Championing an Inclusive Future through Football

Project content

The Championing an Inclusive Future through Football programme runs alongside FedEx’s sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League and involves offering financial support to non-profit organisations using football as a tool to promote inclusiveness among communities in cities where the finals are held. The organisations and activities supported are described below.

Paris

The charity Sport dans la Ville (SDLV)S runs a programme called ‘L dans la Ville’ supporting the needs and career aspirations of underserved girls over the age of 10 and young women.

Istanbul

Turkey-based Bonyan Organization works with disadvantaged communities hosting a high number of refugees in Istanbul, as well as in the city of Mardin, close to the Syrian border.

London

Kick It Out’s Coach Pathway invites men and women of Black and Asian descent to take part in a mentoring programme that will support their development as coaches..

Objectives

SDLV’s programme in Paris will reach more than 2,000 girls and aims to:

• empower them through sports practice, events and trips;
• increase access to employment;
• prepare them to become leaders;
• raise awareness of gender stereotypes.

Bonyan Organization’s project in Istanbul and Mardin promotes well-being, social cohesion and safety among refugees and their host communities by leveraging the power of football and sports to foster peaceful coexistence. The project will target 4,000 children representing different ethnicities and regions, with an even split of Turkish and refugee children and of boys and girls. Children with special needs will also be included. The project aims to:

• increase access to existing sports facilities for both Turkish and refugee children;
• support Turkish schools so that they are able to host refugee students;
• enhance the soft skills (life skills, leadership, conflict resolution, etc.) of the children and their sports coaches;
• help physical education teachers to adopt a ‘football3’ mindset in relation to their classroom assignments with a view to launching future initiatives themselves;
• enhance gender sensitivity and the engagement of girls in sports activities, particularly football;
• promote the inclusion of children with special needs in sports activities, particularly football;
• create opportunities for the integration of Turkish people and refugees through sports;
• increase access to Turkey’s existing Child Protection Communities for both Turkish and refugee children.

The aim of Kick It Out is to create pathways for groups that are under-represented in football to help diversify the talent pool. The organisation calls on its many contacts in the Premier League, the English Football League, The FA, the Professional Footballers’ Association and the national squads to offer the 15 selected participants:

• • the skills they need to enhance their coaching talent;
  • access to mentors;
  • coach observation opportunities;
  • placement opportunities;
  • personal coach development.

Project activities

SDLV creates a close relationship with young girls through sports and cultural activities just for them.

• Regular sessions open only to girls, giving them the chance them to have fun, talk to other girls in the neighbourhood and improve their playing in a safe environment
• The Discovery programme, offering cultural and sporting outings for girls as young as six as well as visits from professional women with inspiring stories for those aged 10 to 25 to encourage them to pursue careers
• Individual follow-up sessions for each participant and advice on how to achieve their professional objectives

Activities with Bonyan Organization take place across two cities.

• Rehabilitating school football fields (two in Istanbul and two in Mardin)
• Distributing sport kits and football3 guidelines (ten schools in Istanbul and 15 in Mardin)
• Teacher training on football3 and sports for children (50 teachers in Mardin)
• Training youth volunteers to play an active role in their communities (ten volunteers in Istanbul and 20 in Mardin)
• Football3 matches (30 matches in Istanbul with 90 participants each and 50 matches in Mardin with 150 participants each)

Kick It Out takes up to 15 coaches on a journey of development through specially arranged opportunities with senior coaching representatives from English football.

• Coach observation opportunities at Premier League and English Football League clubs
• Insight into the organisation of England’s national men’s and women’s teams, with a visit to St George’s Park
• Individual coach mentors offering personalised, one-to-one support
• Access to coaching development courses
• Priority invitation to Kick It Out Raise Your Game events, whose learning outcomes are uniquely focused on coach development
• Opportunities for placements in the industry
• Successful candidates take part in Kick It Out’s monitoring and evaluation tracking scheme

Partners