– There are very nice volunteers here – you are always greeted at the door with a smile, says Elin Margaretha Thomassen. Increased electricity and food prices and rising interest rates mean that the economy has become tighter for many. Elin came to Trondheim as a student in the autumn. Here she quickly found the Swedish Community Agency, the activity center run by the Red Cross. – Here you can sit down, do homework, play games and get free food. And it is very nice when, as a student with limited finances, you can come and enjoy a meal with others. The joint agency was established in 2016, and here there are 1,000 participants between the ages of 15 and 25. – It is very important for many who come that they get free, hot food three times a week – and they can take food home with them. That’s what Marita Hoel Fossen, general manager of Trondheim Red Cross, says. Marita Hoel Fossen, general manager of the Trondheim Red Cross, tells of a large influx after people have had increased expenses. Photo: Lena Erikke Hatland / news Great attendance She says that young people from all walks of life come here. At Fellesverket you can take part in various activities, play board games, get help with homework, learn about conflict management or just hang out. – And not least, you get free hot food three times a week, says Fossen. And lately many more have come to them. – We have tripled the number of inquiries related to food. The money is not enough, and more people take food home with them than before. We are also starting to get a number of inquiries related to clothes. There are young people who report that they dread winter because they freeze. Fossen can also say that of the young people who come here, there are now more who come every opening day. This means that many young people are here at least 15 hours a week, every week, which is a change from last year. – Many say that the economy is stretched due to, among other things, high food prices and more expensive rent. The little buffer they had before is gone. It is clear that it has something to do with the young people’s finances. Several of the youngest also come here because their families can no longer afford to pay for leisure activities. – Then there will be a lot of free time, and then it is important to have a place to go where you can be in safe surroundings and have positive social networks, says Fossen. Increase in several places – We are concerned that we are at the start of a social crisis. With such a large price weight over a long period of time, we see that it will be very difficult for many people, says Ingvill Alisøy-Gjerløw, who is unit leader for humanitarian programs at the Red Cross. She points out that they see that it has become particularly difficult for those who had the least before, and that there are greater differences between people when some cannot afford basic needs such as electricity and food. – We see that many people are finding it even tougher financially now. Those who have been in border countries to manage may find it tougher and may not be able to manage themselves. Alisøy-Gjerløw says there are already 115,000 children who are growing up on a persistently low income and believes that free services such as the Federal Agency in Trondheim and elsewhere are a great need in society. – We have started several joint projects this year. We see that there is a need for low-threshold meeting places for young people. Things that cost nothing, she says. Bets The Red Cross leader in Trondheim makes no secret of the fact that Red Cross employees now spend more time taking calls. – There are several people who are in despair and do not know where to turn – because they have not had this type of need before. There are many conversations that are difficult, and many are having a hard time at the moment, says Marita Hoel Fossen. To meet the demand, they take different measures for different offers and age groups. – At Fellesverket, we will try to increase the number of activities for those who come here, she says, and adds that there will also be more on offer on the food front. The participants at Fellesverket describe the offer at Fellesverket as fantastic. Photo: Hannah Solberg-Wåtland / news Next year there will also be even more investment in activities for children younger than 15. – For them, we already have one offer in the city. Next year we will start mapping where it will be appropriate to start free children’s activities elsewhere in Trondheim. The organization has also started a lending center for leisure and sports equipment. – Focusing on sustainability is one thing, but it also lowers the threshold for people to participate in activities, comments Fossen. In these cities you will find the Public Works Agency Bergen Bodø (Public Works under establishment) Drammen Haugesund Kristiansand (Public Works under establishment) Nesodden Oslo (Grorud, Mortensrud, Majorstua and Sentrum) Porsgrunn Sandvika Sandefjord Sarpsborg Skien Stavanger Tromsø Trondheim Tønsberg Ålesund – Also needs a low-threshold offer That the offer at the Public Works is free has a lot to say for, among others, student Elin Margaretha Thommessen. – Personally, I feel that when I went to secondary school and upper secondary school, I had many activities to go to. And then there is something that happens when you finish high school, and are 19-20 years old. Then the offers disappear because you are an adult. You have to stand on your own two feet and start studying, she says and continues: – Everything costs money. But students have limited finances, and they also need low-threshold offers. So I think it’s a shame that there is so much that costs money. Among students too, there is a very big difference in how much you have. Daniel Kristoffersen (24) has been a participant at the Swedish Public Administration for over two years. He has also had work training here. – Everyone who is here cares about each other, he says, who answers yes to questions about whether he notices a greater trend. – I absolutely do. I have been here both during Covid and afterwards. And there has been a long period where there have been few people, but it has picked up. – I think this is a very good environment for young people, says Sina Tajik (20). He came to Norway as an asylum seeker in 2020, and moved to Trondheim in July. Today, he is a participant and works as a volunteer in the kitchen at the Swedish Public Administration. – Here there is a lot of activity and free food. I think it’s very good, and a good meeting place. Marita Hoel Fossen together with participant at Fellesverket, Sina Tajik. Photo: Lena Erikke Hatland / news
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Increase in the use of free leisure activities at the Red Cross in Trondheim – news Trøndelag
