisaties bij de totstandkoming van beleid.

• We blijven inzetten op onze rol als Regenbooggemeente.

• We communiceren met Tilburgers op B1-niveau, en zorgen daarnaast voor gesproken en/of video-varianten voor mensen die niet goed kunnen lezen.

• Gemeentelijke websites met cruciale informatie voor inwoners worden aangeboden in meerdere talen.

• We behouden fysieke loketten voor groepen die digitaal niet of onvoldoende vaardig zijn.

1.4 Health and wellbeing

• Accelerate implementation of the Clean Air Agreement and achieve the targets before 2030. Set ambitious clean air goals beyond the agreement period.

• Ensure the targets of the National Prevention Agreement are met and expand smoke free zones around schools and sports clubs.

• Remove fast food advertising from public spaces. Food choices are personal decisions, but unconscious temptation should not be imposed.

• Improve information and support for informal caregivers, including guidance on legislation and regulations.

• Make it easier to temporarily transfer care responsibilities.

• Social Support Act (Wmo): Care should be based on the autonomy of both residents and professionals. Provide sufficient time and allow care workers and residents to determine together what is needed each day. This approach respects both parties, increases job satisfaction and creates space to identify issues behind the front door. The first kitchen table conversation always takes place in person.

1.5 Asylum policy

• Implement reception in accordance with the national Distribution Act.

• Provide small scale and humane accommodation.

• Engage with residents in advance and address concerns proactively.

• Strengthen social cohesion by supporting newcomers in learning the language and participating in society through education and voluntary or paid work.

1.6 Education

• Promote healthy schools and provide free meals for every child.

• Introduce an additional allowance for secondary school students to cover breakfast.

• Strengthen citizenship and democratic education for all young people, for example by continuing the Youth Advisory Council and youth democracy days.

• Encourage youth participation beyond the local and national level.

• Provide more and better physical education.

• Invest in sustainable learning pathways and reduce school dropout.

• Ensure equal opportunities through stronger oversight of education subsidies.

• Strengthen cooperation between education and the business sector.

• Work with organisations and schools to keep young people away from crime.

1.7 Sport and recreation

• Provide generation friendly exercise equipment in public spaces and promote a healthy lifestyle for all ages.

• Maintain and support elite and mass sporting events such as the Ten Miles, the T Meeting and the G Sport Weekend.

• Offer a varied and attractive sports programme with attention to nature, health and wellbeing.

• Engage new target groups who are currently not active in sport and support their participation in society.

• Stimulate events and activities that motivate these groups to participate.

• Ensure every child in Tilburg can participate in sports through participation schemes and subsidies.

• Make public spaces suitable for safe outdoor sports, including well lit running routes without dangerous crossings and safe outdoor swimming areas such as in the Piushaven.

1.8 Culture and heritage

• Provide affordable spaces for rehearsals and exhibitions.

• Offer workshops and courses for talent development.

• Provide subsidies for cultural activities, particularly for vulnerable groups.

• Cooperate with schools and cultural institutions to make programmes accessible and establish creative hubs for local artists.

• Invest more in access to cultural education and libraries.

• Strengthen local and regional media, including airtime for regional parties.

• Preserve and sustainably use cultural heritage through creative adaptation to contemporary sustainability standards.

• Actively safeguard intangible heritage by supporting dialects, traditional crafts, local customs and cultural events not only in Tilburg, but also in Udenhout, Berkel Enschot and Biezenmortel.

• Support more sporting events and activities that attract visitors from outside Tilburg.