Social Point
Everybody has potential, but not everybody is given the opportunity to develop that potential. The bank is working hard to promote equal opportunities, using its ‘banking for better, for generations to come’ purpose as a compass. One of the ways we do this is through the ABN AMRO Social Point programme, which sees colleagues work to address local issues.
What is Social Point?
Thanks to Social Point, we can use our knowledge, experience and resources in the areas of financial resilience and entrepreneurship to help people who have fewer opportunities in society move forward. We focus on three main themes: financial resilience, entrepreneurship and life skills.
ABN AMRO colleagues provide both online and in-person job interview training, financial workshops and other courses aimed at developing skills. This includes courses designed to increase people’s chances of getting a job, advice from budget coaches and support with debt. Social Point also helps entrepreneurs to start and develop their businesses.
How these initiatives and courses are organised
We design the programmes for the various Social Point cities to match the needs of the local community. We actively stay in touch with residents and local social workers so that we know what’s needed and are aware of the social challenges that may make things difficult. This cooperation is essential, as it enables us to continuously develop new solutions that are truly geared to the most pressing needs of the community at any given time.
Social point Amsterdam
Social Point Amsterdam Zuidoost is a social impact programme that focuses on making an impact in Amsterdam Zuidoost. We are also affiliated with the Master Plan Zuidoost through the Social Point programme.
ABN AMRO has been a ‘resident’ of Zuidoost since 1985. Our offices on Foppingadreef are currently undergoing sustainable renovation work, and once this is finished, we’ll move a major part of our organisation to Amsterdam Zuidoost,
We want to become part of the local community wherever possible. One of the things we’ve done is to allocate space in our new building for use by local partners. Together with them, we’ll provide programmes for local people, such as courses in skills development and entrepreneurship.
We will also help to create equal opportunities in Amsterdam Zuidoost by working together with various local partners and providing internships and training places, so that young people can develop their potential.
Find out more
Covenant between ABN AMRO and Amsterdam-Zuidoost
ABN AMRO and Amsterdam-Zuidoost go back a long way. ABN AMRO has been a ‘resident’ of Amsterdam-Zuidoost since 1985, and will return to the neighbourhood after its offices on Foppingadreef have been renovated. The new building will provide a physical space for Social Point, where programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting equal opportunities will be created together with local partners and residents. Amsterdam Zuidoost was the first place where Social Point launched, in 2021. This was part of the Zuidoost Master Plan and the underlying partnership covenant.
History of Amsterdam-Zuidoost and Social Point
ABN AMRO and Amsterdam-Zuidoost go back a long way. ABN AMRO has been a ‘resident’ of Amsterdam-Zuidoost since 1985, and will return to the neighbourhood after its offices on Foppingadreef have been renovated. The new building will provide a physical space for Social Point, where programmes and initiatives aimed at promoting equal opportunities will be created together with local partners and residents. Amsterdam Zuidoost was the first place where Social Point launched, in 2021. This was part of the Zuidoost Master Plan and the underlying partnership covenant.
Why a covenant?
Zuidoost is a dynamic district, bursting with diversity and entrepreneurship. The residents are creative, enterprising and proud to live here. At the same time, Zuidoost is not devoid of social, economic and societal challenges. Many of the local young people grow up in poverty and have significantly fewer opportunities than youngsters growing up elsewhere in Amsterdam.
But these are not the only challenges Zuidoost is facing. A lot of the residents don’t feel safe. And many of them don’t feel heard, seen or understood. The office area around Bijlmer ArenA station generates big money, while the surrounding neighbourhoods are among the poorest in the city.
The contrast and distance between the business world and the local community is vast. We’re a bank with a social mission, and we’re committed to creating equal opportunities, which is why ABN AMRO has joined the covenant.
In an effort to promote equal opportunities, the City of Amsterdam, residents, businesses, educational institutions, the Ministry of the Interior, the Police and various social organisations, have united in the ZO=Zuidoost alliance to devise and implement a strategy for the next 20 years: the Zuidoost Master Plan. The hope is that by 2040, young people in Zuidoost will have the same opportunities as youngsters elsewhere.
Our contribution has been laid down in the covenant, which specifies activities that we and the partners will undertake in order to achieve these goals. This partnership fits in with the both the Zuidoost district’s ambitions and ABN AMRO’s purpose of ‘Banking for better, for generations to come’.
Contents of the covenant
The partner covenant sets out the concrete agreements that form our long-term contribution to the Zuidoost Master Plan. ABN AMRO hopes that these agreements will have a positive impact on the district and its residents.
They are valid until 2040, and in line with the Zuidoost Master Plan. The agreements will be monitored each year, evaluated every three years, and amended or tightened up where necessary.
The results so far
We’ve been able to reach over 500 young people through activities, workshops, training courses and guest lectures at places including the Bindelmeer College, ROC Amsterdam and Stichting Life Skills. Working together with the Ondernemerswinkel and the Toekomstwinkel, we have provided knowledge to help local small businesses.
ABN AMRO and our facility supplier Facilicom have provided placements for several students from Zuidoost. Colleagues have used their knowledge and skills to supervise them, or to help at other foundations in Zuidoost. A network of Zuidoost partners has been created, and local residents are increasingly turning to us for partnerships or to share our knowledge.
Social projects with impact
Our new building will provide a physical space for Social Point. Together with local organisations, the and our colleagues, we are putting our programmes for youngsters and young adults into practice. These include training courses and workshops in the areas of financial resilience, entrepreneurship and life skills. Once the new head office in Amsterdam Zuidoost is completed, the physical Social Point space will provide a place for both entrepreneurs and local residents.
Plans for the future
We are working towards the opening of the new ABN AMRO home base on Foppingadreef, including the physical location of Social Point. In the meantime, we are continuing our impact programmes. New partners and activities join every year, enabling us to reach more youngsters and young adults and help them to grasp opportunities and develop their talent. Take a look at the Social Point page for more information.