Bijzondere Eredivisie

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Netherlands
Start date 09/22/2023
End date 05/31/2028
Cost of the project €1,281,810
Foundation funding €150,810
Project identifier 20230682
Partners Stichting het Gehandicapte Kind
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

Sport is crucial to children’s physical and mental well-being, and team sports also help develop social skills through collaboration. Unfortunately, it is often a challenge for disabled children to join their local football club and participate in team sports generally.

Project goals

  • Promote social interaction and friendship through football clubs.
  • Improve disabled children's health and confidence.
  • Foster positive, inclusive perceptions of disabled children, both inside and outside the football community.
  • Increase disabled children’s participation in football during and as a result of the project.
  • Involve a minimum of 18 professional clubs within three years.

Project content

  • Bijzondere Eredivisie (Special Eredivisie) competition: every club hosts a one-day competition involving four visiting teams travelling with their official club bus.
  • Press conference: a press conference is held with journalists that make the children feel like professional
  • Clinics and training sessions: clinics and training sessions are organised with professional footballers from the participating
  • Friendly matches: friendly matches are organised against other clubs in the Bijzondere
  • Grassroots activities: activities are organised for disabled footballers through the grassroots sections of the professional

Partner

Learn to be Healthy

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Romania, Bucharest
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €70,000
Foundation funding €70,000
Project identifier 20230507
Partners United Way Romania
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

In Romania, 1 in 4 children has weight problems. That is why it is imperative to continue the UEFA Foundation project and increase its reach by adding 1 new community, 850 disadvantaged children and 100 parents, reducing part of costs by reusing previously purchased equipment.

By 2030, almost 500,000 children aged 5-19 will suffer from obesity, because of unhealthy diets and reduced sport activity (estimated by The World Obesity Federation), in the absence of prevention and treatment measures.

Project goals

To promote and support a healthy lifestyle for children in three disadvantaged communities, one urban and two in rural areas of Bucharest:

  • Inform, educate about the importance of a balanced nutrition, sports and anti-bullying
  • Promote the importance of sport by practicing soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis
  • Ensure healthy snack during activities
  • Organize Sports Days, sports events and info sessions on the importance of nutrition, sports for a healthy life and anti-bullying

Project content

Sports and education sessions on the importance of healthy life to foster improved long-term wellbeing for children and parents from disadvantaged communities.

Parents from target group are not even aware of their children's weight and health problems. More than this children often witness inappropriate behaviours of adults, verbal aggression and often physical. Involving them in project activities, we teach them what fair-play means and to develop positive behaviours with parents, teachers.

Partner

LEARN&PLAY – Equal educational and sport opportunities for all children

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Montenegro
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 06/10/2024
Cost of the project €77,308
Foundation funding €56,308
Project identifier 20230543
Partners NGO Parents
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Alarmingly, every third child in Montenegro (33.7%) is facing poverty, according to UNICEF research “Multidimensional Child Poverty in Montenegro”. Parents Association is supporting children living in extreme poverty –often in non-formal houses, without electricity, regular meals, discriminated and socially isolated. They are struggling with learning at school and often drop of in early age. Non of them never have access to any sport. Without education and social inclusion, they have no chance for better life.

Project goals

General objective:

  • Support education, sport and social inclusion of 1560 children who live in poverty in north Montenegro.

Specific objectives:

  • Provide access to sport -  free football trainings for 1080 children who live in poverty
  • Provide free lessons for 480 children to acquire basic school curriculum–reading and writing.
  • Increase self-esteem, motivation and social skills of the children
  • Promote equal opportunities for all children among main stakeholders.

Project content

Equal educational and sport opportunities for all children! The mission of this project is to improve chances for children age 6 – 10 who live in poverty in suburban and rural areas in undeveloped north part of Montenegro, by supporting their education and social inclusion through football. The project will consist of regular football trainings, mentorship (teaching classes of reading and writing) and a final event – sports tournament. LEARN&PLAY will help them to finish the school, include in social life, and spin the wheel of change!

Activities:

Organization of football training in 12 small municipalities in north Montenegro

  • Selection and coordination with chosen schools and townhall football centers
  • Developing Training program for licensed coaches.
  • Providing sport equipment for children and football centers
  • Recruiting volunteers who will help coaches delivering the trainings
  • Coordinating football trainings, twice a week for 90 children per municipalities
  • Organizing visits of famous Montenegrin football players

Organization of free classes for school curriculum

  • Developing reading and writing workshop program for learning coordinators
  • Recruiting volunteers who will help children in learning
  • Training for learning supervisors and volunteers

Organization of football tournament for 24 football  teams (2 per municipalities)

Partners

Deporte por Refugio

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Spain, Sevilla
Start date 02/15/2022
End date 03/01/2025
Cost of the project €448,177
Foundation funding €303,165
Project identifier 20230727
Partners Fundación Grandes Valores – Fútbol Más
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

The city of Seville is home to four of Spain’s ten poorest areas, with 38.6% of children at risk of or already suffering alarming levels of poverty and social exclusion. These areas also have a large migrant population experiencing exclusion and segregation. Inequality and a lack of employment opportunities also have a negative impact on families, and consequently, the education and development of children.

 

Project goals

  • Promote the inclusion, education and well-being of children and young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds and vulnerable communities in Seville
  • Help children feel more connected, resilient and involved in their local community
  • Reduce children's biases based on gender and cultural differences
  • Help schools to incorporate sport for development into their programmes
  • Raise awareness and advocate for the inclusion of people in vulnerable situations through sports in schools

Project content

The Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR), the Real Betis Foundation and Fútbol Más Spain have joined forces to develop a community-based project promoting the inclusion and well-being of vulnerable migrant and refugee children and their families. Deporte por Refugio is an award-winning social sports programme designed to enhance the physical and mental health of children at risk of social exclusion in three neighbourhoods of Seville. It also aims to raise awareness about the role of health in improving the inclusion of migrants and refugees, and to highlight how football can help to achieve this.

Last year, Deporte por Refugio had a positive impact on the lives of more than 2,000 people and received two national awards: a Rompe el circulo (‘break the cycle’) award from the Spanish High Commissioner against Child Poverty and the Spanish High Council for Sport’s award for best inclusion project. Now in its third year and supported by the UNHCR, UNICEF, the Spanish government and Seville city council, the programme aims to convey to society that football can transform the reality of children and refugees.

Partners

Promoting togetherness through girls in football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kosovo, Priština
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €90,550
Foundation funding €78,550
Project identifier 20231077
Partners KFV Prishtina – Prishtina Girls Football Team
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Despite strides towards peace in post-conflict Kosovo, social divisions persist in some communities, which makes cooperation harder, especially among the younger generation.

This project seeks to use football as a tool for social change with the power to transcend geographical, cultural and gender boundaries. Interest in women's sports is growing in Kosovo, but the participation of young women and girls remains low due to gender stereotypes and other barriers.

Project goals

  • Boost the involvement of young women and girls in football, including those with disabilities
  • Create a safe environment for girls to play football, free from bullying and discrimination
  • Foster trust and unite girls from diverse communities
  • Break down barriers and create a cohesive environment
  • Improve the well-being and develop the life skills of girls through football
  • Ensure representation from every community by creating girls football teams in all primary schools
  • Raise awareness about gender equality, diversity and discrimination prevention, and about the positive impact of sports on mental health, well-being and confidence
  • Achieve community engagement and involve local and national partners

Project content

  • Girls football teams in all primary schools so that all girls have access to free training twice a week
  • Tournaments where girls from different ethnic backgrounds can play together
  • City football teams for girls with disabilities, set up in close collaboration with Down Syndrome Kosova
  • Volunteer outreach, whereby older girls from KFV Prishtina volunteer in activities with younger and disabled girls
  • Targeted training programmes designed to improve communication, teamwork and leadership skills among girls from various ethnic communities
  • Mentoring sessions with role models to educate girls about the sustainable development goals, including gender equality and environmental conservation
  • Training for sports teachers and staff on the UEFA Child Safeguarding Policy, in order to create a safe and inclusive sporting environment
  • Meetings with an ombudsperson to raise awareness of discrimination
  • Partnership agreements with local government bodies, the media and academia and collaborating with national organisations working to prevent discrimination
  • Gender inclusivity workshops, community football events and advocacy campaigns designed to engage the community
  • A joint tournament to mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
  • A World Children’s Day tournament in Brezovica using football to bring together different ethnic communities

Partner

Football3 Girl and Women Changemakers

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Poland
Start date 01/02/2024
End date 06/30/2025
Cost of the project €148,000
Foundation funding €54,575
Project identifier 20231213
Partners Trenuj Bycie Dobrym
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

In Poland, the biggest social problem faced in football is unequal representation and access, with far fewer women playing and coaching than men. In 2020, only 23,578 of the country’s 414,217 players were women, and only one of the 12 top-tier women's teams has a female manager. From an early age, children learn that football is for boys, and this stereotype is reinforced at school.

The Polish Football Association found that only 7% of female players started playing at school. It has therefore made working with schools to get more girls involved in football a key objective of its strategy for women's football.

Project goals

  • Work with the Polish Football Association to get more girls and women involved in football, including in schools
  • Raise awareness among primary school teachers across Poland about the power of football3 to promote equal access to sport for children
  • Train at least 600 teachers to become football3 mediators and trainers
  • Make girls and female teachers role models or ‘football3 changemakers’, laying the foundations for grassroots children’s football in Poland

Project content

The project works closely with the Polish Football Association and primary school teachers, 99% of whom are women. It will offer in-person training on the football3 programme in 13 regions of Poland as well as an online course, with a view to evaluating and certifying at least 600 female primary school teachers.

Each teacher trained will deliver football3 sessions to boys and girls aged 7–9, teaching them to play together from an early age. By setting the rules of the game together and awarding each other ‘super power points’, the children will learn to cooperate, respect and empathise with one another regardless of gender.

In addition, football3 changemakers tournaments will be held in each of the 13 regions, followed by a final gala, designed to promote equal access to football for everyone.

 

Partners

Game with Mum and Dad

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Europe
Start date 06/06/2023
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €270,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230188
Partners Children of Prisoners Europe
Categories Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

More than two million children in Europe are separated from an imprisoned parent, often causing them overwhelming sadness, grief and anxiety. The incarceration of a parent will affect a child’s self-esteem, undermine feelings of affection and mental health. It creates social barriers and feeds into exclusion, discrimination and poverty. Given the small number of visits permitted with children, it is necessary to create joyful moments, in which parents and children have the opportunity to spend time together.

Project goals

The project’s main aim is to reinforce trust, love and the bond between children and their parents. Joyful memories will contribute to a child’s well-being, by fostering inclusion and empowering them. The project also aims to bring about structural transformation within prisons, so that the rights and best interests of the child are taken into consideration at all times during the parent’s incarceration.

Project content

Game with Mum and Dad brings families together for a day of play, hugs, and laughs – all over Europe. The children are actively involved in preparing each event, which culminates in a game of football with their parents inside prison walls.

The games take place during late summer and early autumn, in multiple locations throughout Europe. The Europe-wide campaign raises awareness about children of prisoners on local, national and international levels.

Partners

In sport and play; Together Equal and Safe

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Albania
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €155,997
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230545
Partners Save the Children
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In Albania, 83% of school children report the unethical behaviour by school staff, including insults, sarcasm and derogatory nicknames. Although there have been considerable changes in child protection law in the past few years, there are still significant issues. Every other disabled child experiences discrimination during play with peers.

Project goals

Help to ensure safeguarding, equity and inclusion in sport for all Albanian children by providing them a safe space to practise sport, be active and develop to their full potential.

Project content

Save the Children will provide tools to improve ways of working and positive models for the inclusion of disabled children. This intervention will enable best practices from previous projects to be embedded in targeted activities on child safeguarding in sport using UEFA modules on safer play for 212 coaches. Six unified sports clubs will be set up based on children’s feedback to include children with disabilities in various sports. A total of 31,454 children will promote safer play and inclusion in sport.

Activity 1.1 Use Safeguarding and Inclusion in Sport and Development package for sports clubs
Activity 1.2 Boost skills and practices of 212 coaches on child safeguarding and inclusion
Activity 1.3 Provide sports equipment
Activity 1.4 Celebrate inclusion and promote ‘safety for every child’ events
Activity 1.5 Conduct surveys on safety and non-discrimination in sport
Activity 2.1 Capacity-building of 60 unified sports coaches
Activity 2.2 Support unified sports teams in six schools
Activity 2.3 Organise football/basketball tournament
Activity 3.1 Draft a safety and inclusion policy
Activity 3.2 Hold a sports festival
Activity 3.3 Hold a final event

Partners

Life Champions 2.0: We are all champions

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Croatia
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 11/30/2024
Cost of the project €250,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230315
Partners Development Center for Youth
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The commercialisation of sport has diminished its pedagogic role: instead of education, healthy lifestyles, and positive social values, it is mostly about top performance. An increase in negative phenomena such as intolerance, discrimination and hate speech also suggests sport is departing from its role as a corrective force in society.

The Creating Life Champions project honed in on sport’s role in education and the promotion of positive values, empowering coaches to act as educators again. Not all young sportspeople will be top athletes, but all should be top people. Children go to school because they must and play sport because they want to: this is an important indication of the role sport plays in every child’s upbringing.

Including different stakeholders in the coordination and implementation of Creating Life Champions helped us to better understand how to spread the concept and what issues need addressing most urgently. Consequently, Life Champions 2.0 focuses on more actively involving girls and young women in football, i.e. creating female ‘life champions’.

Project goals

Overall objective

To continue revitalising the educational and pedagogic role of football, leveraging football coaches’ influence on children and adolescents, their upbringing, education, and self-development, with an emphasis on gender equality in and through sport

Our intention is to promote the active participation, visibility and acceptance of girls and women in particular, encouraging our participants to adopt positive principles of gender equality in sport and in all other areas of life.

 Specific objectives

  • To add 30 new coaches to the Life Champions network, focusing on gender equality and accessibility for all
  • To work towards better ratio of women to men in sport, with a view to achieving genuine gender equality, starting at grassroots level
  • To involve at least 500 parents and caregivers and thereby create a strong base of support to further spread the Life Champions concept.

Project content

The project will involve various activities:

  • initial training for 30 new Life Champion coaches,
  • an online networking event for new and existing Life Champion coaches,
  • 6 regional information days focused on girls in sport and promoting their involvement in the international camps,
  • 5 international educational sports camps for more than 700 participants,
  • online activities introducing parents to the concept and specific topics of the Life Champions programme,
  • an end-of-year conference to present the results of the other activities organised over the course of 2024 and make plans for 2025.

All materials will be shared with national, regional, and European counterparts.

The activities will all be accompanied by the strong promotional campaign ‘We are all champions’, focusing on girls in football. The campaign is expected to reach around 5 million people thanks to an ongoing partnership with Arena Sport, the main regional TV sports network, and a number of other media agreements reached in 2023.

While growing the network of Life Champions coaches from 30 to 60 people overall, our focus is on the gender ratio within the network and in all our activities. This means at least 15 female coaches, and at least 250 girls (out of 700 participants in total) in our international camps. In addition, we will involve an additional 500-600 people (youngsters, coaches, club managers, parents, local government, and media) in the six regional info days, and 40 selected stakeholders in the conference.

This year’s concept should pave the way to more active involvement of girls and young women in football, showing that football truly is a sport for all. In doing so, it should open the concept to other minority groups whose involvement in sport is often restricted, such as young migrants, Roma children and other children and adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing ‘life champions’ for all.

Partners

Life Goals – Future Skills through Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Austria: Vienna, Graz and Lustenau
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 11/30/2024
Cost of the project €302,000
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 20230453
Partners Breaking Grounds
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Every fifth child in Austria is at risk of poverty and exclusion. These children are at a distinct disadvantage in the development of the psychosocial competencies needed to face a dynamic future full of crises. As a result, they suffer negative effects on their mental and physical well-being, low social participation, a sense of not belonging, and a lack of preparation for the challenges of a changing world.

Project goals

Young people who are normally difficult to reach are motivated by football to take part in educational offers and increase their commitment. Participants develop and strengthen social, mental and emotional competencies that are central for everyday life, for school and for applications and vocational success. Participants have stronger personalities and their life prospects have improved. Their socio-economic situation improves, promoting long-term and equal participation in society.

Project content

Life Goals is an extensively tested and evaluated approach to teaching future skills through football. In specially developed sports modules, situations are simulated that require and train specific competencies. After each sports module, a reflection guide is used to reflect on what was experienced on the sports field and to transfer what was learned to the children's everyday lives. Since 2021, more than 2000 underprivileged kids have taken part and have demonstrably increased their self-efficacy.

Partners

Football for Unity 2.0

Location and general information

En cours
Location Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain
Start date 09/01/2023
End date 08/31/2025
Cost of the project €833,223,98
Foundation funding €83,322,39
Project identifier 20232024
Partners European Commission (DG HOME); Common Goal
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Strengthening partnerships

Context

EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation

The EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation that was signed in October 2022 by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Margaritis Schinas, vice-president of the European Commission and the commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life, follows two other cooperation agreements signed in 2014 and 2018. This third EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation refers specifically to Football for Unity as an example of how the agreement can be successfully implemented by the two parties.

Football for Unity 1.0

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first UEFA European Football Championship, the European Commission's DG HOME, UEFA, the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal joined forces through the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to implement the Football for Unity project during UEFA EURO 2020. In response to its success, the European Commission, UEFA, the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal have decided to expand their collaboration, with Football for Unity 2.0 including activities outside the framework of the European Football Championship.

 

Project goals

A multi-stakeholder collaboration spearheaded by the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal will foster pan-European exchange and networking, cross-sectoral collaboration, capacity development and peer-to-peer learning with a view to raising awareness, inspiring desired behaviour and leading thinking on how sport can enable and accelerate the empowerment of young refugees/migrants and vulnerable young people in host communities in Europe.

Football for Unity 2.0 seeks to fundamentally transform the way sports clubs, grassroots organisations and national football associations work with young refugees and migrants. The project will offer a systemic approach to the scaling-up and dissemination of impact-proven, innovative sport‑based social inclusion practices, working with 190 coaches, educators and youth/social workers at organisational, local, regional, national and European level.

Those actors, in turn, will seek to engage with 2,900 of the hardest-to-reach young Europeans, refugees and migrants through structured sport-based integration initiatives and non-formal education programmes. That strengthening of cooperation, capacity and professionalism at transnational level will help sports clubs, national football associations and grassroots organisations to foster social inclusion and equal opportunities, especially by setting quality standards for innovative practices.

A consortium of 14 project partners in 11 EU Member States (Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Romania, Spain, Latvia, the Netherlands and Italy) will establish expertise and a common understanding in the areas of social inclusion/integration, anti-racism and the tackling of discrimination through sport. Each of those partners has great experience because of many years of successful work at local and regional level, ensuring sustainability, ownership and societal transformation both on and off the pitch.

Football for Unity 2.0 will be guided by the following objectives over the two-year project period:

  1. Tackle racial discrimination against young migrants and refugees in European football – on the field, on the side lines, in the stands and across our communities
    1. Development and launch of an online curriculum for Switch the Pitch in German and English
    2. Use of the Switch the Pitch online platform and in-person workshops for 40 coaches working with three to six local football teams in Germany and 20 coaches working with four organisations in four other EU Member States (Austria, Latvia, Italy and Spain) to increase their knowledge and awareness of inclusive coaching and the fight against discrimination and xenophobia in football
    3. Training for four European grassroots football organisations, a number of NGOs and the national football associations of four EU Member States (Austria, Latvia, Italy and Spain) to increase their knowledge of Common Goal’s anti-racism methodology and prepare them for pan-European dissemination
    4. Three training sessions for 30 fan group leaders (e.g. Football Supporters Europe) and 100 fan zone volunteers (in Berlin) to increase their awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion and give them practical tools to address discrimination at fan events.
  2. Improve the safety, protection and well-being of young migrants/refugees and young people in host communities, helping them to cope with crises and supporting their recovery
    1. Implementation of sport-based integration sessions (using methodologies such as football3) in seven EU Member States (Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania and Spain) in order to build trust, dialogue and understanding between young migrants/refugees and young people in host communities, seeking to foster sensitivity to the needs of other people (respect, empathy, cooperation, equality, etc.)
    2. Implementation of a ‘train the trainer’ programme, helping 130 coaches, teachers and young leaders to deliver training independently and pass knowledge and skills on to young refugees/migrants and young people in host communities in two EU Member States (Poland and the Czech Republic)
  3. Make the European public aware of the diversity that exists within Europe and the contribution that successful integration makes to the well-being, prosperity and cohesion of European societies
    1. Raising awareness of issues surrounding the integration of refugees and migrants across Europe and promoting a positive image of migration

In addition, UEFA, as a formal supporter of this project, will promote knowledge generated by the project within the wider football ecosystem in the hope that European football will continue to increase its inclusion of and support for refugees and migrants.

Project content

.

Football for Unity 2.0 will enable the implementation of (i) Switch the Pitch and (ii) Team Up for Solidarity.

Switch the Pitch

Our Switch the Pitch curriculum unites the football community behind anti-racism education and action; it aims to create a more inclusive and anti-racist environment for coaches and players of all ages. Its comprehensive action-oriented approach to educating players and coaches across the youth game is a revolutionary way of combating racism in the sport. One of the central components of Switch the Pitch, an ‘inclusive coach’ training programme, revolves around six topics – empathy, safety, vulnerability, appreciation, awareness and authenticity. For every topic, expert trainers explain three essential skills in a video, giving coaches tools that can immediately be incorporated into their training plans. In addition, an anti-racism curriculum consisting of 36 team activities enables youth coaches to engage their teams in a series of on-field team challenges that are designed to educate, activate and facilitate conversations around key topics such as racial identity, allyship, activism and leadership. We are launching a full European pilot for Switch the Pitch, and Germany – the host of EURO 2024 – has been chosen owing to the potential to activate Switch the Pitch as part of that tournament. In addition, a European scaling plan for Switch the Pitch will be developed and implemented.

Switch the Pitch Europe

We believe that the Switch the Pitch methodology should be utilised across Europe. As part of the Football for Unity 2.0 programme, we will therefore host a cohort of European grassroots organisations and national football associations to develop a European scaling strategy for Switch the Pitch. That cohort (comprising organisations from Italy, Austria, Latvia and Spain) will participate in two three-day events (one in the summer of 2024 and one in early 2025), which will be hosted by a German football club (Fortuna Düsseldorf). At the first of those workshops, they will receive training on the Switch the Pitch methodology, and our curriculum experts will help them to develop an implementation plan for Switch the Pitch in their community. Over a period of six to eight months, each cohort member will implement its version of Switch the Pitch in its community, and there will be regular online check-ins and further learning opportunities across this period. The cohort will then reconvene at the second workshop in early 2025 to discuss their experiences with implementing Switch the Pitch and develop a sustainable scaling plan for the methodology.

Expert partners: RheinFlanke (Germany), Fare (pan-European) and Breaking Grounds (Austria)

Implementation partners: Latvian Football Federation (Latvia), Balon Mundial (Italy), Dragones de Lavapiés (Spain) and Breaking Grounds (Austria)

Team Up for Solidarity

Team Up for Solidarity involves active collaboration with local organisations, using sport as an impactful, cost-effective, and low-threshold methodology in a structured and systemic way. Our project creates inclusive spaces that improve the safety, protection and well-being of young migrants and refugees across Europe, facilitate emotional and social stabilisation, foster the acquisition of new skills and abilities, strengthen resilience and create short to long-term opportunities in the areas of health, education and training. Sport-based integration/inclusion methodologies create a dynamic informal learning environment for young people, reinforcing formal educational curricula. They promote confidence, trust and safety, enabling players to put values they learn into action and become engaged in their communities. Engaging with those methodologies encourages informed decision-making and stimulates interest in how social challenges can be overcome. An emphasis on dialogue and conflict resolution enables players to grasp the power of consensual decision-making, allowing them to bridge cultural differences in a social environment marked by a constant inflow and outflow of community members. Furthermore, individuals who have been involved in sport-based integration/inclusion programmes also show greater dedication and responsibility and are more accountable to themselves and their communities.

Implementation partners: Trenuj Bycie Dobrym (Poland), Fundación Fútbol Más (Spain), Breaking Grounds (Austria), INEX – Sdruženi Dobrovolných Aktivit, Z.S. (Czech Republic), Oltalom Sport Association (Hungary), Organization Earth (Greece) and Romanian Football Federation (Romania)

 

Leveraging EURO 2024 to increase visibility and impact

Leveraging UEFA’s strong footprint across the continent in order to maximise visibility and impact, EURO 2024 will (i) harness football’s potential as a catalyst with a view to improving the social, mental, emotional and physical well-being of young refugees and migrants, and (ii) generate awareness and knowledge of sport’s potential to be an effective driver of integration, gender equality, anti-racism, fairness, respect, inclusion and youth empowerment.

EURO 2024 will provide an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds across the EU to come together and celebrate their love of the sport, promoting understanding and respect between cultures. Additionally, the project will also provide a platform for players, officials and clubs to speak out against racism and discrimination, which will help to raise awareness of the issue and encourage others to act.

EURO 2024 will serve as a platform to make European citizens aware of how sport can enable young migrants/refugees and young people from host communities to acquire transferable skills, supporting their integration into society and strengthening their ability to make conscious decisions about their livelihoods. The tournament will have a profound impact on global and European audiences through its visibility and the media, allowing us to target the European public, policy-makers, media representatives and stakeholders in the fields of sport, education, gender equality, youth empowerment and social inclusion/integration. By mobilising global and European influencers, relevant agencies, and local or thematic influencers, the objectives of the programme will be communicated widely across Europe and around the world.

Partners

PLAY TOGETHER – PORUCH

Location and general information

Closed
Location 15 regions of Ukraine
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €267,628
Foundation funding €125,000
Project identifier 20220528
Partners The Charity Found "Around Football”
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Children, affected by war, experienced fear, are withdrawn, and psychologically stressed. And sport is one of the tools that can provide psychosocial support to such children.

Project goals

  • Create a network of professional volunteers (managers, coaches, medical and psychological volunteers) in 15 regions of Ukraine.
  • Conduct training for the teams of specialists: briefings by instructors, child protection courses.
  • Conduct psychosocial sessions for children and youth.

Project content

The main purpose of the project is provision of targeted psychosocial support to children and teenagers, affected by war. This support will be provided through sport activities. A network of trained teams of specialists (managers, sport coaches, medical volunteers, psychologists) will work with children, involve them in sport activities. Such form of work with children will help the direct beneficiaries to overcome fear and to return to normal life.

Partners

Football for Future

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Urban areas of Ukraine: Kyiv, Irpin, Bucha, Svitlovodsk, Myrhorod, Rivne, Brovary, Kremenchuk
Start date 03/01/2022
End date 04/30/2024
Cost of the project €59,875
Foundation funding €53,460
Project identifier 20220924
Partners Shakhtar Social charity organisation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Personal development

Context

According to the Ukraine Internal Displacement Report produced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there were 5,088,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine in May 2023. The report also indicates that:

  • 47% of IDPs are aged 5-17 years old;
  • 17% of IDP households lack access to education for their children.

Project goals

Football for Future is a social football project designed to promote inclusion and social cohesion, providing equal chances for 640 internally displaced children and socially disadvantaged kids to play football and get involved in extracurricular activities, providing relief from their circumstances.

Project content

The 640 children will be able to participate in free football sessions and local tournaments in eight cities around the country.

  • Free football sessions are run year-round and include physical exercises, fun games, educational personal training and football, three times a week for each participant.
  • Local tournaments are organised twice a year to unite all participants, enhancing their experience, enjoyment and connection within the local community.

Partners

GOAL 4 ALL

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Şanlıurfa (Türkiye)
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €264,316
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20220781
Partners Bonyan Organization
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

The crisis in Syria began more than 10 years ago and represents the most challenging humanitarian situation of the century anywhere in the world. According to the UNHCR and the Turkish government, Türkiye hosts 3.69 million Syrian refugees.

Syrian migration to Türkiye began in 2011 and continued to increase exponentially until the summer of 2015. The Turkish authorities adopted an ‘open door’ policy, constructed camps in the southern provinces of Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa, and referred to Syrian refugees as ‘guests’.

An average of over 20,000 refugees arrived in Türkiye every month in 2012 as a result of the conflict in Syria; this increased to nearly 40,000 per month in 2013 and some 55,000 per month in 2014. The chart below shows how the number of Syrian refugees in Türkiye has grown since 2011.

Refugees and affected host community members are becoming increasingly vulnerable owing to large-scale protracted displacement, macroeconomic forecasts, the socioeconomic conditions, the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and demographic pressures. These interlinked factors exacerbate existing issues within communities, such as gender inequality and discrimination against refugees.

The city of Şanlıurfa hosts about 430,000 Syrian refugees, of which 70.9% are women and children, and ranks as the fourth city in Türkiye by the number of refugees. The city’s sports infrastructure capacity is low compared to the number of children, which means that many children miss out on opportunities to take part in sports in safe environments such as their schools or local sports centres. As a result, they end up finding ways to play sports in non-protected environments without any guidance or supervision. This comes with many hazards, including discrimination against refugee children, psychological distress, exploitation and abuse, the development of bad habits and even dropping out of school – which in turn can lead to other dangers such as child labour and child marriage.

Project goals

The project’s main aim is to use football, and sports in general, as a tool for promoting the peaceful coexistence of children from different communities. It does this by providing Turkish and Syrian children with regular access to sports facilities; establishing opportunities for the integration of Turkish and Syrian children – particularly girls and children with special needs – through sports; encouraging schools and physical education teachers to adopt a football3 mindset; and enhancing children’s life skills such as leadership and conflict resolution skills.

Project content

1. Establishing one A-5 mini-pitch (50m x 30m) and all related facilities, including toilets, showers, changing rooms, an office, a warehouse and lighting fixtures.

2. Training five coaches and 50 youth volunteers to teach children football skills and raise awareness of gender inequality, child protection, human rights, health, education and social cohesion.

3. Distributing 75 sports kits containing balls, ball bags, t-shirts, mobile goals, vests, etc. to sports centres in three municipalities of Şanlıurfa.

4. Setting up girls and boys football teams for children aged between 7 and 16 years old, ensuring that each team of 11 contains a mix of Syrian refugees and members of the host community.

5. Delivering football training and awareness-raising sessions to the participating 500 children.

6. Organising 150 matches supervised by coaches and youth volunteers in accordance with the football3 method.

7. Nominating members of the most successful teams to compete for national team selection, especially for the national women’s youth teams.

Partners

Score without barriers

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Brovary, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Smila (Ukraine)
Start date 03/01/2022
End date 03/31/2024
Cost of the project €43,124
Foundation funding €35,640
Project identifier 20210735
Partners Shakhtar Social
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle

Context

Research by the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports suggests that only 6,000 disabled children took part in sports in 2019. According to a report published that year by the country’s state statistics committee, this figure represents just 3.7% of the disabled children in Ukraine.

Project goals

The project, which works in close cooperation with Special Olympics Ukraine and local partner the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine, aims to improve access to sports, and football in particular, for 180 disabled children aged between 7 and 16 years old. Some 50 coaches will be taught about disability sports and the project will promote social inclusion and protect children's rights. The children will benefit from free football sessions and masterclasses over the year, delivered by the foundation's coaches and FC Shakhtar players. At least 10% of participants will be girls.

Project content

The primary focus of the project is to provide 50 grassroots football coaches from all around Ukraine, as well as the foundation’s coaches, with training in disability football. The sessions will be delivered by local experts in grassroots and disability football. The methodology will include the major topics of grassroots football, inclusive football, football for disabled children, and tolerance and respect in football (preventing violence and bullying).

The project’s second strand is free football sessions under the ‘Score without barriers’ label. These are led twice a week by a coach and two volunteers in six locations covering almost all of Ukraine: Brovary, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Smila. Each coach trains 30 children, at least 10% of whom are girls. The one-hour football sessions include physical exercises, games, personal training and a football match, all adapted to be suitable for disabled children. All the necessary equipment will be provided: training kits, balls, disc cones, bibs, a whistle, football nets, first-aid kits, football pumps, freeze sprays and coordination ladders. Each location has an artificial pitch and sports gym.

The project’s third activity consists of six football masterclasses, one in each target location, delivered by FC Shakhtar representatives. A first-team or academy player or coach from FC Shakhtar will visit each project location to teach children basic football skills and join in fun activities and games in the two-hour event. The children will have the opportunity to chat to the players and receive gifts and autographs from the club. The local media will be invited to cover the event to boost the project’s profile. The staff of Shakhtar Social will be in charge of preparing and running the events and taking care of the associated logistics. The masterclasses aim to enhance the impact of the project, offer the children the chance to meet FC Shakhtar players and unite the participants in each location. Thirty children will take part in each event.

Partners

The Knowledge to be Healthy

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Romania
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €70,000
Foundation funding €70,000
Project identifier 20220457
Partners United Way Romania
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle

Context

In Romania, 1 in 4 children have weight problems. The World Obesity Federation estimates that by 2030, 500,000 Romanian children will be obese. According to experts, the main culprits for the increase in the rate of childhood obesity are unhealthy diets, high in salt, sugar and fat, combined with a lack of physical activity.  

These worrying trends reflect the lack of nutritional education of parents and children, the high degree of urbanisation and digitisation, and the aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Another contributing factor is the popular belief that a fat child is a healthy child, which encourages some families to overfeed their children. Due to their lack of education and information about nutrition and the importance of exercise, the parents are not even aware of their children's weight and health issues. 

In the case of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, in large low-income families, or whose parents have gone abroad leaving the children in the care of elderly grandparents, the problems mentioned above are even more serious and increase the likelihood of passing the problem on to the next generation.  

Project goals

The overall goal is to promote a healthy lifestyle at two schools in disadvantaged communities in Bucharest and Ilfov county. The beneficiaries are 800 children aged 7–14 years old. 

Objectives:  

  1. Educate children about the importance of a balanced diet and exercise 
  2. Promote sport, through sports activities and team games such as: soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis 
  3. Provide a healthy snack (fruit, cereal bars) during sports activities 
  4. Organise sports days combined with information sessions on the importance of good nutrition and exercise for a healthy life 

Project content

  1. 12 information and education sessions on the importance of a healthy life, once a month at the beneficiaries’ two schools. The age-appropriate sessions will be taught by qualified staff. Beneficiaries: 300 children
  2. Four activities for small groups of pupils, divided into age groups, on topics such as fair play, teamwork and tackling bullying. A session will be held once every three months, for each age group at the two schools involved. Beneficiaries: 300 children
  3. Five sports (football, volleyball, badminton, basketball and ping-pong) in weekly sports sessions before and after school. Beneficiaries: 300 children
  4. Both schools equipped with water supply filters to ensure pupils can keep hydrated with clean water.
  5. Healthy snacks (fruits, cereal bars, dietary supplements) during educational sessions and sports training to improve the beneficiaries’ nutrition and eating habits. Beneficiaries: 300 children for the weekly sports activities and another 500 children during the sports days
  6. Sports days for all 800 children involved.

Partners