Volunteering and sports
Leisure time and volunteering work are primarily the responsibility of the local authorities in the Netherlands. The way young people spend their leisure time has changed dramatically over the past decades. One important change is that where in earlier times many leisure time activities took place in public places – in the street or on the sports field – and often involved other people, today leisure time activities are far more individual in nature. As a result, social-cultural facilities and volunteer youth work have suffered a decline in interest.
Another change is that young people have less leisure time than ten years ago – in other words, time that does not have to be spent on compulsory activities such as homework, school and household tasks. On average, school-age children have about 40 hours a week of leisure time. It is becoming increasingly common to spend this time away from the family. Compared to 2000, the hours of leisure time seem to be increasing again.