Play for Change sports centre

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Naples, Italy
Start date 01/01/2019
End date 07/31/2020
Cost of the project €123,050
Foundation funding €123,050
Project identifier EUR-2018735
Partners Play for Change
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

In partnership with Play for Change, the UEFA Foundation for Children supported the renovation of a sports centre located in the Sanità district of Naples, which provides an opportunity for disadvantaged children to access sport and educational activities, promoting inclusion and social engagement.

Rates of organised crime, unemployment and social exclusion are very high in this ethnically diverse district. More than 50% of youngsters drop out of school before the age of 16, ending up joining criminal gangs or groups of bored adolescents roaming the city and getting into trouble.

Project content

Sport is a catalyst for a cultural change and is used to impart the values of discipline, teamwork, fair play and commitment on children and teenagers in the hope that they are motivated to contribute to sustainable community development. The goal is to reduce the school drop-out and failure rates, inspire young people to pursue a career and prevent them from becoming involved with criminal gangs. Families and community members will encourage the positive change.

 

Objectives

• Reduce the school drop-out rate
• Prevent any form of criminal behaviour
• Promote healthy lifestyles
• Provide children with cultural development and physical training
• Integrate children from different backgrounds and those with any form of disability
• Create a community network for positive change

Project activities

The first few months of the project, from March 2019 to July 2019, were spent renovating the sports centre, assessing the risks and beneficiaries and meeting with local stakeholders.

Since the outset of the project, efforts have been made to establish a network of local stakeholders. As a result, the project is supported by local communities, institutions and sports partners, which will ensure its economic and social sustainability.

The sports centre was inaugurated on 10 July 2019. An open day was held with , athletes, coaches and educators, during which the project was presented to the neighbourhood and sports activities were showcased to the 150 children in attendance.

The activities began in October 2019 and to date 91 children between the ages of have taken part, including:

  • Thirty-nine girls and 52 boys.
  • Five children from immigrant families, three Sinhalese, one Romanian and one Nigerian, although all the participants have Italian nationality.
  • Seven children aged 3 to 5 years, 57 children aged 6 to 10 years and 27 aged 11 to 14 years.
  • Thirty-six practising gymnastics, 37 karate, seven fencing, seven baby gym and four .

More than 40 children were referred by the local network of social organisations, seven of whom have taken part in the project.

The rest of the participants live in the area and found out about the sports centre by word of mouth or through the public library.

GYMNASTICS: Two mixed-gender sessions are run for children aged 6 to 12. From January 2020, the sessions were divided into two groups. The first group comprises children aged 6 to 8 years, and the second those aged 9 to 12 years. The two groups train at the same time using different spaces in the gym. From January onwards, there was a marked improvement in terms of the behaviour and commitment of the participants.

KARATE: The activities have 37 participants, divided into two mixed groups. When necessary, training and activities are done as there are two instructors per group. At the beginning of 2020, two events for youngsters practising karate were held at the Champion Center sports hall in Scampia, another deprived area of Naples. The participants had the opportunity to train with other instructors and athletes.

FENCING: The course involved only seven children until the break for the Christmas holidays. In January, several children took part in a taster session, but decided not to register.

BABY GYM: The children who applied for the baby gym course have not yet taken part in the activities. Their parents have been contacted several times but, apart from the initial training session, it has not yet been possible to involve them continuously. Four of the children have dropped out entirely.

Expected results

Direct beneficiaries:

Between 100 and 300 children 3 to 14 years old: 10% migrants or refugees, 50% with challenging social backgrounds, 30% with disabilities, and 10% others.

  • Beneficiaries from extremely difficult backgrounds and families with a variety of issues, such as drug/alcohol abuse or incarceration; youth crime; sexual abuse; teenage pregnancy and teenage parenting; unhealthy nutrition; with limited access to life skills information; no coordinated access to sport.
  • Beneficiaries with vision and hearing disabilities (blind and deaf) and forms of autism

Indirect beneficiaries:

Four schools, two churches, six third-sector associations, 300 families, four sport centres, three institutional entities, and 500 community members.

Recent developments and future plans (May 2020):

The last regular training session before the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown was held on 13 March. Project activities cannot currently be held.

During the lockdown, training videos are being used to keep in touch with the parents and children The instructors prepared videos, personally or through a targeted internet search, to be shared on the parents' WhatsApp groups and the project's Facebook page so that participants can continue to train safely. Parents were asked to share short videos on the WhatsApp group so that the instructors could correct form. From an educational point of view, it was considered important to maintain contact with the children, albeit indirectly, for two reasons: to preserve the relationships established so far and to reiterate the importance of adhering to the government's safety directives.

A summer sports camp is being planned for July 2020. Subject to government directives, it will be possible to evaluate the activities that have been planned in collaboration with the other organisations present in the territory. An with children with disabilities or autism will be taking place with the participants’ carers or parents.

If the camp cannot go ahead, new courses will be held from September 2020 with new participants and in collaboration with third-party sports organisations.

Partner

Goal Plus

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Switzerland
Start date 12/01/2016
End date 01/31/2020
Cost of the project €200,000
Foundation funding €160,000
Project identifier EUR–2018103
Partners PluSport, Axpo
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

PluSport is the umbrella organisation for disability sport in Switzerland. The UEFA Foundation for Children has been supporting the Goal Plus project, linked to PluSport’s football section, since 2016. The project aims to use football and the passion it creates to enable all disabled children and teenagers, including those who use wheelchairs, to play football. For these young people, playing football creates new opportunities for social connections, leisure activities, friendships, educational and professional integration, and acceptance in society.

In 2017, the foundation helped to fund the expansion of the Play Football project, which aims to increase the number of disabled children’s teams, as well as the From Football to Rafroball project. Rafroball is a sport for both wheelchair-users and able-bodied players.

In 2018, PluSport set itself the goal of developing and broadening disabled football in order to foster integration and bring through the next generation of young players. This work is constantly evolving. In addition to organised tournaments, new opportunities have been created for disabled children and teenagers to participate in football activities.

PluSport operates in accordance with Swiss Olympic’s Charter of Sports Ethics and recognises the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Project content

For the third consecutive year, the foundation’s support will help to strengthen PluSport’s football-related activities, focusing on two new areas in particular.

  1. Football for the blind and visually impaired: PluSport has decided to support and promote football for the blind and visually impaired, a sport that has been very popular at the Summer Paralympic Games for many years. Unfortunately, Switzerland does not enter a team. Our objective is, therefore, to see a Swiss team participate in the Paralympic Games. This programme will enable many blind and visually impaired youngsters to play football in spite of their visual impairments
  2. Girls’ football: until now, disabled football has mainly involved boys. However, thanks to its success and popularity, this sport is attracting greater interest among girls. PluSport is monitoring this trend, and we would like to help promote girls’ football. To achieve this, we need to work more and more with female experts, instructors and supervisors.

Target groups:

  • disabled and able-bodied children and teenagers throughout the country;
  • girls, in the context of women’s football; and
  • blind and visually impaired children and teenagers, in the context of football for the blind and visually impaired.

Objectives

  • The objectives laid down could be achieved during the course of this year.
    • Continue to facilitate access to ball games for disabled children and teenagers.
    • Create new ball sports teams for children and teenagers.
    • Promote and develop disability sport.
    • Establish new partnerships as part of the project.
    • In collaboration with all football-related associations, ensure that football clubs are open to disabled football and promote inclusion.
    • See a Swiss football team for the blind and visually impaired participate in the Paralympic Games.

Project activities

  • Integration of children and teenagers, individually or in groups, into PluSport clubs.
  • Creation and support of new PluSport football clubs throughout Switzerland.
  • Regular (weekly) training sessions, with supervision and coaching by PluSport.
  • Organised tournaments (five or six per year). The aim is to add two or three tournaments per year in different parts of Switzerland.
  • Football-themed afternoon gatherings for disabled and able-bodied children (schools, vocational schools, institutions).
  • Training sessions for girls are organised in the various regions.
  • Experts are trained and charged with promoting football for the blind and visually impaired throughout Switzerland and coaching the players.
  • Organisation of football camps for children and teenagers.
  • Sourcing of equipment for training sessions and tournaments.

Expected results

  • More PluSport football teams, especially girls’ teams and teams of blind and visually impaired children.
  • Disabled football is promoted through organised gatherings and tournaments for disabled and able-bodied children.
  • Addition of two or three new tournaments.
  • More girls participating in disabled football.
  • New football camps organised for disabled children and teenagers.
  • Expert coaches trained to organise football training sessions for the blind and visually impaired.
  • Creation of a Swiss football team for the blind and visually impaired.

Partner

Come On, Let’s Play

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Ukraine
Start date 04/15/2019
End date 04/30/2020
Cost of the project €84,036
Foundation funding €58,400
Project identifier EUR-2018297
Partners Shakhtar Social
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Personal development

Context

FC Shakhtar Donetsk was based in the town of Donetsk until 2014. Due to the military conflict in the Eastern Ukraine, the club has relocated to Kyiv. Some of Donetsk’s inhabitants have also been forced to move away. According to government data, more than 1.6 million people escaped the conflict region and eight cities near Donetsk, namely: Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Kurakhove, Avdiivka, Shchastya, Popasna, Toretsk and Volnovakha. Some of the children from this region have sustained injuries as a direct result of the military conflict.

Project content

“Come On, Let’s Play!” is a grassroots project which aims to help migrant children from the war zone in Eastern Ukraine, and disadvantaged and disabled children living close to the frontline. Football is a way to instil values, such as respect, integration, responsibility, fun, physical exercise, psychological support and personal development, in these children. The programme includes regular football training sessions for juniors and disabled children, competitions and a final tournament. The possibility of meeting and playing with players from FC Shakhtar’s first team is an additional motivation for these children.

Objectives

In close co-operation with local partners and an international partner – EFDN, the grassroots football project “Come On, Let’s Play!” aims to improve access to football for children living close to the frontline, refugees and socially disadvantaged children.

It seeks to promote social inclusion, improve children’s quality of life, boost extracurricular learning and activities and provide relief from the pressures of living in a crisis area. The main beneficiaries are children aged between 7 and 12, including disabled children. The project aims to attract 620 participants.

Project activities

The first activity is a “Come On, Let’s Play!” grassroots football project for children aged between 7 and 12, with the aim of improving the social inclusion of children living close to the frontline.

It will be a 12-month programme comprising the following elements.

  • Free football sessions held three times a week by the main coach and two volunteers.
  • The main coach and volunteers train 60 children per playground (with the exception of Toretsk – 80 participants) in two different age groups (U10 and U12), with at least 10% of participants being girls.
  • Four groups of disabled children will be trained in four project locations, involving 40 children.
  • The disabled children will have an adapted programme and will be provided with the necessary equipment.
  • During the implementation of the project, FC Shakhtar first team players will visit each project location and play a football game with the children.
  • The Saturday football session will include football matches between different age groups.
  • The children will be provided with all the necessary equipment: training kits, balls, flat disks, bibs, a whistle, football nets, first aid kits, pumps, freeze sprays and coordination ladders.

 

The second activity is the “Come On, Let’s Play!” competition (one day). Twice a year, a local “Come On, Let’s Play!” competition will be held at each playground, in autumn 2019 and spring 2020. These competitions aim to enhance the children’s enjoyment, promoting a healthy lifestyle and allowing them to meet other children in locations close to the frontline. The participants of the “Come On, Let’s Play!” competition are organised into U10 and U12 teams. The expected number of participants is 480, with a minimum of 10% being girls.

 

The third activity is the “Come On, Let’s play!” final tournament in Volnovakha (two days). The “Come On, Let’s Play!” final tournament aims to unite all participants from the locations close to the frontline and promote social inclusion. It will take place in Volnovakha in April 2020. The final tournament will feature four U10 teams and four U12 teams from the eight different towns located close to the frontline. The total number of participants is 80 children aged between 7 and 12, with at least one girl per team. There will be 30 support staff (coaches and parents). Each town is allowed to put forward just one team of ten participants in one of the two age categories (U10 or U12). The tournament participants will be provided with accommodation, food and refreshments.

Expected results

  • 620 children aged between 7 and 12 are expected to benefit from the “Come On, Let’s Play” programme.
  • Regular football training sessions will take place three times a week in two age categories (U10 and U12).
  • Two local tournaments will be held in autumn 2019 and spring 2020 involving 480 participants.
  • One final tournament will be held in Volnovakha in April 2020 involving one team from each of the eight cities.

Partner

Scoring for Health

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Belgium/Israel/Netherlands/Poland/UK/Ukraine
Start date 12/01/2018
End date 06/01/2021
Cost of the project €221,796
Foundation funding €210,000
Project identifier EUR-2018706
Partners European Football for Development Network (EFDN)
Categories Children with disabilities

Context

Despite a host of different activities delivered at European level in order to combat rising levels of obesity, the proportion of the population who are overweight or obese remains worryingly high. The World Health Organization says that there is a critical need for change in this area, particularly for children between the ages of 5 and 17. The main reason for this is the unhealthy dietary habits of the general European population. Children in Europe lack balance in their diets and consume excessive amounts of saturated fats, trans fats, sugar and salt (caused by rising consumption of highly processed, energy-dense manufactured foods and sugar-sweetened beverages), as well as inadequate – and declining – amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Obesity in children and adolescents is a particularly serious issue. Not only are there immediate consequences for a child’s health, well-being and/or social life, but there are also further-reaching implications. There is strong scientific research showing that obese children and adolescents are much more likely to have unhealthy lifestyles and eating disorders in adulthood and later life, which will have significant costs – not only for those people themselves, but also for society as a whole.

Project content

Scoring for Health is a collaborative initiative bringing together professional football clubs and foundations from six countries (Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK and Ukraine) that encourages children between the ages of 7 and 13 (along with their parents) to adopt a healthy lifestyle and educates them on the value of eating healthily and being active. One of the key drivers of this project is the recent work done by the World Health Organization (as noted above), which found that obesity in children remained a major public health problem in Europe. Childhood obesity is a multifactorial disease associated with a wide range of serious health problems and social issues, including an increased risk of premature death and disability in adulthood.

There are four overarching factors which contribute to this problem:

  • Poor eating habits
  • Declining levels of physical activity in children
  • Increasingly sedentary lifestyles
  • A lack of adequate physical facilities or secure places to play

We can see, therefore, that supporting the development of healthy dietary preferences and promoting physical exercise from an early age is essential in order to prevent childhood obesity. Scoring for Health seeks to tackle these issues with a two-and-a-half-year project. Participating children take part in 20-week school-based programmes involving various activities, with a particular focus on eating habits and physical exercise, in order to provide information and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Activities in those 20-week programmes include weekly specialist interactive classes, educational sessions and workshops on topics such as nutrition, cooking and physical activity, and football sessions.

The launch events for the programmes are held at the stadiums or academies of the participating clubs, where – with first-team players in attendance – children enjoy a day of sports and games, as well as taking part in several educational workshops. Key physical indicators and determinants of health (weight, height, BMI, speed, balance, etc.) are also measured, collected and calculated for each participant, giving an instant assessment of each child’s fitness and providing a scientific basis for the future measurement of participants’ progress.

The Scoring for Health website and social media channels provide participants with online resources and tools to support their efforts, as well as allowing them to keep track of their progress and interact with their peers.

At the end of the programme, before receiving their diplomas, all children participate in the Scoring for Health closing ceremony, which again takes place at the stadium or academy of a participating club. The same physical measurements are taken, in order to allow a final comparison and show the children what they have achieved, with players from the clubs on hand to thank them for their hard work and provide advice and encouragement.

The project seeks not only to have a long-lasting impact on participating children – one that extends far beyond the duration of this initiative – but also to have an indirect impact on those children’s families, their teachers and the wider community.

Finally, the Scoring for Health project also aims to encourage other grassroots and professional football organisations to address the issue of childhood obesity.

Objectives

  • General objectives of the project:
    • To provide accessible, informal educational activities for all participants, regardless of their socio-demographic characteristics and the current state of their health
    • To educate children on healthy lifestyle choices by discussing their eating behaviours and habits, deconstructing their social beliefs regarding food, shaping their consumption, and analysing their leisure activities and their modes of transport
    • To educate children about the nutritional and health issues that they could encounter with an unhealthy lifestyle through workshops and interactive educational sessions, with the aim of reducing the probability of developing unhealthy behaviours
    • To help strengthen children’s motor skills and social/psychological competencies by offering high-quality play-based training sessions
    • To equip football coaches (and teachers in general) with the competencies and tools that are required to educate children – and, indeed, society as a whole – on the critical need to adopt active and healthy behaviours throughout life, and to increase their understanding of this global healthcare challenge
    • To help coaches/teachers to recognise and address the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised members of the community

    Specific objectives for primary school teachers and local staff:

    • To help professional staff and volunteers working for sports organisations (including primary school teachers) to improve the quality of nutritional awareness activities/projects aimed at children and young people

     

Project activities

Expected results

  • Scoring for Health programmes will be delivered at 160 schools in eight cities across the six countries. In the course of two school years (2019/20 and 2020/21), all partners will test and deliver the Scoring for Health methodology in their own local area.
  • Approximately 3,200 boys and girls will participate.
  • The following resources will be developed:
    • Scoring for Health trainee manual and practitioner’s guide
    • Scoring for Health parent and child book
    • Scoring for Health website (open/online/digital education – open education resource (OER))
    • Scoring for Health social media channels
    • Scoring for Health lifestyle contract

Scoring for Health diploma

Partner

CREATE – Children’s recreational and extracurricular activities through education

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location East Jerusalem
Start date 12/01/2018
End date 06/30/2020
Cost of the project €160,000
Foundation funding €144,000
Project identifier EUR 2018599
Partners Terre des Hommes Italy
Categories Personal development

Context

Terre des Hommes Italy is taking part in the CREATE project (Children’s Recreational and Extracurricular Activities Through Education). The proposed activities are aimed at tackling the existing challenges in children’s education and psychosocial development in East Jerusalem by promoting physical and psychosocial well-being, inclusion and high quality education for vulnerable children. The project predominantly aims to reach children and adolescents affected by the difficult circumstances in which they live, as well as their educators and caregivers. Since schools face huge problems acquiring textbooks and ensuring their financial independence and since they often lack proper playgrounds or sports equipment they do not have the capacity to offer children opportunities outside of the taught classes. This issue is exacerbated by the overall lack of safe and child-friendly outdoor spaces in East Jerusalem.

Project content

The main project activities are grouped into five areas:

  • Training, on-the-job guidance and follow-up activities for educators, teachers and head teachers from ten schools in East Jerusalem aimed at helping trainees gain an understanding of and encourage the practice of inclusion.
  • Production of inclusive educational materials (such as factsheets, articles, training tools, educational handouts for educators) which will then be uploaded to the Arabic/English discussion forum on inclusive education (inclusionpalestine.org).
  • Extracurricular and sports activities (sporting, recreational, educational and creative/expressive activities – to include sports and healthy living, art, gardening, environmental awareness, music and movement).
  • Networking, coordination and sharing of experiences and best practices between schools and institutional stakeholders (mainly the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) and the Jerusalem Directorate of Education (JDoE))
  • Management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting

Objectives

  • Contribute to enabling Palestinian children in East Jerusalem to fully enjoy their right to education by improving the quality, opportunities and inclusiveness of the educational offer provided by schools in East Jerusalem.

Project activities

  • Participatory workshops with educators and teachers to work on the design of inclusive educational activities
  • Producing educational tools
  • Updating the online Arabic/English discussion forum on inclusive education
  • Organising regular inclusive extracurricular activities
  • Networking activities for schools / sharing best practices
  • Coordination of regular meetings with the JDoE and the MoEHE

Expected results

  • Direct beneficiaries: 160 teachers in ten schools in East Jerusalem
  • 1,500 children aged 5 to 15 (53% F, 47% M) enrolled in targeted educational institutions

Two workshops/visits to each school

Partner

Give Everyone a Chance

Location and general information

Closed
Location Central and northern Hungary
Start date 01/01/2018
End date 12/31/2019
Cost of the project €76,180
Foundation funding €60,680
Project identifier EUR_2018493
Partners Oltalom Sport Association, John Wesley Primary and Secondary School, Girls’ correctional institution, Home for Unaccompanied Minors, Oltalom Charity Society, Prevention Centre
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Personal development

Context

Oltalom Sport Association (OSA) was founded by a group of individuals and NGOs in Hungary in 2005. Its goal is to use sport as a tool to increase self-esteem and promote a healthy lifestyle among people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Playing football with teams from other social groups enhances the social integration of the target group. OSA provides free, regular football training sessions and equipment for homeless people, refugees, disadvantaged young people and children.

The young participants come from dysfunctional families that lack one or both parents and face constant problems with unemployment, substance use, housing and finance. Many are also abused and neglected. Other problems they face include criminal behaviour brought on by the lack of secure employment, a shortage of employment opportunities and insufficient education. OSA also works with refugees and homeless people, with many participants coming from a refugee or migrant background. Attitudes towards migrants and refugees that have emerged in Hungary in the past few years make their situation in the country difficult. They also have to cope with problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, which requires urgent treatment, a lack of family and friends, loneliness and isolation from mainstream society.

 

Project content

OSA has developed a programme of regular training sessions at local schools in Budapest to help Roma minorities, migrants and refugees to develop their skills. The weekly sessions are held at six locations (three pitches in Budapest, a girls’ correctional institution, John Wesley Primary School and Fót Home for Unaccompanied Minors). As OSA does not have its own permanent pitch, training sessions are held on public pitches or at residential homes.

As in previous years, OSA will organise Fair Play Football Roadshows at six different locations – three in Hungary and three in neighbouring countries – using a portable pitch that was purchased with the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

OSA also runs a scholarship programme for participants in an employment scheme that helps beneficiaries find suitable jobs or start or complete their education.

OSA also provides continuous social support through a network of social workers who help resolve housing, employment, education, health care and administrative issues. Focusing on individual needs, social workers create individual development plans in order to offer a more comprehensive, customised service.

Objectives

  • to enhance participants’ physical and mental health
  • to increase participants’ employability
  • to develop participants’ English language skills
  • to enhance refugee inclusion
  • to increase social connections by organising Fair Play Football Roadshows and international tournaments

Project activities

  • Regular football training sessions in six different locations
  • Fair Play Football Roadshows
  • Scholarships for young leaders and street soccer coaches
  • Workshops:
    • Health education
    • Prevention and handling of bullying
    • Appreciative inquiry

-     Girls’ club: a group activity for female participants focusing on sex education, partner violence, various issues linked to gender and relationships, and opportunities to increase social connections.

  • Continuous social support
  • Data collection for monitoring activity

Expected results

Fair Play Football Roadshows will be held at three locations in Hungary and three in other countries. In 2019, two coaches from developing countries (India, South America, etc.) will be invited to help train and educate OSA and other Hungarian coaches. Since the target group includes children with health problems such as obesity and diseases caused by lack of knowledge about healthy nutrition, OSA will organise monthly workshops on themes such as personal hygiene, physical changes, basic anatomical knowledge, nutrition, etc.

In summer 2019, OSA will organise a five-day football camp in north-eastern Hungary for 40 children, five staff members and between five and eight volunteers.

OSA will participate in four international events across Europe: the Wroclaw Trophy, the EU Fair Play Street Soccer Championship, the European Street Football Festival and the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff, Wales (although the latter was not mentioned in the proposal).

Through its activities, OSA tries to improve participants’ life skills and problem-solving abilities in order to increase their chances of a successful future.

Partner

Football Without Borders

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Austria
Start date 01/01/2020
End date 12/31/2020
Cost of the project € 131,476
Foundation funding € 27,000
Project identifier 2019253
Partners Kicken ohne Grenzen
Categories Conflict victims - Personal development

Context

Around 11% of Austria’s 15 to 24-year-olds are neither in training nor employed, otherwise known as NEET (not in employment, education or training). Most of these young people have a migration or refugee background.

In the years 2016 and 2017, around 60,000 refugees requested asylum in Austria. Around 40% of them were female. Those wishing to enter the Austrian education system may have to wait months or even years before they can do so.

Young people caught up in this kind of situation very often lack self-confidence, motivation, self-discipline, family support, and indeed the soft skills required to manage their re-entry into the education system and start working towards a career.

Project content

Kicken ohne Grenzen’s mission is to use the unifying power of football to help young people from disadvantaged communities integrate sustainably and equitably into society. Football here is seen as a tool and a common language that can be used to discover and develop skills and potential that can be transferred into everyday life and applied in practice.

Kicken ohne Grenzen is member of the streetfootballworld and Fare (Football against Racism in Europe) networks, as well as being part of the Transparent Civil Society Initiative set up by Transparency International in Germany.

The UEFA Foundation is supporting Kicken ohne Grenzen's project "Football Without Borders" for the second year in a row.

Objectives

Fussball+ will help young people from disadvantaged communities to develop social and professional skills and improve their chances of entering the education system or getting a job. In doing so, the project promotes equal opportunities and sustainable social integration.

The training sessions are aimed at young people who are hard to reach through conventional training programmes, especially asylum seekers and refugees.

Project activities

Fussball+ is a programme of weekly football training sessions that has no performance-related admission criteria and uses specific exercises to train soft skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and decision-making.

Through Fussball+ and its Job Goals programme, Kicken ohne Grenzen organises:

  • workshops on topics such as gender equality, team-building, conflict resolution, communication and practical football skills;
  • weekly football training sessions in four different teams, using specific exercises to teach skills young people need to successfully embark on training or employment;
  • CV sessions, a ‘learning buddy’ scheme and vocational training days;
  • a football tournament involving 24 mixed teams and a football3 workshop for children.

Kicken ohne Grenzen also works on joint projects with partner organisations:

  • to implement the ‘Kick it but fair’ fair play training manual in AMANDLA EduFootball coaching sessions;
  • to develop a toolkit to increase youth employability through sport, as part of Scoring for the Future, a project funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme and eight partner institutions in Europe.

Expected results

  • 200 people taking part in the programme between January and December 2020
  • All participants from migrant or refugee backgrounds, and 50% of them female
  • 25 certified skills coaches trained through Kicken ohne Grenzen’s own #BeASkillCoach Academy by December 2020
  • 300 participants in the annual Kicken ohne Grenzen tournament, promoting gender equality and social inclusion

Partner

We welcome young refugees

Location and general information

Context

Royal Europa 90 Kraainem Football Club is an amateur club in the eastern suburbs of Brussels. With 350 young players of 42 different nationalities, the club stands out as a true model of cultural diversity. This is reflected at every level, from the children to the managers, coaches and volunteers. The club puts this diversity to good use.

Kraainem FC has always been proactive in its efforts to promote social integration and is convinced that football is more than just a game. As a grassroots sports organisation, it feels it has an important role to play in inculcating all the social and societal values of sport in its young players, to make them not only better footballers but also better citizens.

In the wake of the migration crisis of 2015, the club decided to become an example of proactive social integration by adapting its everyday activities so that it could involve young refugees in the life of the club. It now provides football training, language classes and various other activities, and its work with young refugees has become an essential pillar of club life.

The project specifically targets unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Belgium. As the home countries of these children are wracked by war or great instability, they are likely to stay in Belgium, where they find themselves in new surroundings with a completely different lifestyle, yet lack the cultural or linguistic knowledge they need to fit in. The task is therefore not merely to welcome them but also to give them the tools they need to successfully integrate into Belgian society and professional life.

Project content

Each week, the club welcomes around 30 unaccompanied refugees aged between 10 and 18 under a partnership agreement between Kraainem FC and FEDASIL (the governmental organisation in charge of welcoming asylum seekers). Three times a week, a group of six to ten children are brought from a local asylum centre to spend the afternoon at the club. The youngsters share in the normal life of the club, train with a qualified coach and attend teaching sessions such as French and Dutch language classes. They also receive free equipment and lunch in the club cafeteria.

The initiative has been a tremendous success for the club, the reception centres and, most importantly, the young refugees themselves. Local, national and European media have regularly covered the Kraainem project. This has encouraged the club to take the project a step further, not only by consolidating its own activities, but also by raising awareness and supporting other Belgian clubs that wish to follow suit.

Objectives

  • Invite 30 unaccompanied minors aged 10 to 18 to join in the club’s activities each week.
  • Encourage other clubs and refugee centres to launch similar projects, in collaboration with the Royal Belgian Football Association.
  • Share experiences with other Belgian clubs working with refugees.
  • Organise football weeks during school holidays for club players and refugees. Mornings will be dedicated to training sessions and afternoons to excursions and cultural exchanges.

Expected results

Kraainem FC has been running this project for four years. By the end of the 2018/19 season, more than 2,000 refugees and asylum seekers will have been welcomed at the club. Some of them only attend a few times before being transferred to another reception centre where they will continue with their integration process. Others are able to attend on a regular basis and become full members, enabling them to play competitive matches at the weekend. The aim is to have around 20 refugees as club members every year.

This project has enabled the club to establish itself on the Belgian footballing map. In collaboration with the Belgian FA, Kraainem FC’s model has been shared all around the country, inspiring other football clubs. More than 40 Belgian clubs have so far launched similar initiatives, joining a national network launched by the Belgian FA. Kraainem FC wants to continue to inspire others by exporting its model abroad and creating a Europe-wide network. It is also reaching out to other sports federations in Belgium, as football is not the only discipline that brings people together.

Nobody cannot make a significant difference on their own. However, by joining forces with other civil society initiatives, Kraainem FC can expect to have an impact on the future of asylum seekers in Belgium. Through its daily sessions, it hopes to help improve the lives of the participants, who have fled misery, civil war and persecution, and who are hoping to start a new chapter of their lives.

Partners

Logo Kraainem

Active Lives

Location and general information

Terminé
Location England
Start date 02/01/2020
End date 12/31/2020
Cost of the project €1,156,610
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier EUR-2018347 - 2019729
Partners Newcastle United Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

Whatever their differences, all children have the right to play and to enjoy the best conditions to stay fit and healthy. Unfortunately, this is not a reality for many disabled children, especially those living in disadvantaged areas. In England, disability is most prevalent in the north: in a survey conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2015/16, 25% of people in the northeast reported a disability, compared with only 14% in London.[1] In this context, the Newcastle United Foundation wishes to use the power of football to overcome barriers and ensure that disadvantaged and disabled children are not left behind but are given opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports, to learn, to stay healthy and to have fun.

[1] Department for Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey 2015/16

Project content

The aim is to establish a regional centre of excellence for disability sport, where disabled people of all ages and abilities will be able to enjoy sport and exercise without barriers as part of a ground-breaking activity programme using high-quality indoor facilities. The flagship centre will not only promote active lifestyles and the recreational enjoyment of sport alongside the associated health and well-being benefits; it will also raise aspirations and support the development of Paralympic champions of the future. A wide programme of pan-disability and disability-specific football sessions will be offered under one roof at this brand-new centre, which will be accessible to individuals and families from across northeastern England and encourage them to get active and stay active for life.

Objectives

The project will give disabled children the opportunity to improve their fitness, mobility and balance. Football and other physical activities will also be used as a tool to help participants build their self-confidence, make friends and achieve their own personal goals on the football pitch and in life.

Project activities

The new centre will be home to numerous clubs and teams offering weekly sessions for children in the following areas:

  • DSActive (sport for people with Down’s Syndrome)
  • Visually impaired football
  • Deaf football
  • Cerebral palsy football
  • Amputee football
  • Walking football
  • Frame football
  • Pan-disability sessions
  • Powerchair football
  • Sensory sports

The centre will provide a venue for regular disability football matches and competitions with other teams and groups from across the UK, bringing flagship disability sports events to the city. In addition, the centre will be a thriving community hub on matchdays, offering matchday experiences for disabled fans and a home for the Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association.

All registered users of the centre will be able to access the wide variety of programmes delivered by the Newcastle United Foundation, including personal development, education, employability, and health and well-being programmes. The centre will also be accessible to schools and community organisations that support disabled and disadvantaged people.

Expected results

  • Host 10 disability football clubs, each offering weekly sessions for 36 weeks of the year
  • Work with 40 schools for children with special educational needs
  • Work with 35 regional disability support organisations
  • Organise 15 festivals, tournaments and competitions for 1,000 disabled people
  • Deliver a comprehensive coach education programme and continuous professional development for 100 coaches of disabled footballers and athletes
  • Recruit 50 disabled young adults for a personal development programme

Partner

Football for Peace Academy

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina
Start date 04/01/2021
End date 03/31/2023
Cost of the project €473,407
Foundation funding €96,142
Project identifier 2018499
Partners Genesis Project, Fundlife International
Categories Personal development

Context

Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to a large number of ethnic groups. The three main groups in the country are Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. The post-independence war in 1995 has left the country in a fragile and ethnically divided state. Furthermore, the division can also be felt in the education system, thanks to the existence of divided schools. This kind of school demonstrates the phenomenon of “two schools under one roof”. These schools, which are found in cantons and areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina where the ethnic composition is mixed, are segregated on the basis of ethnicity. This situation is amplified by the fact that the education professionals generally tolerate this way of thinking. Children are thus prevented from participating in joint activities with pupils from different ethnic groups. Some teachers even feel that separate schools should exist for the different ethnic groups. As a result, research conducted by the Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown that the education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina does not prepare young people for life in a multi-cultural society. This could in turn lead to other problems, such as intolerance and a lack of understanding towards people of different cultures or ethnic groups.

Project content

The Genesis Project organisation has been working with these schools and has implemented various joint activities. By working with teachers, students and parents, the Genesis Project hopes to break down barriers to mutual comprehension, overcome ethnic separation between the ethnic groups present in these schools and create the building blocks for peaceful coexistence.

The supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, will target eight ethnically divided schools in the Central Bosnia canton. Over the course of the three-year implementation period the Genesis Project will conduct numerous joint activities in 24 primary schools.

  • 113 workshops per year for children
  • 112 workshops per year for parents
  • 48 workshops per year for teachers
  • 30 educational puppet shows per year for younger children
  • 30 educational theatre shows per year for older children
  • Football for Peace Academy

Objectives

As football is the most popular sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Genesis Projects wants to use its power to engage children’s minds and harness their passion, providing an alternative to the influence of conflict and ethnic segregation. The Football for Peace Academy will be used as a means for decreasing the threat of recurring conflicts and violence within schools and as a social tool to promote peace, communication and respect for the diversity existing among the project beneficiaries.

Project activities

The Genesis Football for Peaceful Communities (GFFPC) project will use football to foster trust, dialogue and tolerance in communities where these things currently do not exist. It will use the football3 methodology as a way to encourage peace and reconciliation and promote peaceful community development. With the support of international capacity-building partners, Genesis will train 72 local mediators from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 48 local schoolteachers, who will set up and lead the activities of the GFFPC project.

The project will involve:

  • the selection and training of fooball3 mediators;
  • the selection and training of football3 coaches;
  • the donation of necessary equipment and signature of the memorandums of understanding with school management to enable them to provide extracurricular football activities;
  • the selection and training of the football3 players, chosen based on respect rather than sporting ability, with a view to forming local football teams;
  • the organisation of football matches.

Expected results

  • Delivery of three football3 and Football for Social Development training sessions to 24 young people who will become football3 mediators, making 72 football3 mediators in total
  • Delivery of Football for Social Development and football coach training sessions to 48 community and school coaches, giving each coach the potential to directly train up to 50 children
  • Delivery of two weekly football sessions at the coaches’ schools, making a total of 72 sessions per school over the 36 weeks of the academic year
  • Organisation of 120 football matches (five per primary school)

Partners

From Sport to Work in the heart of disadvantaged neighbourhoods

Location and general information

Terminé
Location France
Start date 11/30/2018
End date 11/30/2019
Cost of the project €2,479,020
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier EUR 2018087
Partners Sport dans la Ville
Categories Personal development

Context

Sport dans la Ville works with 6,500 young people aged between 7 and 22 who live in disadvantaged areas of Lyon, Grenoble, Chambéry, Saint-Etienne, Lille and Paris.

The young participants live in areas targeted for urban regeneration, where access to training and employment is very limited. The rate of unemployment for 16- to 25-year-olds in the areas in which Sport dans la Ville operates is 45%.

Sport dans la Ville created the From Sport to Work programme to help every young person find employment. The programme aims to help 1,300 young people aged 15 and above to find training and employment opportunities by preparing them and enabling them to acquire skills and long-term employment through practical activities and individual supervision. Young participants in the sports programmes run by Sport dans la Ville also join the From Sport to Work programme.

The UEFA Foundation for Children is supporting this employment programme for the second year in a row.

Project content

At its centres, Sport dans la Ville provides continuous support for children from the age of six by offering academic, social and professional integration activities (generally lasting between 10 and 12 years).

 

Long-term support

  • Sport dans la Ville uses sport to pass on values and life skills such as confidence and personal development to young people living in the neighbourhoods in which it operates.
  • Sport dans la Ville supports the success and access to employment of young people from areas targeted for urban regeneration by offering them cultural opportunities and numerous pathways into employment.
  • By working alongside young people, their families and local stakeholders, Sport dans la Ville promotes the transformation of disadvantaged areas and fosters equal opportunities.

 

Five practical measures to help each young person acquire new skills and long-term employment:

  1. Individual support from a professional development coach (a permanent employee of Sport dans la Ville).
  2. Preparation for the world of work thanks to visits to companies and explanation of the rules of the workplace and recruitment procedures.
  3. Mentoring by company employees, who share their experience of work and support the young people with their professional integration.
  4. Discovery of new cultural horizons in France and abroad, enabling young people to gain initial work experience (internships, work-study contracts, fixed-term contracts, permanent contracts) and taking them out of their everyday environment in order to foster in them a desire to succeed.
  5. Sport dans la Ville programmes are designed to promote gender equality and cultural and social openness with a view to fighting the stigmatisation of young people from areas targeted for urban regeneration.

Objectives

  • To increase the number of participants in the From Sport to Work programme by opening ten new sports centres in three regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Île-de-France and Nord-Pas-de-Calais Picardie. These new centres will be able to accommodate more young people (1,300 in 2018/19).
  • To increase the involvement of young people at the existing Sport dans la Ville sports centres.
  • To help more young people find long-term employment.
  • To make employment more accessible for the young participants in the From Sport to Work programme.
  • To promote equal job opportunities for all, regardless of social background.

Expected results

  1. In 2018 and 2019, the structuring and development of the From Sport to Work programme are continuing at national level and partnerships are being strengthened in order to ensure the financial sustainability of the programme and enable the planned improvements to be made.
  2. Positive impact on the development of young participants in the From Sport to Work programme.
  3. Improved social integration of young participants in the programme.
  4. Positive effects on academic success.

Positive effects on professional integration.

Partner

Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation – SV GIO

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Netherlands
Start date 08/12/2019
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €620,264
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier EUR-2019718
Partners Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation, Vriendenloterij, Shell, Rotterdam World Gateway, Friends of GvB Foundation, Athlead UK, Arsenal in the Community, Rangers Charity Foundation, Vlemmings & Van Zwam, Feyenoord Rotterdam N.V., Université Erasme de Rotterdam, Erasmus Sport Foundation, Access to Sports Project
Categories Personal development

Context

Inspired by a strong desire to give back to the community Giovanni van Bronckhorst (former captain of the Dutch national football team with 106 caps) and his wife Marieke established the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation (GvB Foundation) in 2008. After supporting third-party projects for several years, the idea came about to alter the goals of the foundation and for it to start focusing on the development of its own projects.

What seemed to be lacking were projects aimed at closing gaps in learning and promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle to children, especially in the deprived parts of South Rotterdam, which is home to football club Feyenoord and the area where Giovanni grew up.

Giovanni and Marieke felt that the challenges of this area were something they could tackle, after all sport offered Giovanni many opportunities to grow and improve his life chances. Marieke's passion for teaching was born when she started studying for her primary school teaching qualifications. This was back when the pair were living in Glasgow and Giovanni was playing for Glasgow Rangers (1998–2001).

The GvB Foundation believes that every child deserves to become the best version of themselves. In football you have to learn quickly to create opportunities on the spot to improve the game. At S.V. GIO children are shown strategies and skills to recreate these opportunities in their day-to-day lives.

The Foundation also aims to provide children with a boost in their last two years at primary school in order to prepare them for a more successful educational path. At S.V. GIO children work hard and play hard, both individually and as a team, to overcome any academic obstacles and to re-establish a genuine sense of self-esteem.

Project content

S.V. GIO’s flagship project: best in class sports education

This sports education programme offers guidance to children in the last two years of Dutch primary school, coaching them like world-class athletes and helping them get off to a good start at secondary school. As part of an intensive 20-week programme, children meet up once a week to participate in sports and to work on the subjects they are struggling with at school. S.V. GIO also provides a programme for refugee children which helps them to settle into their new environment.

Sharing knowledge across Europe

The content of the project has been continually revised and developed over the last six years and the GvB Foundation is now sharing its expertise with other players, player foundations, clubs, club foundations, youth centres and educators across Europe.

Objectives

  • Help disadvantaged children in large cities to develop their core life skills, therefore overcoming personal and social barriers and improving their educational and career prospects, by engaging with them at a crucial developmental stage, i.e. the transition from primary to secondary school.
  • Promote sports participation, thereby improving the health of undernourished children.
  • Through Gio’s network of former clubs (such as Glasgow Rangers and FC Barcelona) and with the help of other organisations, encourage and embolden other clubs, players and managers to use this proven model to help many other children in cities and towns around the world.
  • Create an opportunity for underprivileged children who are unable to go on a summer holiday and give them an unforgettable educational and sports-focused summer with their favourite football club.
  • Broaden children’s horizons by giving them the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.
  • Further develop and improve the content of S.V. GIO by exchanging coaches and knowledge internationally.

Project activities

Alongside the 20-week programme, two separate summer school events are being organised for summer 2019, one in London and one in Glasgow. Each course will last two days. There will be eight coaches training the 40 children attending, supervised by one head coach. The coaches are being trained by Paul van Zwam and Mano Radema, both from the Netherlands, who together with Giovanni developed the S.V. GIO learning method. The coaches are trained in line with this method and therefore the principles of the Feyenoord youth training and education programme also apply.

Expected results

Within the project there are several building blocks related to resiliency. These include, among many others, goal setting, problem solving, cooperation and taking responsibility. As such, the expectation is to see an enormous increase in resiliency. Children’s awareness of healthy eating and sporting activities should also be increased and it is hoped that they will have fun in the process!

 

Partner

Humanitarian crisis in Greece

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Thessaloníki and Ioannina (Greece)
Start date 04/01/2018
End date 12/31/2018
Cost of the project €1,474,495
Foundation funding €78,000
Project identifier EUR - 0148
Partners Terre des Hommes
Categories

Context

The bombing in Afrin and Ghouta in Syria, and the escalating violence in parts of Afghanistan is driving people to flee. According to the UNHCR, 21,887 people have crossed the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, one-third of whom have arrived on Greek islands. The number of new arrivals was 33% higher in the first four months of 2018 than during the same period in 2017. The emergency reception centres for refugees and migrants are overcrowded. At the same time, national organisations and NGOs are forced to close shelters and programmes for the youngest of those affected by war, conflict, migration and displacement because of administrative bottlenecks. Homelessness among asylum seekers has become an issue because of inadequate procedures which do not guarantee pre-registration.

In 2017, Terre des Hommes provided safe accommodation for 361 vulnerable families and young people. It currently manages 19 apartments in Ioannina. As part of the same protection package, Terre des Hommes has provided legal counselling and representation to over 1,250 refugees and migrants, and mental health and psychological services to more than 1,500. In addition, access to medical services has been ensured in 70% of all cases.

Project content

Terre des Hommes will continue its mission of supporting Greek authorities and civil society by assisting with the emergency reception of refugees and migrants, supporting their effective integration and helping to build integrated and sustainable child protection systems.

The accommodation programme run for nine months, from April to December 2018, and will be implemented in Thessaloníki and Ioannina.

Objectives

  • To expand the existing accommodation programme.
  • To provide the bare minimum of accommodation and cash.
  • To guarantee a range of protection services, including daily social work, protection activities, legal counselling and interpreting.
  • To ensure children have access to adequate child protection services.

Project activities

The project aims to increase access to safe accommodation and social care in Ioannina and Thessaloníki by expanding its existing arrangements to make 400 beds available in northern Greece. The beneficiaries in Ioannina will have access to a large community centre, which will be the venue for cooking events, language classes, Greek film nights, discussion groups, arts and craft events and child-friendly spaces.

In this way, Terre des Hommes will be supporting vulnerable children with caregivers by providing them with accommodation, and giving older unaccompanied minors (males aged 16–17) somewhere where they can live independently.

Furthermore, the project will focus on psychological support for refugee children, young people and their parents by using games, structured creative work, informal learning, theatre, sport, music, reading and any other activities that will improve self-esteem, trust, cooperation, well-being, safety and life skills.

Expected results

Terre des Hommes is the only remaining international child-focused NGO in northern Greece. The housing programme is essential to ensure urgent action to protect migrant children, prevent child exploitation and provide humanitarian aid to children and their families.

Partner

Football Film Festival

Situation géographique et informations générales

Context

The Foundation of Polish Soccer is founded Polish Football Association. The foundation’s aim is to promote and develop football in Poland, to take action to develop and raise the level amateur football, and to support the activities of the Polish Football Association.

In 2017, Foundation of Polish Soccer initiated the first edition of Football Film Festival in Cracow in connection with UEFA EURO Under-21. This festival had the aim to promote football culture by seemingly football and film. This innovative concept was very successful and an innovative way to communicate with younger generations who had free access to the event.

The European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) showed clearly that kids from the poorest social group in Poland are in need of support to help them out of poverty giving them options and perspectives for personal development.

The Foundation of Polish Soccer wants to use the social and educational dimension of the Festival Film Festival by allocating a special free ticket pool for children and orphanages.

Project content

The football film festival was held in Warsaw from 25 to 26 May 2018.

The purpose is to promote sport and film culture especially among children and young people.

This year, the festival screened the most important documentaries of recent months, reflecting on the modern football world – its issues, absurdities and challenges, along with film portraits of football legends.

The festival had three sections:

  1. the main section included full-length documentaries produced after 1 January 2017
  2. the Krótka Piłka short-film section included both professional and amateur works
  3. the retro section looked back on important, yet forgotten films with a football theme, and we screened the best documentary along with feature films about football produced before 2016

The young participants had the opportunity to meet filmmakers, athletes and journalists.

On the sports side, a period was reserved exclusively for children to participate in practical activities on the playing field to promote physical and mental development.

Activities included:

  • film screenings dedicated exclusively to children – free entry;
  • zone of football activity at the cinema – trainings with trainers, football players from youth clubs
  • meetings with footballers and coaches,
  • distribution of football equipment
  • meetings with filmmakers, actors, publishers
  • exhibition of football posters

The novelty of the second edition of the Festival was to give the opportunity to youngsters to submit their own film to the festival organiser.

Objectives

  • With the support of the ministry of national education, the objective is to involve pupils from 459 primary schools, high schools and technical schools.
  • Support local communities and children from orphanages
  • Give access to football and culture to children in the poorest social groups and give them a new perspective of personal development and empowerment

 

Expected results

  • Attendance of 2,800 children aged 7-16 from schools and orphanages for free film screenings and football classes
  • Promote and develop football among children in need so that they practise sport for their physical and mental well-being, to gain self-confidence and new perspectives and believe in a better future
  • Promote and develop grassroots football in Poland

Partner

Brave Hearts

Location and general information

Context

Jojug Marjanli is a village of Jabrayil district, one of the seven surrounding districts of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, located on the contact line with Armenian armed forces. Recently the village was liberated. After regaining de-facto jurisdiction over the village, the government of Azerbaijan immediately started rebuilding roads, schools and hospitals in order to create acceptable living conditions for everyone and to allow internally displaced people and refugees to return.

The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) is sensitive to charity causes and social responsibility projects are one of its main priorities. The association works closely with UNICEF on the promotion of healthy lifestyles, children’s rights and the eradication of violence against children, and also has a national disability football team.

Project content

As a universal game, football is an excellent way to provide internally displaced people and refugees with an enjoyable and unifying pastime.

The Brave Hearts project aims to improve the health and well-being of people living on or close to the border. Whether in a refugee or in a school camp, in the street or in the pitch, the project wants to give them the opportunity to play football anytime and anywhere.

Three-day football festival with monthly follow-up mini-tournaments in different refugee camps in Jojug Marjanli and nearby locations will involve the installation of mini-pitches, small-sided football games and other football activities, other games, face art, personal development workshops and training, a concert and the distribution of football kits and equipment. The festival will be open to the whole population and will brighten up the lives of adults and children, uniting and encouraging them to stay strong, continue achieving their goals and lead healthy livestyles in turbulent times. Afterwards, every three months, there will be a one-day long mini-tournament in Jojug Marjanli, until the end of the project.

«Brave Hearts» Football Festival

Partners

Talent Group

Location and general information

Context

Self-esteem and self-confidence play a fundamental role in a child’s personal development. A healthy level of self-esteem will help a child to make and articulate choices in a composed and confident manner, while fostering creativity in his/her everyday life. Unfortunately, many children do not enjoy such advantages.

Project content and objectives

The Talent Group project – the brainchild of former Dutch international Ruud van Nistelrooy – revolves around children’s personal development, drawing on the former player’s personal experience in order to encourage children to fulfil their dreams. Van Nistelrooy explains that his success in seizing all of the various opportunities that led to his career in football was down to the continuous encouragement of all the people around him. This project seeks to pass on the baton by producing coaches who will encourage children to discover their talents and develop them with confidence and assurance. Talents may vary from sport to learning, drawing, dancing or making music.

Expected results

The project’s organisers are currently working with 60 primary school pupils between the ages of 9 and 12. They are also providing training to 80 coaches, and workshops (4 times a year) for teachers and other people working with children, in line with the philosophy of the Ruud van Nistelrooy Foundation.

Partners