Our research project centres around those working to help young people from diverse backgrounds to feel at home in their communities through the provision of leisure activities. We are interested in who they are, why they provide these spaces, what motivates them to do it and what they and the participants get out of it. More specifically, we explore the role of laagdrempeligheid in all of this, a distinctly Belgian concept which denotes openness and inclusivity. We consider how this concept drives the work of these people, and how its emphasis helps to shape social fabric and encourage a sense of belonging amongst participants. It is possible to summarise our focus into three main research questions:
2) What motivates people in Belgium to become 'organisers' in these organisations?
3) How does laagdrempeligheid drive the work that these organisers are doing?
We then consider some of the challenges being faced by the organisers in the pursuit of laagdrempeligheid, before offering our conclusions and some recommendations for how the organisers might work towards even more open and accessible activities.