‘BuurtPensioen-Pens(i)onsQuartier’ fosters exchanges of neighborhood services in Belgium

Buurtpension / Pens(i)onsQuartier seeks to bring into contact older persons and persons with a disability in need of some assistance – e.g. for shopping, for a lift or for some emotional support – with persons willing to help others in their neighborhoods. The service is based on reciprocity: participants commit to bringing mutual assistance and someone seeking some help at one moment may provide some at a later stage.

Initiated by the Kenniscentrum Woonzorg Brussel and launched in 2013, the project is now involving 70 participants in Brussels. 40% of the requests for assistance relates to visits, 18% to transport and 15% to shopping support.

The initiative was awarded the ‘Trophée du Mérite Social’ from Brussels city in September 2015, an award which recognizes innovating social projects supporting independent living and social interaction in old age. Buurtpension / Pens(i)onsQuartier was also granted a prize for promoting intergenerational solidarity and social cohesion during the 4^th meeting of the French-speaking network of the Age-friendly Cities on 10 November 2016.

Read more in French in this pdf document

And here in Dutch

Watch a video presenting Buurtpension / Pens(i)onsQuartier here:

In French: https://vimeo.com/182362262

In Dutch: https://vimeo.com/159811024