Football for all children

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bihać
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €146,343
Foundation funding €39,100
Project identifier 20230933
Partners Bihać youth football club (OFK Bihać)
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Local development strategies set out the need to provide access to sport for children and teenagers, train professional staff and improve sports facilities, especially for vulnerable and marginalised social groups.

Project goals

The project aims to provide inclusive access to sport for all children in local communities, including those in marginalised population groups, facilitate social interaction and remove stigma through football, promoting team spirit and equality among peers. By improving infrastructure, the project will enhance the capacities of OFK Bihać and long-term sustainability prospects for the benefit of the entire community.

Project content

The Prekounje sports centre that the project seeks to develop is located on the right bank of the Una river that runs through Bihać, in and adjacent to communities with about 17,000 citizens, incl. about 5,400 children of all ages, including the largest Roma community.

The sports centre will significantly improve access and opportunities for all children, in their neighbourhood, at walking distance from their homes. Additionally, the upgraded infrastructure will provide opportunities to increase the diversity and number of activities by over 60%, finally allowing evening/night activities and tournaments in a modern, safe environment for all children.

  • Inclusive football school: One year of free football practice, at least twice a week, with UEFA-licensed coaches, for boys and girls in marginalised population groups, together with peers from other communities, in mixed (ethnicity, gender, etc.) teams.
  • Enhancing facilities at the Prekounje sports centre: Modernising and upgrading the existing football pitch (100mx64m) and building a new artificial pitch (40mx20m).

Partner

Miracoli FC a new vision of a football school. Together we create a community

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Italy, Roma
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 03/30/2025
Cost of the project €120,700
Foundation funding €100,700
Project identifier 20230223
Partners Calciosociale
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In Corviale (a suburb of Rome), young people are exposed to negative influences, requiring us to continuously find new ways to convince them to pursue a socio-educational path. As football is one of the world’s most beloved sports, it is the perfect catalyst, enabling us to turn the Campo dei Miracoli (our field office) into a meeting place for youngsters and their families.

Project goals

  • Facilitating access to sport
  • Fostering inclusion and fighting discrimination through football
  • Developing emotional and interpersonal skills among at-risk youngsters who face social exclusion, and encouraging prosocial attitudes
  • Promoting a new vision of football school and community through sport
  • Involving parents in the activities in order to work in synergy to increase the impact on the children and territory

Project content

The Miracoli FC project aims to set up the first male and female soccer school in the suburbs of Corviale based on the principles and values of CalcioSociale®. The football pitches become training grounds for life, places where inclusion is truly possible and participants not only learn about a healthy lifestyle through sport but also have the opportunity to spend time together, share their emotions and set out on an educational path that enables them to build a better future, different from what they currently experience.

Football practice: twice a week, coordinated by expert coaches, educators, psychologists and nutritionists. This year, we have decided to improve the competitive sector from 13 to 20 years old and involve more teenagers who are more likely to become involved in petty crime or become drug addicts.

Social football tournament: once a week, a tournament is held with Calciosociale rules. Every year, the tournament has a specific theme that inspires the team names. This year, the topic was environmental protection, so the youngsters chose the names of women and men who fought for this cause. Some off-the-pitch activities will be developed based on the topic.

Networking with the parents: To have a greater impact on the project beneficiaries, it is essential to create a ‘bond’ with their families. For this reason, the project decided this year to appoint a parent network manager who will be responsible for the network created during the first year.

Workshops for parents: In the first year, we saw that an informal approach with parents yielded a better result in terms of building trust. So, it was decided to enable parents to take part in team-building activities, parenting education and a healthy approach to sports competition: cheering on the sidelines, training to respect the children’s opponents, coaches and team mates.

Partner

Sport for Development

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Türkiye
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €250,000
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20230844
Partners Bonyan Organization for Youth and Development
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Syrian refugees and their host communities both face hurdles when it comes to playing sport in Türkiye. Limited resources, cultural differences and language barriers hinder access to activities, which has knock-on effects on people’s physical and mental well-being.

Project goals

Sport for Development seeks to create inclusive sports programmes that cater to refugee and host communities in Sanlıurfa and Adıyaman. By creating opportunities for refugee and local children to play sport together in a safe and supporting environment, we aim to foster mutual understanding and social integration, and promote inclusivity and gender equality. We will combine sport with specialised mental health and psychosocial support activities to empower these vulnerable children physically and mentally, equipping them with essential life skills, building resilience, and creating a sense of well-being and belonging in their communities. By doing so, we hope to be a catalyst for positive change, promoting the fundamental rights and holistic development of vulnerable children, irrespective of their background or nationality.

Project content

  • To increase girls' participation in sport
    • Girl-only programmes
    • Targeted campaigns
    • Gender-neutral sports activities
    • School partnerships
    • Involvement of parents and families
    • Accessible sports facilities
    • Collaboration with women's organisations
    • Scholarships and incentives
  • To incorporate environmental awareness in sport
    • Green sports equipment
    • Recycling bins and waste management
    • Upcycling initiatives
    • Awareness campaigns
    • Environmentally friendly sports events
    • Community clean-ups
  • To use football as a tool for mental health and psychosocial support
    • Football for stress reduction
    • Team-building activities
    • Mental health awareness sessions
    • Peer support networks
    • Therapeutic football sessions
    • Sport as a coping mechanism
    • Celebrating successes
    • Referrals for professional support
  • E-football league
    • Organisation of league matches
    • Monitoring and registration of results
    • Play-offs and finals
    • Prizes and awards
    • Feedback and evaluation

Partner

Amigos for Children – Visiting sick children in hospital

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Budapest, Szombathely, Szeged, Pécs, Debrecen, Miskolc (Hungary)
Start date 01/12/2022
End date 11/01/2025
Cost of the project €19,949
Foundation funding €19,949
Project identifier 20230356
Partners Amigos for Children Foundation
Categories Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Children undergoing long hospital treatments are everyday heroes. We believe that visiting them, being their trustworthy partners, friends, role models and teachers is an honour and a great service that benefits all parties involved. Amigos gain the power of social responsibility, doing something worthwhile and being a part of a precious community. Children make new friends and role models, have fun and gain knowledge, while parents and healthcare professionals receive support.

Project goals

Last year, as part of our UEFA Foundation project, our volunteers developed a football-themed English learning workbook, so this year we would like to implement it to our hospital sessions.

For 2024, we set the following goals:

  • Just through hospital visits, we can reach about 1,000 children who will be motivated by sport and making new Amigos friends.
  • Reaching a child in a hospital hopefully means reaching their parents with the message (another approx. 1,500 people reached) and their families (on average, children in Hungary have 1.6 siblings, so another 1,600 children reached).
  • Our volunteer base has about 60 new volunteers.
  • We promote a healthy lifestyle and the mental well-being of our volunteers, i.e. more than 200 university students.

Project content

With our nine years of experience, our aim is to go back to fully offline activities, as that is the greatest joy for children and Amigos too. In the spring of 2024, we launched our operation in Miskolc, Hungary: a great milestone as we will reach our sixth and final children’s oncology centre in Hungary. In 2023, we reached over 1,000 children through hospital visits, and we are planning to match that target this year. We are strengthening our social base and volunteer community.

Partner

A ball for all Europe

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Greece, Thessaloniki
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €80,000
Foundation funding €75,000
Project identifier 20230363
Partners Orama Neon Youthorama
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

It is always a challenge to include ,children in mainstream physical education in schools and clubs. In schools, there is typically just one teacher per class and partially sighted pupils cannot participate at the same level as their classmates.

Approved by the Hellenic Ministry of Education, A Ball for all Europe is our answer to that problem: an inclusive football education programme that meets many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10).

Project goals

  • To create new inclusive educational tools, in particular innovative mini footballs for blind and partially sighted players, for use in schools and clubs
  • To produce a documentary about Paralympic blind football in Greece and Europe

Project content

Free mini footballs for blind and partially sighted players will be provided to all types of school, mainstream and specialised, catering to all ages. Crucially, our unique footballs are not for sale, they are donations designed to support the creation of a more inclusive education system and society. We will establish a network of schools that promote inclusive football values to reduce inequalities and increase inclusion.

Partner

Youth Sports Games 2024

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia
Start date 01/10/2024
End date 11/30/2024
Cost of the project €7,476,965
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20230432
Partners Association for Sport, Recreation and Education – Youth Games
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

More than 2,750,000 have competed in the 27 years since they began.

In 2024, the games will be held in four countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Primary and secondary-school-age children compete in ten sports free of charge, and the most successful individuals and teams get to travel to Split to take part in the international finals.

In addition to the games, the association organises regular sports and recreational activities for children, to promote health, tolerance and ethical values. The association promotes a lifestyle based on understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play as an alternative to addiction and deviant behaviour.

Project goals

  • Bring children and teenagers together to actively take part in sport and recreational activities
  • Education and development of a positive atmosphere and affirmation of children and teenagers through sport and friendship as an alternative to various forms of addiction and deviant behaviour
  • Educational content that has been promoted through all activities and has been set up as a modern and up-to-date message from young people to young people is a significant contributor to preventing of all types of addiction and ties in with health and social programmes

In 2024, we expect to involve more than 315,000 participants from all countries. One of the goals this year is to expand our presence to more than 300 cities and 19,000 female football players. The national finals in all four countries will attract 8,000 participants and the international finals will involve 1,500 participants, for whom we cover all expenses – accommodation, travel and competition fees.

Project content

Sport is used as a medium to connect with the participants aged 7–18 through tournaments held in over 300 cities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia. The Youth Sports Games promote a healthy lifestyle and popularise all ten sports (football, street basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis, chess, dodgeball and athletics), as well as educating the participants about sustainability. A special focus is placed on the football tournaments for girls that will attract around 19,000 young female footballers in four countries.

Partner

Sport for Equal Opportunities in Armenia

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Armenia, Tavush Province
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €166,900
Foundation funding €117,000
Project identifier 20230247
Partners Bridge of Hope NGO
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Perceptions of and attitudes towards disabled children in Armenia significantly hinder their inclusion in communities and their ability to achieve basic goals. Negative attitudes involve stereotypes and the belief that, due to their impairments, disabled children are unable to participate in the community and in education on an equal basis with their peers. Such attitudes often lead to social distancing and exclusion from social networks.

The problem is particularly acute in remote regions such as Tavush, where communities often view disabled children as incapable, sick and a burden to their families. These negative perceptions hinder their opportunities for development and social inclusion.

Approximately 58% of disabled children in Armenia live in extreme poverty and inhospitable environments with limited access to education, sport and social and cultural interactions.

Sport for Equal Opportunities in Armenia strives to break down barriers and create opportunities for all children to enjoy their rights to participate in education and sport and to live independently in their communities, regardless of ability, disability, gender or circumstance.

Project goals

  • Establish inclusive football teams in 16 mainstream schools in Tavush to empower 240 disabled and socially disadvantaged children by fostering self-confidence, self-esteem, friendship and personal growth
  • Enhance the knowledge and skills of 32 physical education teachers and coaches, enabling them to effectively facilitate inclusive sports activities in their schools
  • Organise two large football tournaments for inclusive football teams to showcase the abilities and achievements of children with and without disabilities
  • Strengthen local collaboration and networking to promote wider awareness raising and advocate for policy change in support of inclusive sport, particularly inclusive football

Project content

  • Training for 32 teachers and football coaches in 16 schools, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate inclusive football sessions, focusing on inclusive coaching techniques, adapted strategies and how to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all participants.
  • Renovating 16 school football fields to create safe and accessible spaces for inclusive football activities, upgrading infrastructure, providing equipment and ensuring the fields are accessible to disabled people.
  • Selection and training of 240 children of a mix of genders, with and without disabilities, based on individual preferences rather than sporting ability. Training sessions will focus on skills development, teamwork and fostering a sense of belonging.
  • Organisation of 48 football matches and two tournaments for inclusive football teams from different schools across Tavush. These events will not only provide opportunities for skills development and friendly competition but also promote social inclusion and challenge stereotypes associated with disabilities.
  • Advocacy and awareness raising campaigns to raise the profile of inclusive sport policies and practices, engaging with local communities, schools and other stakeholders to promote the benefits of inclusive sport, highlight success stories and advocate for policy changes that support inclusive practices in sport and education.
  • Closing national conference in Ijevan, the administrative centre of Tavush Province, bringing together key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS) and the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) to showcase the achievements and impact of the project, share best practices and lessons learned, and facilitate discussions on the future of inclusive sport and education in Armenia.

Partner

Peace Field Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Belgium, Mesen
Start date 01/04/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230280
Partners Children's Football Alliance
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Young refugees, migrants, physically or developmentally disabled and poverty-stricken teenagers from war-torn communities have few opportunities to take ownership of peacebuilding projects. Low self-esteem, a lack of aspiration, mistrust and antisocial behaviour continue to fuel discord and disparity amongst cross-border communities. The situation remains hostile thanks to intergenerational relationships that often nurture resentment, making these young people easy targets for paramilitary recruitment.

Project goals

  • Help young people to develop their organisational, communication and intervention skills as well as teaching them about multiculturalism, conflict resolution and mindfulness
  • Establish annual events celebrating peace through football on ‘peace pitches’ twinned with the Flanders Peace Field.
  • Demonstrate the power of play
  • Advocate for equality, diversity and social inclusion.
  • Raise awareness of health and well-being, including mental health
  • Foster empathy and compassion among the participants
  • Nurture the peacemakers of tomorrow

Project content

The Peace Field Project (PFP) is a pedagogical programme designed to foster peace through play. The open online educational resources, toolkits and webinars prepare all participants for the week-long Global Peace Games, which feature mixed-gender and mixed-ability sports, excursions, art and music activities as well as workshops on conflict resolution, multiculturalism, deradicalisation and humanities. Peace education through play will harness the power of sport to create the peacemakers of the future.

Partners

Provision of psychosocial support to vulnerable children, adolescents and parents through sport (PORUCH)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Poltaa and Sumska oblasts, Ukraine
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €1,019,850
Foundation funding €150,000
Project identifier 200230654
Partners United Around Football
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Since the start of full-scale war in February 2022, the children of Ukraine have experienced violence, trauma, loss, destruction and displacement, not to mention the stress of constant air raids and shelling. The living conditions, everyday news and general situation take a toll on their mental and physical health. According to official sources, by the morning of 29 November 2023, 511 children had been killed and more than 1,148 physically injured.

Recovery through sport is the ethos of PORUCH, a joint initiative by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and UNICEF Ukraine to use sport, in particular football, to provide psychosocial support to children, teenagers and families affected by the war. They have teamed up with the Ukrainian Association of Football, foundation partner United Around Football, and Football Development in Ukraine, another charitable foundation.

Physical education teachers (sports coaches), psychologists and healthy lifestyle coaches (medical volunteers) engage participants in a form of play that will hopefully lead to regular physical activity and help them develop a range of skills and values in a positive, holistic way. This approach is considered effective in supporting psychological recovery after a traumatic experience and overcoming fears.

A similar project was implemented in 15 oblasts between March 2022 and May 2023, reaching 90,417  vulnerable children and 34,663 parents and guardians (indirect beneficiaries).

Project goals

General

  • Provide group psychological support to vulnerable children and teenagers through sport

Specific

  • Develop the methodology and materials for targeted psychological support through sport
  • Deliver group psychological sessions to 25,000 vulnerable children and teenagers in 2 oblasts (Poltava and Sumy) in central and northeastern Ukraine
  • Boost the capacity of professionals to provide targeted psychological support

 

Project content

Sports grounds will be divided into three zones or stations, where children will take turns playing mobile games with a football, working with a psychologist, and learning from medical volunteers about healthy lifestyles and what to do in case of injury.

  • Zone 1 – Sports coach
  • Zone 2 – Psychologist
  • Zone 3 – Medical volunteer

Approximately 30 children affected by war will participate in each session, in three groups of ten. Each group must visit each station twice.

Partner

TEAM Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Scotland
Start date 04/01/2024
End date 03/31/2025
Cost of the project €139,620
Foundation funding €73,782
Project identifier 20230913
Partners Big Hearts Community Trust
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Vulnerable children affected by trauma, poverty, cultural barriers and mental health challenges are at particular risk of struggling with the transition from primary to secondary school. The need for increased support has been clearly evidenced in communities in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Paisley, Motherwell and Greenock. Football can be used to improve the resilience and social connectedness of children at this critical life stage.

Project goals

  • Children aged 10 to 12 benefit from: new friendships and social connections, better connections within the community, better physical health and increased confidence and well-being
  • 250 children intensively supported each year
  • More than 80% of those children see improvements in their confidence and overall well-being, and enjoy better relationships with their parents and guardians.
  • Model and lessons learned can be shared with and rolled out in other communities around Scotland in the medium to long-term

Project content

The project comprises weekly football sessions alongside confidence and resilience-building activities. Healthy snacks will also be served.

It will target marginalised children living with multiple disadvantages, including poverty, trauma, isolation and having English as a second language – young people who often miss out on positive experiences and opportunities – helping them to feel less excluded, better integrated in their communities and more confident about the transition from primary to secondary school.

Partner

Future Ball – Football and Education for Sustainable Development

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 09/30/2024
Cost of the project €125,508
Foundation funding €52,000
Project identifier 20230801
Partners Spirit of Football e.V.
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Spirit of Football takes young people’s concerns about climate change seriously by connecting football to environmental concerns. Especially within the context of schools, clubs, community centres and stadiums, this NGO tries to make the necessary changes with fun and interactive methods to strengthen people’s motivation and make it clear that it is more effective to act, preferably as a team, than to be overwhelmed by seemingly unsolvable problems.

Project goals

Spirit of Football aims to call young people’s attention to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through workshops in schools and stadiums with interactive, fun and inspiring methods, especially focusing on SDGs 5, 12,13 and 17. This means that everyone should have equal chances in sport and elsewhere, responsible consumption and production, and climate action should be practised in everyday life. It is also important to show that change is only possible through strong, committed and creative partnerships.

Project content

  • 2 train the trainer sessions for teachers and trainers, to provide them with methods combining football and education for sustainability
  • 24 workshop days in schools and stadium education centres on sustainability and sport, including team-building methods, role-play, fair play football and communal murals at two sites
  • A 30-day Future Ball Tour through Germany by train and bicycle during EURO 2024, holding mini-workshops, collecting signatures for a more climate-neutral lifestyle, and attracting media attention on football and education for sustainability.

Partner

Info @thletes

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Montreuil, France
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €90,000
Foundation funding €90,000
Project identifier 20230979
Partners Libraries without Borders
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Digital technology is advancing at such a rate that it has become essential to help the younger generation understand how to use the tools required to navigate the world around them. Managing our digital identities is crucial in today's interconnected world, and childhood is the most opportune time to teach children how to behave online, spot fake news and avoid the dangers of social media.

This project capitalises on the power of sports in education, using sports clubs as a forum for talking and sharing and as an opportunity to teach children about safe and responsible digital participation through fun educational activities, as a complement to their classroom learning. The project will be implemented in partnership with two football clubs: CSM Île-Saint-Denis and Red Star FC. Red Star FC is actively involved in the local community in Saint-Ouen, and in 2008 set up the Red Star Lab, which offers free cultural, artistic and social events and activities for its young players during the school holidays.

Project goals

  • Introduce children to media and information literacy to help them better decipher information and behave appropriately on social media
  • Get young people to think critically about digital citizenship and disinformation spread online
  • Turn sports clubs into media and information literacy resource hubs
  • Develop innovative ways to teach good digital habits through sports
  • Train sports coaches in the issues surrounding media and information literacy so that they are able to support young people

Project content

  • Adapt Libraries without Borders’ existing media and information literacy resources for use in extracurricular settings and football training
  • Create the ‘Info @thletes’ education kit in partnership with football coaches, integrating resources, activities and guidance on mediation through sport
  • Provide football coaches with training and support to roll this kit out during training sessions
  • Develop exercises, games and workshops that can be integrated into football training sessions (especially during the warm-up) with the help of coaches from partner clubs
  • Hold workshops, training sessions and fun learning activities alongside major events in the club calendar (e.g. tournaments) and throughout the year to educate young people and their families about media and information literacy, teach parents how to talk about and respond to the difficulties faced by their children online, and ensure that media and information literacy is also addressed at home with the help of trusted adults outside the family
  • Widely share the ‘Info @thletes’ kit – created in an easily adaptable open-source format – with other football clubs in the region and within the networks of the two participating football clubs

Partners

We Welcome Young Refugees

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kraainem, Belgium
Start date 11/30/2022
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €140,000
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20231120
Partners Royal Europa ’90 Kraainem FC
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Personal development

Context

Royal Europa ’90 Kraainem FC is an amateur football club that has established itself in Belgium as ‘the club of diversity’. In response to the sudden increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe, in September 2015 the club decided to launch an integration project showing how to support young refugees and asylum seekers, most of them unaccompanied minors. Since spring 2022, the club has also been working with Ukrainian children.

Project goals

The primary objective is to support asylum seekers and refugees, helping them to get active again and feel at home in their community. In doing so, the club also wishes to share its experience and approach with other stakeholders and civil society organisations that can take inspiration from what’s being done and set up projects of their own.

Project content

The club hosts groups of young refugees and asylum seekers, boys and girls, every afternoon during the football season, from September to May. They take part in discussions and train with the club’s youth teams. This initiative is intended as part of a long-term process of integration – a process in which we believe football plays a vital part.

Partners

Sustainable future for all

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Hungary, Budapest, Abaújkér and Márokpapi
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €64,840
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20230630
Partners Oltalom Sport Association
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Access to quality services is the privilege of the few. Traditional institutions struggle to provide services they are originally bound to. With the arrival of large numbers of refugees, they now need to prioritise, increasing the tension between groups who are in line for the limited social support. These circumstances make the work of NGOs more essential, as they try to replace or supplement the efforts of such institutions to foster the social and academic inclusion of athletes.

Project goals

  • Increased physical and mental well-being
  • Strengthen and develop transferable skills
  • Empower of athletes
  • Support the social inclusion of marginalized and at-risk groups

Project content

Oltalom aims to continue its core activities, which focus on strengthening and developing the transferable skills of athletes, who, due to various external reasons, are not thriving in the traditional academic environment. By using the power of football, Oltalom aims to engage children and teenagers in activities, which would also support their development and empowerment. The various on and off the pitch programmes include sport and social activities (e.g. football training, national and international tournaments, employability programmes, scholarship programmes, activities for female athletes) and support the inclusion of marginalised and at-risk groups, including Roma people, refugees and third country nationals arriving from conflict zones.

Partner

SMS – “Sportsmanship in a Multicultural Society”

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Israel
Start date 02/21/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €49,513
Foundation funding €29,871
Project identifier 20230231
Partners A New Way (ANW)
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Israeli society is riven by widening gaps among different population groups. Of these, the tension between the State’s Jewish and Arab citizens is acknowledged as the most significant. One cause of this tension is the fact that Jews and Arabs have few opportunities for positive, meaningful interaction. Israel’s divided education system exacerbates these gaps, preventing meaningful encounters, reinforcing fears and misconceptions, and thwarting the creation of a basis for future collaboration. “A New Way” (ANW) acts as a unifying force and challenges the existing rifts in Israeli Jewish-Arab relations.

The October 7th attack and the war that ensued has thrust us into uncharted territory, amplifying the importance and urgency of our work. Now, more than ever, we must begin healing and reconciling Israeli society by mending the intricate fabric of Jewish and Arab relations. By creating a critical mass of individuals dedicated to working together, we can pave "A New Way" forward—a path towards a more peaceful future for Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Project goals

  • Promote a peaceful, tolerant and inclusive society.
  • Create a good first experience of multicultural collaboration among Arab and Jewish school students developing their desire and ability to work together.
  • Bring knowledge regarding the ‘other’ society and promote shared values and ideas that will foster understanding a more tolerant and sustainable future for Israeli society.
  • Strengthen Israeli society and promote a new generation that, through collaboration and joint action, will improve Jewish-Arab relations.

Project content

Project Structure: In the schools where we operate, ANW holds educational programs and multi-year processes that allow children and their teaching staff to meet and get to know their counterparts from the ‘other’ community, learn and be exposed to the neighbours’ culture, develop a common dialogue, find shared values and work together towards common goals and objectives. As part of the educational process and in order to enable students to work together, there is an essential need to hold workshops that will prepare the children and help them to develop the necessary skills and basic ability to act together and engage in real multicultural cooperation. Recognizing the power of sport to create collaboration between children from different groups and sectors, our organization chose to focus on tools from the world of sports and use them to build the ability to collaborate during the initial stages of the program. The project presented here is aimed precisely at addressing this need. As part of the project, we will hold unique workshops that create collaboration using tools and methods we have developed with our partners. This collaboration phase is built on three different activities to maximize our flexibility and ability to adjust each day of activities to the unique nature, age, needs, and level of development of the different participants in our educational process.

• “Challenges in Nature” day in collaboration with "Rikmae Enoshit" (Human Texture in English) - a local group of experts that develops collaboration workshops based on sports and outdoor challenges. “HUMAN TEXTURE - A house of meaningful group activity. We specialize in group bonding activities which include sports and outdoor challenges, leading to cooperation, teamwork, leadership development, initiative, imagination and creativity. We believe in passing on a message through experience, allowing close communication and inviting the participants to go through a thorough and meaningful process in a joyful and accessible way.”

• Acro-Yoga: The activities and tools used during this workshop were built with the assistance of “The Association for the Development of Circus Arts in Israel.” Circus and acro-yoga are non-verbal art forms that can overcome the barrier of language, while simultaneously reducing fears and building trust. The joint physical activities necessitate mutual acquaintance and trust, and in a human pyramid everyone is equal, without differences of race or religion. Moreover, acro-yoga requires that participants must work with each other and learn to know and trust one another. Just one day leads to remarkable changes in the way Israeli Jewish and Arab school students relate to each other.

• Fair-Play Football: The fair-play football workshop was built with the assistance of Iddo Diamant, former director of activities in "Tzav Pius", a leading specialist in educational development through sports. "Iddo has an MBA in Social Leadership from Ben Gurion University and has vast experience in the field of education both as a program manager and a content developer. Iddo believes in working in an interdisciplinary way to merge sports and education as a single field bringing together his experience as a basketball coach, educator and academic.”

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Football as a tool for social integration !

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lithuania, Vilnius
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €66,450
Foundation funding €42,000
Project identifier 20230125
Partners Vilnius Social Club
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Lithuania has faced significant tensions in recent years: stress and anxiety have soared as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine has led to strained relations with the Russian community and an influx of Ukrainian migrants, and inflation and rising poverty have exacerbated inequalities. Football is not accessible to vulnerable children and young people because of the high fees and a focus on performance rather than participation.

Project goals

The focus of this programme is on bringing about qualitative change in the life of each participant, rather than achieving sporting results. The key aims are to help young people to develop the skills and qualities they need to broaden their options for the future, including social skills, independence, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and a sense of responsibility, and to raise awareness of the unique method used. The project aims to promote social integration, equal opportunities and a sense of belonging for all members of the community.

Project content

The programme consists of football training sessions where children of all genders, nationalities and communities are welcome, ensuring inclusivity and equal access. Over the course of the programme, participants learn how to work as a team, manage their emotions, solve problems constructively, interact with peers and adults, and reflect on their experiences. The Vilnius Social Club informs the wider community about its unique approach to social integration by distributing documentation and producing publications, sharing success stories, providing training, collaborating with other organisations and making use of digital platforms.

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