How a community project in The Hague is helping youngsters ‘Find their Fire’

The Hague, the Netherlands, 12 February 2026 – In April new sessions will start within a unique programme at Hart Beach Scheveningen to help disadvantaged young people reignite their passion for life and ‘Find their Fire,’ under the name ‘Firestarters’. 

There are more than 14,000 teenagers who have dropped out of school and are not yet in employment. Firestarters takes a small cohort of these kids and offers structure and new potential to chaotic lives. Three times a week, the group takes to the sand to play games of touch rugby, break for coffee, and complete writing assignments. All in the fresh air, away from mobile devices and social media.

Jonas Brøg founded Firestarters alongside professional rugby player David Weersma and entrepreneur Jeroen Harteveld. The programme is completely free, and funded by the founders themselves, alongside investors and benefactors who recognise the fact that everyone has potential - but may struggle to realise it. 

Jonas Brøg, co-founder of Firestarters: “I like to ask them: ‘When was the last time you were out-of-this-world excited about something?’ And they think for a minute. And they’re reluctant to say anything. But if you’re patient they’ll all come up with something eventually. I remember one guy had loved coaching little kids football a couple of years before, but his parents wanted him to study law. That kind of conflict is at the heart of many of these young people’s problems. We want to show them that anything is possible if they follow their own unique path.” 

About Firestarters

The first official Firestarters programme was held at the end of 2025, with the first cohort of graduates celebrating with a big party at Hart Beach. Hart Beach is a popular surf and skate hangout at the beach of The Hague. This year, the programme is expanding beyond The Hague, into the rest of the Netherlands. 

“It was so rewarding to see these young people proudly wearing their Firestarters shirts, with the ‘01’ badge to show they were in the very first group. And we want those people to stay with us and help us build, assisting us with the next group, and the next one, right up to leading sessions in the future as a Firestarters coach. Because, who better to lead these programmes than the people who have been through it themselves? Our dream is to create a community - a whole ecosystem - where young people have a chance to find their own fire.” Jonas Brøg.

Read the full story on Stories of Purpose and listen to the podcast with Jonas Brøg about how he found his fire thanks to his Iranian refugee drum teacher, who showed him that his future lay in the music industry.