Move the Ball, Change the World

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Madrid and the Valencian Community, Spain
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 03/01/2027
Cost of the project €111,300
Foundation funding €57,500
Project identifier 2025000526
Partners Fundación Red Deporte y Cooperación
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

The Valencian Community experienced floods in 2024, and since then around 40% of young people in the areas affected report mental health problems and difficulty concentrating on their studies. Young people in the disadvantaged Fuencarral-El Pardo district of Madrid face similar issues.

Project goals

  • Increase 440 young people’s resilience and personal and social growth
  • Break down cultural and social barriers that often prevent girls and young women from participating in sport
  • Highlight the importance of positive masculinity and boys being allies in achieving gender equality
  • Train 30 coaches in mental health and gender equality through football

Project content

  • Running training sessions, workshops and other football-related activities
  • Training coaches in mental health and gender equality
  • Holding a one-day football festival in Madrid and two festivals in Valencia on gender equality and resilience
  • Holding a two-day tournament in Valencia for participants from both Madrid and Valencia to learn from each other through football and workshops
  • Sharing a manual on football, gender equality and empowerment in Spanish and English with at least 100 social organisations

Partner

We live together, lean and play

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Madrid, Spain
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €213,113
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2025001114
Partners Asociación Alacrán 1997
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Vulnerable children and teenagers are at an increased risk of mental and physical health problems, stress, anxiety and social isolation, as well as physical and mental health problems. These issues are often compounded by unhealthy diets, poor sleeping habits and overuse of technology (particularly smartphones). They are also more likely to smoke, consume alcohol and take other drugs than their peers.

Project goals

  • Support the personal and social development of vulnerable children, helping them to acquire life skills and develop key values.
  • Create a community environment that provides a protective, caring space for children and adolescents, and guarantees their rights.
  • Support the active engagement of children and adolescents, and serve as a model for other projects and initiatives in the community and society at large.

Project content

The project, with football at its core, promotes the holistic development of 130 vulnerable children and adolescents aged between 6 and 17. We believe that sport and civic activities are powerful tools for supporting children’s physical and mental health, strengthening their social and personal skills and instilling key values like equality, respect and teamwork. The project aims to use those tools to create safe, inclusive spaces where children can grow, be empowered, and become agents of change in their communities.

To achieve these objectives, the project delivers activities and programmes in the following areas:

  • Football activities, including running a football school, training youth coaches, organising community sports events and campaigning for equality in sport.
  • Comprehensive social, emotional and educational support both individually and in groups, including additional schooling, training workshops and a mental well-being group.
  • Educational leisure activities and training for youth monitors.
  • Setting up councils of children and adolescents to promote active engagement in decision-making.

Partner

League for Equity

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lisbon and Porto (Portugal); Praia (Cabo Verde)
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 06/30/2027
Cost of the project €101,932
Foundation funding €81,545
Project identifier 2025001110
Partners Social Innovation Sports Hub (SISH)
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In Portugal and Cabo Verde, girls from vulnerable communities face persistent socio-economic challenges and gender-related barriers that limit their access to education, sport, and opportunities for personal development. In urban areas, poverty, family instability and social exclusion are widespread, while safe, inclusive spaces for girls are scarce. This is reflected in the development of women’s football; participation rates are nine times lower than in the men’s game, and girls often give up the sport because of cultural prejudice and a lack of suitable training opportunities. There is an urgent need for initiatives to promote equality, empower vulnerable girls and encourage long-term social change.

Project goals

Our overarching mission is to get more girls from vulnerable communities taking part in sport and to give them more opportunities for personal development.

Our specific objectives are:

  • to increase girls’ participation in football and reduce dropout rates;
  • to foster leadership, inclusion and empowerment;
  • to enhance girls’ social and emotional skills and build their confidence;
  • to develop menstrual literacy and create safe spaces for discussions on health, equality and well-being;
  • to build support networks by engaging families and communities.

Project content

The project uses football as a tool for social change. It incorporates the inclusive training methods specifically tailored to female athletes, combined with educational initiatives designed to promote menstrual literacy.

SISH runs social and educational events designed to engage the community and build capacity. As well as empowering coaches and future leaders, the project also creates safe spaces where girls can play football, which helps them develop their leadership skills and self-esteem.

The project is delivered in three ways:

  • Training sessions are held twice a week and focus on developing technical, physical, social and emotional skills.
  • Monthly workshops are open to participants in the programme and to the community more widely. They promote leadership, equality, menstrual dignity, good health and general well-being.
  • Quarterly community events bring together groups from different areas. They strengthen community bonds, raise awareness of the project, and give people from a variety of backgrounds the chance to socialise together.

Partner

Kids Love Sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Czechia
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 06/30/2027
Cost of the project €136,000
Foundation funding €66,000
Project identifier 2025000321
Partners Gymnathlon Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Sport provides children with important life skills, promotes personal growth, social integration and mental well-being, and can help to prevent lifestyle diseases. Children in orphanages and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in Czechia and Slovakia do not have the same access to sport as others.

Project goals

Prepare children for adulthood by helping them transition into independent and healthy lives:

  • Ensuring that children achieve better physical fitness through regular participation in sport, which contributes to overall health
  • Using sport to help prevent lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, which are increasingly common among children in modern society
  • Encouraging children to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, which will benefit them not only during their childhood but also into adulthood
  • Helping children build confidence by participating and succeeding in sport
  • Teaching children the importance of collaboration and cooperation in sport and in life
  • Using sport as a tool to enhance children’s cognitive abilities and emotional health

Project content

Gymnathlon Foundation runs weekly courses in orphanages and nearby facilities that focus on overall physical development and introduce children to various sports, such as gymnastics, athletics, volleyball, basketball, tennis and parkour. The programme is designed to be fun and engaging to ensure maximum participation and long-term impact.

Special sports days are held directly at orphanages to further engage the children, the coaches receive continuous training to improve their skills, ensuring high-quality instruction, and the older children are given the opportunity to become assistant coaches, which not only builds their skills and experience but also provides income opportunities.

Partner

Green Goals for All

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Shkodër and Elbasan, Albania
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 02/01/2027
Cost of the project €115,000
Foundation funding €70,000
Project identifier 2025002471
Partners Qendra Marrëdhënie (The Relationship Center)
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Environmental protection - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

Football is Albania’s most popular sport and a source of national pride and community. However, access to spaces for sport and play remains poor, with girls, Roma children and disabled children in particular often excluded from team sport.

Project goals

  • Transform school playgrounds in two Albanian cities with high Roma populations into green playgrounds: shaded and welcoming community-centred spaces that are inclusive and climate-responsive
  • Provide quality sports pitches and safe places for neighbourhood residents of all ages and backgrounds to exercise, play and learn
  • Offer equitable, low-barrier access to sport and nature, fostering health, confidence and community among marginalised young people

Project content

  • Organise school selection workshops and introductory sessions with each municipality to align objectives and expectations within the relevant city departments
  • Run training sessions and on-site exchanges with expert green playground designers and engagement professionals
  • Engage with the community through playground parties, neighbourhood meetings and baseline opinion surveys
  • Involve students – particularly girls, Roma children and disabled children – in the design process to ensure the spaces reflect their diverse needs
  • Lead the technical design process in close coordination with municipal departments, oversee the construction process and quality control during implementation
  • Use environmental measurements, observational surveys and perception surveys to assess outcomes such as reduced surface temperatures, increased shade coverage, increased use outside of school hours and improved inclusion
  • Provide hands-on training to municipal maintenance staff and sport and science teachers, who can potentially use the playgrounds for outdoor learning opportunities

Partner

Sport and support – Equal goals!

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Berane, Nikšić, Podgorica and Zeta (Montenegro)
Start date 01/15/2026
End date 06/15/2026
Cost of the project €92,636
Foundation funding €73,162
Project identifier 2025000548
Partners Parents NGO
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

UNICEF has reported that more than 30% of children in Montenegro are at risk of poverty, and more than 40% of children under five years old in low and middle-income countries such as Montenegro are at risk of not reaching their full developmental potential. Early childhood poverty increases the risk of developmental delays, lower academic achievement, mental and physical health issues, and future unemployment. The COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and political instability have further worsened conditions for children and families. At the same time, growing inequality between rich and poor is deepening disparities among children.

Project goals

  • Reduce inequalities among children by providing equal opportunities.
  • Reduce dropout rates in primary and secondary education.
  • Increase the children’s self-confidence, with a special focus on girls.
  • Increase opportunities for socialisation and peer connections.
  • Improve the children’s self-esteem and ability to direct their own learning.

In collaboration with coaches and school staff, the project aims to send a clear message: the children are valued, strong and supported, and together, we can overcome anything!

Project content

The project runs sports and psychological workshops in ten schools across Montenegro, with a focus on Roma children and those from low-income families, helping them to become champions of equality. It provides free football programmes for 720 children, 76% of whom are taking part in sport for the first time, as well as psychological empowerment sessions for 150 girls and continuous psychological support for 150 girls.

Partner

Football for Unity

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Dublin, Ireland
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 10/31/2026
Cost of the project €65,860
Foundation funding €30,000
Project identifier 2025002117
Partners Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The northeastern inner city of Dublin suffers from high levels of deprivation and poverty, with high concentrations of lone parents (up to 80% in some areas), unemployment (approximately 50% of men and 40% of women, against a national average of 4%), low educational attainment (50% of people aged 15 and over have primary education only, against a national average of 9%) and high levels of crime and substance abuse. It is also the area in Ireland with the highest percentage of ethnic minorities.

Project goals

  • Increase mutual understanding between children and young people with different backgrounds and improve the integration of migrants and third-country nationals
  • Create safe spaces for children and young people to play football
  • Promote migrants’ involvement in sport and volunteering
  • Foster youth empowerment through football
  • Create more cohesion between young people, community groups, police and local authorities
  • Educate participants in diversity and inclusion, and against racism and xenophobia

Project content

Three months of football training nights and diversity and inclusion education leading up to a series of seven-a-side football tournaments in various age categories across the northeastern inner city of Dublin in June and July.

Partner

Developing therapeutic physical activity programmes in hospitals for children affected by cancer

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Paris and Toulouse, France
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 08/31/2026
Cost of the project €187,529
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2025000849
Partners CAMI Sport & Cancer
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle

Context

Cancer affects an average of 2,500 children for the first time each year in France. It is the second leading cause of death in children and adolescents. During treatment, children with cancer are often confined to tiny, sterile bedrooms. Being stuck in a hospital bed has many consequences, physical and psychological, including loss of muscle mass, physical deconditioning, loss of flexibility, reduced independence, sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, stress, isolation and pain. Scientific studies carried out over many years have shown that regular sports participation can improve all these parameters.

Project goals

Support 180 to 190 children each year to:

  • Reduce the side effects of cancer treatment
  • Prevent the loss of muscle mass that results from being bed-ridden
  • Improve quality of life
  • Relieve the stress of being stuck in a traditional hospital environment
  • Combat social withdrawal and isolation through inclusion
  • Improve confidence and self-esteem

Project content

The project offers fun activities such as ball games, scooters and physical play for children in hospital. For teenagers and young adults, it provides physical activities adapted to the patient’s level of fatigue (gentle muscle strengthening, flexibility training). Practitioners visit the hospital departments for children, teenagers and young adults, offering one-to-one sessions lasting 45 minutes to an hour to any patients who would like them.

Partner

Bridging Footsteps

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Sofia (Bulgaria), Prizren (Kosovo), Odobesti (Romania)
Start date 05/01/2026
End date 07/31/2027
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001536
Partners CONCORDIA Bulgaria Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Strengthening partnerships

Context

According to Eurochild, 33.9% of children in Bulgaria and 41.5% of children in Romania live in poverty or are at risk of social exclusion – those figures equate to around 400,000 and 1.5 million children respectively. The figures are equally alarming in Kosovo, which has the youngest population in Europe: UNICEF found that 23% of children there grow up in poverty and 7% live in extreme poverty. These circumstances not only affect their day-to-day quality of life but also reduce their chances of getting a good education and therefore their career prospects and likelihood of a healthy adult life. Marginalised communities suffer education inequality and high school-dropout rates, limited access to public services and leisure activities, health challenges owing to poor nutrition, hygiene and a lack of exercise as well as stereotypes and systemic discrimination, which perpetuate poverty.

Project goals

  • Provide equal access to sports opportunities for marginalised children from Roma, poverty-stricken and rural communities
  • Help participants to develop soft skills such as teamwork, discipline and communication to prepare them for further education or training and improve their long-term employability
  • Enhance local capacities, combat gender and cultural stereotypes and build knowledge and strategies to increase girls’ participation in sport
  • Encourage consistent and continued school attendance among project participants
  • Promote proper nutrition, hygiene and fitness and facilitate access to regular nursing and psychological care

Project content

  • Visit to youth football projects and a professional football academy in Vienna for seven social practitioners from CONCORDIA Bulgaria, Romania and Kosovo, enabling them to gain expertise in age-specific and gender-inclusive coaching
  • A half-day training course for those practitioners on inclusive football practices for disadvantaged children and youth and the project’s experience in Bulgaria
  • Weekly football training for 30 children in Romania, 30 in Kosovo and 50 in Bulgaria, in cooperation with local schools to promote regular school attendance
  • Construction of a football fence near CONCORDIA’s Tranzit Centre in Prizren, Kosovo, serving the local community
  • Community sports festivals and other outreach activities to overcome stereotypes and other concerns that might prevent children, especially girls, to play football
  • Team-building activities led by social workers, trainers or volunteers
  • An International Summer Sports Camp in Bulgaria, bringing together 45 young people from Kosovo, Romania and Bulgaria for several days of team sports and other inclusive games, fostering intercultural exchange, healthy competition and the joy of physical activity

Partner

One Team, Many Stories – Building Bridges Through Sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Dorolt, Satu Mare County, Romania
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 09/01/2027
Cost of the project €97,000
Foundation funding €88,000
Project identifier 2025000200
Partners Maurer Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Satu Mare County is an ethnically diverse area that is home to Roma, Romanian, Hungarian and German communities. Across the region, Children from disadvantaged backgrounds (and especially Roma) face a variety of challenges. In particular, children from different ethnic communities rarely interact outside of school, and prejudice and discrimination are persistent issues. Opportunities to promote children’s personal development, encourage physical activity and provide informal education are also scarce, making it more likely that they will experience social isolation, drop out of school or engage in unhealthy behaviours. These problems are exacerbated by a lack of suitable sports facilities where children can meet, play together and develop social skills.

Project goals

  • Promote social inclusion and bring children from the different ethnic groups together in a safe and structured environment.
  • Ensure equal access to sport in safe, suitable facilities, especially for children from vulnerable backgrounds.
  • Counter discrimination by fostering values of teamwork and mutual respect.
  • Support children’s physical, emotional and social well-being and development.
  • Encourage gender equality and promote girls’ participation in sport and community activities.
  • Strengthen community cohesion, engage local stakeholders and encourage them to take ownership of the project over the long term.
  • Future-proof infrastructure and activities to ensure continued access to inclusive sports opportunities even after UEFA Foundation funding comes to an end.

Project content

The project organises a range of activities for children between 6 and 18 years of age, regardless of ethnic origin. Its work falls into seven overarching areas:

  1. Sports infrastructure
    • A safe, fully equipped football pitch is being constructed in Dorolț.
    • Hygienic and accessible changing rooms equipped with a shower and toilet will also be provided.
  2. Weekly training sessions
    • Volunteer coaches lead ethnically mixed football training sessions.
    • Each session focuses on a different theme, such as teamwork, fair play, personal development, healthy lifestyles, discrimination or addiction.
  3. Monthly sport and inclusion events
    • Children from all backgrounds can play sport together at these large-scale events.
    • They feature integrated workshops designed to promote social cohesion, respect and intercultural understanding.
  4. Informal education
    • Workshops cover a range of topics, including healthy habits, personal growth, emotional regulation, teamwork and how to avoid risky behaviours.
    • The sessions are led by a social worker and a nurse, both of whom specialise in addiction prevention and children’s well-being.
  5. Engaging with parents and the community
    • Parents and local volunteers are actively involved in organising and supporting activities.
    • Community leaders are consulted on the project’s work, which helps to strengthen local ownership and increase the chances of long-term sustainability.
  6. Promoting gender equality
    • Particular focus is placed on encouraging girls to participate in all sports and workshops.
    • Each individual activity is designed to ensure inclusion and provide equal opportunities for girls and boys.
  7. Monitoring, evaluation, and visibility:
    • Attendance figures, broken down by ethnicity and gender, are tracked and outcomes continuously monitored.
    • Photos, videos and social media updates are released regularly to communicate progress, raise awareness and highlight impact.

Partner

Move Forward

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Budapest, Hungary
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €72,840
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 2025001801
Partners Second Chance Sports Association
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In Hungary, disadvantaged children and refugees face serious challenges such as poverty, social exclusion and restricted access to education and support services. Organisations working with them operate under significant pressure and cannot rely on stable domestic funding. These conditions make targeted projects essential to maintain support for marginalised communities and respond to their needs.

Project goals

  • Strengthen social cohesion and a sense of belonging among disadvantaged children and refugees
  • Develop participants’ personal and social skills, including teamwork, communication, self-confidence and problem-solving, in order to support successful social integration
  • Raise awareness of key values, including equality, women's empowerment and fairness
  • Foster intercultural exchange and skill development
  • Support participants' well-being
  • Strengthen the capacity of staff and volunteers delivering sports-based educational programmes and adapt innovative methodologies to different community needs

Project content

  • Organise regular football and basketball training sessions that create an inclusive environment, develop essential personal and social competencies and promote teamwork and mutual respect among participants
  • Provide individualised support through mentoring, social work, job-seeking assistance and other tailored services
  • Run fair play football roadshows that combine sport with awareness-raising, promoting values such as equality, non-discrimination and active citizenship
  • Hold workshops on topics such as anti-racism, digital literacy, employability, women's empowerment, adolescent pregnancy prevention and financial skills
  • Through our Social Coach training, we build the capacity of staff and volunteers to work more effectively with marginalized groups using sport-based methodologies.
  • In addition, we aim to pilot and further develop a football-based educational and skill-building methodology.

Partner

Powering Potential

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location UK and Ireland
Start date 11/15/2025
End date 12/15/2026
Cost of the project €179,777
Foundation funding €90,177
Project identifier 2025000299
Partners Rio Ferdinand Foundation
Categories Employability - Personal development

Context

In 2025, the Child Poverty Action Group reported that 31% of young people in the UK live in relative poverty, a figure that rises to 49% among black communities and 61% in some Asian communities.

Social mobility and employability in meaningful careers is a major issue in the UK, with young people from minority or working-class backgrounds, refugees, asylum seekers, women and those living in poverty most affected.

Education, skills development and connection to opportunities are key to addressing these issues.

Project goals

  • Give young people the inspiration, confidence and aspiration to harness their potential.
  • Increase their knowledge of the breadth of careers and roles available to them.
  • Create relatable training and work experience pathways to help young people to gain skills and experience.
  • Challenge limiting beliefs and provide best practice for creating social mobility pathways.
  • Deliver education and employability projects that lift young people out of poverty.
  • Build a network of employers to support the pathways.

Project content

Powering Potential uses football and youth culture in online and in-person training relating to the following areas:

  • personal development to enhance confidence and aspirations;
  • developing life skills and transferable skills;
  • vocational training and accreditation to enhance employability;
  • providing connections to careers and employers to enhance knowledge and networks;
  • work placement opportunities to build experience;
  • building relationships with contacts;
  • pathways to education, training and employment.

Partner

Twinning Goals

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Maseru District, Lesotho and North Wales
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 01/31/2028
Cost of the project €411,700
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 202500774
Partners Kick4Life and Wrexham AFC
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lesotho and Wales have been twinned since 1985. They face similar health challenges that impact children and young people, including challenges relating to mental health, nutrition, healthy living, substance misuse, and sexual and reproductive health.

Project goals

  • Use football to equip 2,350 children and young people across Lesotho and Wales with knowledge and transferable skills so they can protect and promote their health and well-being.
  • Provide eight coaches (four from Kick4Life and four from Wrexham AFC) with opportunities for personal development and cultural exchange, thereby developing values of global citizenship and strengthening ties within the global football community.
  • Achieve a 50:50 gender balance among both participants and coaches.
  • Improve the two organisations’ safeguarding, gender, and monitoring and evaluation practices.

Project content

  • Training coaches to deliver training sessions in their respective countries.
  • Delivering a health education, gender equality and life skills curriculum to young people.
  • Referring young people to external health and protection services when required.
  • Two in-person learning and cultural exchanges (one in each country).
  • An series of online learning exchanges on topics including safeguarding, gender, and monitoring and evaluation.

Partners

Bullying prevention through football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Úlfarsárdalur and Grafarholt, two neighborhoods in capital Reykjaavík(Iceland)
Start date 02/02/2024
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €157,800
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230880
Partners The Icelandic Youth Association (UMFÍ)
Categories Access to Sport - Personal development

Context

Bullying poses a significant problem, and extensive research has shed light on its psychological, physiological, and social ramifications. It has detrimental effects on the victims’ overall health, well-being, and quality of life, particularly among disadvantaged children. Approximately 16% of children in Iceland report that they have been bullied.

Project goals

Football can serve as a highly effective tool in preventing bullying and creating a secure, inclusive, and respectful environment. The programme's objective is to combat exclusion and instead foster inclusivity and a sense of belonging while also addressing inequalities and promoting social integration.

Project content

Changing the culture and social norms to achieve behavioural change among children requires the active involvement and cooperation of all stakeholders. This programme aims to educate parents and professionals working with children in school and football settings – namely, teachers and coaches. It involves establishing clear collaboration processes among these parties and providing education and training for the children through dialogue, organised projects and games. It also offers children leadership training, encourages democratic participation and fosters a sense of positive competition based on empathy and solidarity. This kind of competition can be a source of motivation as opposed to frustration upon losing. Once the pilot project is complete, the intention is to expand its implementation to clubs across Iceland and, potentially, Europe

Partner

RePlay Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Şanlıurfa, Türkiye
Start date 11/05/2025
End date 11/05/2026
Cost of the project €59,220
Foundation funding €35,220
Project identifier 2025001225
Partners Kızlar Sahada
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Türkiye was ranked 135th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. Only 1% of licensed football players are women, reflecting deep gender inequality in sport. Şanlıurfa, a region facing significant sociocultural and socio-economic challenges, has some of the highest rates of child marriage and school dropout, and girls in the area face significant barriers to participating in both sport and society.

Project goals

The RePlay Project organises free and accessible football activities and community events to promote fair play, build life skills, foster inclusion and empower girls and boys and is now entering its third year in Şanlıurfa.

  • Use football to strengthen social and emotional skills, helping individuals to face personal and community challenges
  • Foster belonging and collaboration by engaging families, coaches, and local stakeholders in community activities
  • Create a safe, inclusive environment that is welcoming to everyone, especially marginalised groups, ensuring free access to sport
  • Promote gender equality by empowering girls through regular training and events

Project content

  • Conduct regular football activities, including football3 sessions, technical training, and matches, to develop social and emotional skills
  • Organise five events to engage the community and raise awareness of the project
  • Consult with schools, NGOs, local governments, and clubs to ensure free, inclusive, and safe access to football
  • Deliver workshops, presentations, and games focused on gender equity

Partner

Safe Soccer Development Programme

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ukraine, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €500,000
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 2025000863
Partners Spirit of Soccer
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Ukraine’s children face unprecedented dangers amid the ongoing conflict. More than 340 educational facilities were damaged or destroyed in 2025 alone, bringing the total to over 2,800 since the start of the war. Nearly 4.6 million children have had their education disrupted. In addition, 23–30% of the country’s territory is contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance ­– one of the most severe consequences of the war. Since the war began in February 2022, hundreds of children have been killed or injured by explosive remnants, with boys aged 14 to 17 particularly at risk from exploring contaminated areas.

Project goals

To enhance civilian security and foster resilient communities by training football coaches in explosive ordnance risk education so they can provide essential education to at-risk young people.

Project content

  • Delivering 360 professionally run explosive ordnance risk education training sessions (known as Safe Soccer training sessions) in schools in areas affected by explosive remnants of war, reaching 7,000 at-risk young people.
  • Reaching 21,000 indirect beneficiaries via education and coaching workshops, word of mouth, local community tournaments, multimedia campaigns and the distribution of outreach materials.
  • Distributing 500 footballs and 10,050 Safe Soccer notebooks.
  • Holding one Safe Soccer festival per month in each of the three areas, delivering trauma‑informed football training to a group consisting of 40% girls, to deliver trauma-informed football training.
  • Organising six Safe Soccer tournaments throughout the year.

Partner