Starting in early 2023, @ease will have a new national youth council. The young people from this advisory council will give solicited and unsolicited advice to @ease. They contribute ideas on national issues within @ease, spar with the board about what is and is not working, and propose projects to keep improving @ease. In this way, @ease is for and by young people. The Youth Council consists of young people from various @ease locations in the Netherlands (region South, Central and North). They are also in contact with the local youth councils, so that knowledge can be shared nationwide.
Dion Ras
Dion started volunteering at @ease Maastricht in February 2020. According to Dion, young people know better than anyone else what it is like to grow up in a world full of change. If organizations want to adapt to a rapidly changing world, you need young people. Good cooperation between young people and organizations does require that young people's voices are truly heard-something Dion wants to ensure as a member of the Youth Council.
Wiger Hartstra
Wiger has been volunteering with @ease Groningen since September 2022. He studies psychology and philosophy at the University of Groningen. He is committed to @ease because talking helps, with small and with big things. As a member of the youth council, Wiger wants to help make @ease even more accessible so that as many young people as possible get the chance to talk.
Dieuwertje van Dijk
Dieuwertje started as a volunteer at @ease Maastricht. Meanwhile, she has been working for @ease on a national level for some time. In this she takes on various tasks on an organizational and administrative level. She makes her voice heard on behalf of the young people during the board meetings and is a bridge between the youth council and the board. @ease is for and by young people. It is important that the voices of young people are heard when decisions are made.
Emilie Beemsterboer
Emilie has been a volunteer at @ease Rotterdam since 2022 and site manager since 2023. She is committed to the mental health of young people because she believes that everyone deserves support. Through her work at @ease she hopes to strengthen the resilience in young people and create a community for both the young people who come to @ease and the volunteers who work at @ease.
Rianne Klaassen (co-founder @ease)
"At @ease, we cannot do without the opinions and advice of young people themselves. That's why the @ease youth council is incredibly important. This council includes young volunteers from all over the Netherlands. They think along with @ease and give solicited and unsolicited advice. From the @ease board, I participate in these deliberations. I love being able to do this: the passion of these young people to really make things better is very contagious. As co-founder of @ease, that is exactly what I had in mind when we started. Young people who together and according to their own needs contribute constructively to the development of @ease.”
