What is Own Your Spot?
Own Your Spot is the youth programme of the municipality of Leeuwarden, giving young people the space to come up with, shape and run their own places and activities (Spots). Submit your idea!
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What is Own Your Spot?
Own Your Spot is the youth programme of the municipality of Leeuwarden. Young people aged 12 to 27 get the chance to come up with their own ideas for activities, events and meeting places in the city, neighbourhoods and villages — and make them happen. We call these Spots.
But Own Your Spot is about more than creating new places and activities. We want to give young people more ownership and influence over their own environment.
By getting to work themselves, young people also get the chance to meet new people, discover their talents and learn new skills, such as working together, organising, making choices or managing a budget. We work according to Code Young: young people take the lead and get support where needed. This way, new Spots appear across the municipality — and we build a Leeuwarden where young people are more connected to each other and their surroundings, get room to grow and experience that their ideas matter.
But Own Your Spot is about more than creating new places and activities. We want to give young people more ownership and influence over their own environment.
By getting to work themselves, young people also get the chance to meet new people, discover their talents and learn new skills, such as working together, organising, making choices or managing a budget. We work according to Code Young: young people take the lead and get support where needed. This way, new Spots appear across the municipality — and we build a Leeuwarden where young people are more connected to each other and their surroundings, get room to grow and experience that their ideas matter.
From European Youth Capital to Own Your Spot
Own Your Spot builds on the municipality of Leeuwarden's bid to become European Youth Capital 2028. In 2024 and 2025, young people, organisations and the municipality worked together on plans for a city and villages where young people get more space and influence.
At the heart of this journey was the idea that young people should help decide about Leeuwarden. The conversations and activities brought up many ideas, wishes and needs. Young people said, among other things, that they miss places and activities to meet each other.
In the end, Leeuwarden did not become European Youth Capital 2028, but we did not want the ideas and energy from the journey to go to waste. That is why we are continuing with Own Your Spot. This way we build on what started during European Youth Capital: giving young people more ownership and making sure their ideas actually become visible in Leeuwarden.
At the heart of this journey was the idea that young people should help decide about Leeuwarden. The conversations and activities brought up many ideas, wishes and needs. Young people said, among other things, that they miss places and activities to meet each other.
In the end, Leeuwarden did not become European Youth Capital 2028, but we did not want the ideas and energy from the journey to go to waste. That is why we are continuing with Own Your Spot. This way we build on what started during European Youth Capital: giving young people more ownership and making sure their ideas actually become visible in Leeuwarden.
