Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Environmental protection - 
Healthy lifestyle - 
Personal development - 
Strengthening partnershipsContext
Knowing that every child is a champion, we have directly communicated the Life Champions concept and values to more than 5,000 children and young adults throughout the Belgrade region, with priority given to sensitive target groups such as children from deprived areas and girls in sport. However, we are aware that many children are not addressed directly and therefore do not get the message, in particular children in the social welfare system (children without parental care). There are 32 institutions for such children in Serbia alone, housing 145,000 children, all of whom deserve the opportunity to become life champions.
Project goals
Overall goal: to better integrate children in the social welfare system in the Life Champions sporting and educational activities.
Specific targets
- Adjust the training already developed to the needs and realities of this particular target group to equip 30 coaches from the Life Champions network to work with children in social welfare institutions
- Pilot the adjusted training through four months of Life Champions activities with at least 300 children from six different institutions (48 sessions)
- Organise sporting and educational camps for at least 720 children from social welfare institutions to support their social and personal development
- Reach 3,000,000 people with a media campaign
- Formulate recommendations on the further use of sport in work with children living in institutions, and empower institutions themselves to use sport and a collaborative approach to multiply the opportunities available to the children in their care
Project content
Life Champions 3.0 is envisaged as a 12-month partnership between the Development Center for Youth (project coordinator), the DEKI 5 football camp and AP Brera Strumica, a Macedonian football club based in Strumica. The initiative aims to break down barriers and foster an inclusive environment where all children can enjoy and learn from sport.
The basic Life Champions concept remains the same: using sport to support children’s upbringing and education. Tailored training will give Life Champions coaches the information, knowledge and skills they need to properly support and engage children in the social welfare system in sporting and educational activities.
The project will include different types of activity – open football days, training and mentoring, and sporting and educational camps – all with the aim of better including children living in institutional settings in the Life Champions concept, giving them additional knowledge and skills and supporting their social and personal development.
To achieve sustainable results will require partnerships with football clubs and other non-governmental organisations involved in education through sport, and resources to ensure that both the children themselves and the coaches working with them can thrive and achieve mutual growth and development.
Partners
