3 April 2023

Petra Bosman: ‘Het Jeugdfonds ligt me na aan het hart’

Petra Bosman will be the new director of the Youth Fund for Sports & Culture, effective April 1, 2023. She enjoyed leading the Police Services Center, which manages the operations for police forces throughout the Netherlands, for over 25 years. However, she chose to apply for a position at the Youth Fund. "Sometimes an opportunity comes along that makes you think. The opportunity to lead the Youth Fund is one of those."

Petra: “There is a lot of inequality in the Netherlands, as was recently confirmed in a study by the Central Planning Bureau. To follows the CPB to live in 2024 nearly one million people below the poverty line and this has huge impact on hundreds of thousands of children and young people. Parents may be forced to cut back on their football club, gymnastics or dance lessons for their children. That makes our work only more relevant because the Youth Fund can keep sports and culture accessible and make them accessible for children.” 

Children learn a lot at the club

A policewoman as the fund's new director. That doesn't seem very obvious. "It is," laughs Petra. "But if you think about it a bit longer, there are definitely parallels with my current position. I'm more aware of the contradictions in society than anyone else. A defining moment for me was in the late 1990s when the then-chairman of the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) during a visit to the police force calculated how many children are on the football field on Wednesday afternoons. And that when those children are on the field, they're not somewhere else. They're at their club where, in addition to their sport, they learn all sorts of things about behavior and what it means to be a team player. That's when the seed was planted in me of how important it is for children to belong and develop, instead of being bored or hanging around in places that might not be appropriate."

Anchoring in society

Another parallel between Petra's current and new roles is that the Police Services Center where she worked also works in and for police forces nationwide. Just as the national office for funds and children works nationwide. Does she think she'll benefit from that experience? "Numerically, I'm giving up 65,000 colleagues for 65,000 children," says Petra. "But of course, it goes much further than that. The Police Services Center makes good police work possible. We handle everything: from IT to housing. It's a facilitating role. That's also the role the national office plays in relation to the funds nationwide. The local funds simply know best what's going on in their own area, just like the police. That local anchoring in society is so important—close by, where it's happening!"

Super relevant

Sports and culture are important for children. Yet, we often see the emphasis primarily on sports. How does Petra see this? "A child should be able to pursue their passion, whether it's making music or playing football. Developing yourself by doing something you enjoy is incredibly important. Introducing children to theater or music costs money. Families in our target group are therefore less likely to encounter these activities than children on a local pitch. Moreover, the cultural landscape is fragmented; there are no federations like in sports. That makes things more complicated, and we need to look at that carefully."

I was given the opportunity at home and was always encouraged to play sports and piano. Theater visits were also a regular part of the program. The same applies to our sons; one plays soccer at a high level, the other in a friends' team. It doesn't matter. It's about fun, exercise, and participation. Now that they're almost adults, they take on different roles at the soccer club. One coaches the little ones, the other fills the club's coffers. Club life, that community involvement, is so important.

Serving and facilitating

Are there any things on Petra's to-do list that she wants to tackle first as director of the Youth Fund? "I mainly want to start by getting to know everyone and listening carefully to them, both at the national office and with the coordinators and boards across the country. I consider myself a servant and facilitating leader. I give people space and see where I can add value."

What puzzles me is the gap between the Youth Fund's financial position and the group of children it could potentially help. How can we reach these children with a realistic ambition? What strikes me is that there are so many players on the same social playing field, all with the same goal: helping children. How can we strengthen each other without feeling like we're competing? I find that a fascinating question. Ultimately, it's about working together to ensure that all children can participate. The Youth Fund is truly an organization close to my heart. I'm really looking forward to working with it. I'm so excited!