2025: Off to a good start
Mainline has started the new year well. Despite all the concerning reports about the reduction in our institutional subsidy from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, 2025 is a relatively normal year. In fact, there are a number of inspiring new projects in the pipeline.
The second half of 2024 was a rollercoaster. We were taken by complete surprise by the news of the intended cutbacks in our institutional subsidy from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. In response, we called on the professional field to support us, sought out the media and actively approached politicians. This resulted in overwhelming support for our work and heartwarming reactions. We have been on the NOS news, Het Parool has written a nice piece about us and our fieldwork team has https://www.trouw.nl/binnenland/overheid-trekt-stekker-uit-stichting-mainline-ten-koste-van-daklozen~b8390c25/ shown in Trouw how important our work is. D66 submitted an amendment to make the budget available. This one did not make it.
After all these events, the Mainline team started fresh again after the holidays. The announced cuts will not take effect until 2026. We will be able to carry out our work relatively normally throughout the coming year. And we are looking forward to that. So we are going on the road again throughout the Netherlands to immerse ourselves in the various drug scenes. We will publish four beautiful Mainline magazines this year. Our activities, signaling of new trends and training continue in full force.
In addition, we are starting a number of new projects. After an absence of more than 15 years, we hope to finally be able to resume fieldwork in prison in 2025. We have found funding for this and hope to make arrangements with a Penitentiary Institution in the coming months to get started. In addition, in 2025 we will focus on swingers who use drugs. This is a group of people that we do not yet have a sufficient picture of and we hope to change this in 2025. Another exciting project is an exploration of the provision of medical cocaine.
Mainline will also play an important role internationally in 2025. For example, in this new year we are working on a project with young Kenyans who use drugs. We hope to be able to release the work we do in Brazil with sex workers and young people who use base coke in the wider Latin American region. And within the Love Alliance – a project that involves partners in 10 African countries – we share knowledge and encourage exchange between the various countries. In addition, we have various jobs in the pipeline that we would love to tell you more about soon.
Enough to look forward to in this new year. Mainline continues to work with passion and determination. Of course, we will try to close the gap in our budget for 2026. We will talk to potential new financiers and continue to draw attention to the importance of our work. In short: with a cheerful heart, we wish all our friends and partners a very happy new year!