Sint-Lievens-Houtem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Reflex youth centre in Sint-Lievens-Houtem, led by Chairman Jaron Verbraekel, is closing its doors and cancelling its annual Youth Festival due to a volunteer shortage. Alderman Arno Ponnet urges youth support to sustain programs.
As VRT News reported, the Reflex youth centre in Sint-Lievens-Houtem, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, is closing and will not hold its Youth Festival this year. The festival normally marks the start of the school year and attracts teenagers and young adults for music, games, and community activities.
Chairman Jaron Verbraekel said the centre does not have enough volunteers to organise the event.
“With the team we have now, we are just managing to keep our regular Friday evening programs running,”
he said.
“Organising a large event like the Youth Festival is not possible.”
What causes Sint-Lievens-Houtem’s Reflex Youth Centre to cancel the festival?
The lack of volunteers also affects the centre’s weekly activities. The centre is asking residents and local supporters to help. Alderman Arno Ponnet (Nieuw Houter) said this is a clear warning.
“If no new, committed young people emerge, not only is the Youth Festival at risk of disappearing, but the youth centre itself might have to close its doors. We can’t let that happen,”
he said.
Alderman Ponnet said the help of enthusiastic youth is essential to keep the centre running.
“We’re also going to put our heads together as a municipal council to see what we can do,”
he added.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn, make lifelong friends, and help organise events,”
explains Jaron.
“We really need a new generation.”
The Reflex Youth Festival in Sint-Lievens-Houtem has been organised for more than 25 years, every year. It came into existence in the mid-1990s as a small get-together for local adolescents, including music, games, and other activities, and grew into an important, large-scale event for the area’s youth and young adults.
In 2005, organised workshops and performances were added. In 2010, outdoor activities were expanded, and in 2015, a volunteer program was introduced to involve more youth in running the event.
