YETS Foundation and Oilinvest Join Forces

The YETS Foundation guides young people who need extra support. For example, because they come from an unpleasant environment or are growing up in a neighbourhood with many negative influences. Many projects already exist that aim to give young people a leisure activity to keep them off the streets. However, YETS focuses on behavioural change and the self-reliance of young people. The means is sport and coaching, the basis is structure and love. As a basketball player in the States, YETS founder and director Peter Ottens himself experienced that only sports makes no difference. “It is the coach who challenges you to be better and who is also there for you 24 hours a day, but above all the culture he creates in the team that not only shares goals, but also norms and values,” said Peter. YETS is also working on offering a different context, but then as a positive alternative to the negative environment in which the young people live. In this way, a behavioural change is slowly realized. After two years of research, research agency Mulier Institute concluded that YETS contributes to fewer behavioural problems, fewer school dropouts and less youth crime. The good results have not gone unnoticed. YETS won an Appeltje van Oranje and was visited by Queen Maxima herself, who wanted to see for herself how the YETS approach makes a difference.

As a foundation, YETS adopts an entrepreneurial attitude. Creative cooperation is being sought with companies to make use of each other’s expertise and thus to be less financially dependent on subsidies in order to reduce the pressure on the central budgets. A philosophy that has not gone unnoticed. Oilinvest and YETS Foundation have joined forces. Oilinvest employees are allowed to work for the YETS Foundation during working hours. This collaboration has started with the financial department. Whereas the financial administration of YETS has until now been carried out by a volunteer, this is no longer bearable with the growth. For this reason, the financial team of Oilinvest will take on this task. This enables the professionalization move of YETS Foundation without incurring costs.

“We are certainly honoured with this great collaboration. At Oilinvest there is knowledge and expertise on board that is priceless to us. With the experience of Oilinvest and the knowledge of YETS, we can strengthen our collaboration even more. I am convinced that this collaboration will succeed and will inspire other organizations to do the same.”, Peter Ottens.