On 22-23 April 2024, the Quality Label’s team of experts visited De Hoge Rielen youth centre in Belgium to evaluate the fulfilment of the 15 quality criteria of the Quality Label for Youth Centres which the centre has been holding since 2020.
The visit provided an opportunity for the expert team to meet with the leadership and staff of the youth centre, in addition to key stakeholders in the Flemish youth field.
The team of experts was welcomed by the Director of the centre, Bert Mellebeek and representatives of ADJ (General Service for Youth Tourism), who provided an overview of recent developments in the Flemish youth field. International cooperation efforts were also discussed with Jan Vanhee, the Flemish member of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and Inge Stuer, member of JINT, the National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth.
Considerable developments have taken place in De Hoge Rielen since the last evaluation visit, including the refurbishment of over 9 buildings, including the main theatre hall, dinning area, lounge, in addition to the central road. The centre plans to further develop their premises with sustainability and accessibility in mind. The education team has also further developed their educational offer, with a special focus on children’s rights.
Following the visit, the Quality Label expert team will propose a recommendation to the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) to prolong the Quality Label for De Hoge Rielen, with the final decision to be taken at the next CDEJ meeting on 21 October 2024.
Expert Team:
- Gordana Berjan, Coordinator of the Quality label for Youth Centre, Youth Department, Council of Europe
- Sarah Walter, Deputy to the Executive Director of the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, Youth Department, Council of Europe
- Florence Mourlon, Independent Expert from the Quality Label Youth Centres’ Pool of Experts
- Dora Csontos, Programme Assistant of the Quality Label for Youth Centres
