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.

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’.

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.

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.

Our new building will provide a physical space for Social Point. Together with local organisations, the Zuidoost Alliance 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.

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.