Ti Mouvman Fun-Da-Mentals (‘little movement fundamentals’)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Canaries, Soufrière, Vieux Fort and Dennery, Saint Lucia
Start date 03/02/2026
End date 02/29/2028
Cost of the project €138,270
Foundation funding €81,172
Project identifier 2025001807
Partners Sacred Sports Foundation Inc
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Saint Lucia, like many developing small island states in the Caribbean, is experiencing a steady decline in physical activity among children. This trend is particularly evident in underserved communities, where schools experience limited resources, reduced access to trained physical education teachers, and competing academic priorities that often result in physical education being deprioritised. At the same time, children’s lifestyles are becoming increasingly sedentary due to screen use, a reduction in the number of safe play spaces, and fewer structured opportunities for movement.

When foundational movement skills, coordination, confidence, and positive attitudes towards physical activity are not developed early, children are more likely to disengage from sport altogether, which increases their long-term risk of obesity, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, and poor mental health. Saint Lucia already faces a high burden of lifestyle-related diseases in adults, including obesity and diabetes, underscoring the urgent need for early preventive action.

Project goals

  1. Increase access to safe, structured, and inclusive physical activity for children aged six to ten in underserved communities in Saint Lucia.
  2. Improve fundamental movement skills, agility, balance, and coordination, as well as overall physical literacy, among participating children.
  3. Encourage positive attitudes towards physical activity and lifelong active lifestyles from an early age.
  4. Support children’s mental and emotional well-being by building confidence, resilience, teamwork, and social skills through sport.
  5. Promote equal participation opportunities for girls and boys.
  6. Strengthen school and community capacity to deliver sustainable physical activity and education programmes even after the project ends.

Project content     

Ti Mouvman Fun-Da-Mentals will deliver a structured, school-based physical education programme across 16 primary schools in underserved communities.

Key activities will include:

  • Regular structured physical activity sessions that are age-appropriate, inclusive and aligned with the children’s developmental needs.
  • Fundamental movement and motor skills activities, including jumping, hopping, skipping, balancing, running, throwing, catching, kicking, dancing, obstacle courses and active games. These activities build physical literacy and confidence in movement.
  • An introduction to football through play, using small-sided games and basic skills exercises to promote teamwork, communication and enjoyment rather than competition.
  • Inclusive programming, with strategies such as mixed-gender activities, girl-friendly coaching approaches and targeted encouragement to ensure that 50% of girls participate.
  • Providing training and simple activity guides for mentors, coaches, teachers and community stakeholders, enabling schools to sustain quality physical education beyond the life of the project.
  • Community engagement activities, including parent and guardian movement days and physical activity events, to strengthen local support for active lifestyles.
  • Monitoring and simple progress tracking, including attendance records, participation levels and basic motor skills assessments, to ensure quality delivery and continuous improvement.

Together, these activities will ensure that children not only move more, but move better, and that they build confidence and experience sport as a positive and integral part of their everyday lives.

Partner

Promoting inclusion and social development through football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Aden, Lahj and Abyain governorates, Yemen
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 10/31/2026
Cost of the project €138,458
Foundation funding €77,634
Project identifier 2025001808
Partners Helpcode Italia ETS
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

According to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025, an estimated 19.5 million people across Yemen (1.3 million more than in 2024) need humanitarian assistance and protection services amid ongoing armed conflict, displacement and health emergencies. This represents more than half of the country's population, and children comprise over 55% of those in need (5.3 million girls and 5.5 million boys or 10.8 million children in all).

Within the scope of the project are also over 2,500 members of the Muhamasheen (the Arabic term for marginalised), a Yemeni underclass that has endured centuries of discrimination, exploitation and poverty. Conflict and displacement have further exacerbated their challenges, exposing them to heightened risks of gender-based violence, child marriage, trafficking, child labour, sexual exploitation and abuse. These vulnerabilities are compounded by limited access to essential services, education, healthcare, shelter and livelihoods.

Recent Helpcode data from the target area identified significant gaps in access to essential services such as child protection, psychosocial support and structured sports programmes. Parents reported that many children experienced emotional distress due to insecurity, displacement and exposure to violence, and reported behavioural issues such as acts of violence (53%), bullying (30%) and anger (12%). Approximately 67% of households reported children engaging in hazardous work such as selling khat, collecting plastics and begging. This not only deprives children of their right to education but also exposes them to exploitation, abuse and health risks.

Sports interventions can address protection gaps, promote resilience and foster social cohesion among vulnerable children and adolescents. Schools would have the potential to support such activities, particularly at the primary level, if they had the necessary equipment, coaches and resources. Of the 12 schools in the target area, only two girls' primary schools offer (limited) sports activities. At the secondary level, there are no sports programmes for boys or girls. Furthermore, none of the schools have locally trained coaches or organise after-school community sports initiatives, leaving children and adolescents with no structured physical exercise or recreation, putting them at greater risk of recruitment into armed groups, child marriage, exploitative labour, trafficking and other dangerous activities.

Project goals

  • Improve the physical and psychosocial well-being of war-affected children and adolescents through structured sports programmes
  • Use sport to promote tolerance, inclusion, resilience and respect within displaced and host communities

Project content

  1. Start-up workshops and community awareness-raising

A start-up workshop will be organised in each of the three governorates to introduce the project, discuss the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders, and raise awareness in the community about the objectives, activities, and expected outcomes.

  1. Community football teams

A total of 12 ‘cub’ teams (ages 10–14) and 12 youth teams (ages 15–25) will be set up, with a focus on including displaced, vulnerable, and marginalised youngsters, including girls where culturally appropriate.

  1. Community-based sports events and leagues

Regular leagues, intercommunity matches, and friendly tournaments will be organised to foster interaction, reduce tensions, and encourage unity among young people from different backgrounds. Activities will be organised in clusters.

  1. Sports equipment and uniforms

Footballs, team kits (shirts and shorts), cones, goals, markers, and first-aid kits will be given to the local teams, which will continue to benefit from them after the project ends.

  1. Awareness sessions

A total of 450 short, interactive awareness sessions will be organised at the community-based sports events and other gatherings on topics such as peacebuilding, acceptance, anti-discrimination and conflict resolution, in coordination with local schools, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and community-based protection networks.

Partner

Her Voice. Her Choice.

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Suddhodhan rural municipality, Kapilvastu district, Lumbini province, Nepal
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €45,000
Foundation funding €13,000
Project identifier 2025000844
Partners Atoot
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Madheshi girls in the Kapilvastu district of southern Nepal, in the country’s deeply patriarchal rural belt, grow up in isolation – unseen and unheard. Girls here face pervasive intergenerational inequality and discrimination, intersectional marginalisation, and economic injustice. They are excluded from their communities, with no freedom or opportunities to develop: they are not allowed to play, study, or work, and they have no decision-making power. Girls and women have no voice and no choice.

The many systemic issues affecting girls in rural southern Nepal include high rates of child marriage (83.4% according to the 2021 census), high rates of gender discrimination and gender‑based violence, early school drop‑out (generally between grades four and five), and an illegal but deeply entrenched dowry system that means girls are seen as a financial burden to their families.

Project goals

Goals

Atoot was founded to offer marginalised Nepali girls in rural areas sporting and educational opportunities and provide them with safe, empowering spaces that foster inclusion and empowerment.

Specific goals:

  1. Empower girls to break free from the vicious cycles they are trapped in, enabling them to make their own life choices.
  2. Provide diverse platforms for girls to build confidence and nurture empowering, emboldening relationships.
  3. Establish safe spaces where girls can gather to play, learn, and build positive peer connections.

 

Project content

Atoot has been working in this marginalised Madheshi community for six years, providing structured football sessions, educational support, life-skills workshops, and community engagement grounded in the principles of sport for development through a grassroots and localised lens.

  1. One‑hour football sessions, five days a week
  2. One‑hour educational classes, five days a week
  3. One or two life‑skills workshops every week, each lasting an hour to an hour and a half
  4. Daily community engagement
  5. One to one and a half hours of training for assistant coaches and teaching assistants each week
  6. Annual football tournaments

Partner

Empowering disabled children and strengthening their skills

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Khovd province, Mongolia
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 11/01/2026
Cost of the project €28,500
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2025000471
Partners Sain Tus Development Bridge
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Most of the infrastructure and services in Khovd province, Mongolia, are inaccessible to disabled people. As a result, most disabled children have no means of transport and no access to education, even primary school. Khovd is home to many indigenous and minority populations, and the rate of gender‑based violence (GBV) is higher than the national average. Disabled children are at increased risk of GBV owing to their inability to defend themselves.

Project goals

  1. Protecting the rights of disabled children and empowering them by strengthening their skills
  2. Combating gender-based violence
  3. Preparing the beneficiaries for possible future participation in the Special Olympics World Games

Project content

Taking a creative approach to capacity‑building and fighting GBV, this project uses the power of sport to help disabled children discover new strengths, abilities, and skills while addressing their unique psychosocial needs. It gives at least 450 disabled children the opportunity to train and compete in a variety of sports, and the aim is for 70% of the beneficiaries to be girls. The participants will also be offered leadership and educational programmes.

Partner

Creating a safe play space for refugee children in Boa Vista

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Waraotuma a Tuaranoko refugee shelter in Boa Vista, Brazil
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €175,958
Foundation funding €120,000
Project identifier 2025001012
Partners KLABU Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Over 6 million Venezuelans have been displaced due to an ongoing socio-economic crisis in Venezuela. The most vulnerable include indigenous groups such as the Warao, Pemon, and Kariña, who face severe marginalisation. Many of them have found refuge in Brazil.

KLABU has opened a clubhouse at Waraotuma a Tuaranoko, a shelter that is home to 1,300 refugees (800 of whom are minors), making it the largest shelter for indigenous refugees in Latin America. However, the only community sports pitch in the shelter is in poor condition and poses safety risks.

Project goals

  • Construct a safe, inclusive, and community-designed sports pitch at the Waraotuma a Tuaranoko shelter using love.fútbol’s participatory methodology.
  • Enable regular sports and recreational activities for children and young people from refugee and host communities.
  • Foster social inclusion and resilience through tournaments, events, and volunteer-led
  • Create local ownership and sustainability by engaging refugee volunteers and the local partner in maintenance and ongoing programming.

Project content

In partnership with love.fútbol, KLABU aims to rebuild the main sports pitch at the Waraotuma a Tuaranoko shelter and to make it a sustainable hub for sport and community. In addition, they will upgrade nearby infrastructure (a volleyball court, seating around the court, and a play area) and organise inclusive activities that will also be open to people from the six other nearby shelters. KLABU’s clubhouse is already active, and the new sports facilities will offer safe, inclusive spaces where children thrive, and community pride grows.

Partner

Championing an Inclusive Future through Football 2.0

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany, Hongary, Spain
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2027
Cost of the project €260,544
Foundation funding €260,544
Project identifier 20245000
Partners FedEx
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

As an official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League during the 2021–2024 cycle, FedEx extended its commitment beyond commercial sponsorship to include a robust social responsibility programme. This initiative spotlighted key social issues in the host cities of the UEFA Champions League finals: Paris in 2022, Istanbul in 2023, and London in 2024. Through the Championing an Inclusive Future through Football programme, FedEx provided financial support to non-profit organisations that use football as a platform to promote inclusivity and social cohesion within local communities.

Building on this success, FedEx will continue its engagement for the 2025–2027 cycle, supporting projects in the UEFA Champions League final host cities: Munich in 2025, Budapest in 2026, and Madrid in 2027. This renewed commitment underscores FedEx’s dedication to creating lasting social impact through sport.

2025

SCORING GIRLS* was founded in 2016 by former professional footballer Tugba Tekkal with the mission to empower girls* through football. While the work begins on the pitch, it goes far beyond sport, rooted in a strong pedagogical concept. The approach integrates five key competence areas—Teamwork, Self-efficacy, Resilience, Body Positivity, and Social Participation—into football training and educational activities.

Through this, participants not only enhance their athletic skills but also strengthen confidence, resilience, and personal development.

The target group includes girls* aged 8–18, with and without refugee or migration backgrounds, most coming from marginalised communities. SCORING GIRLS* currently operates at three sites in Cologne and four in Berlin, and in 2025 expanded to Munich in partnership with FC Bayern München.

2026

 

Project goals

2025

SCORING GIRLS*

  • Promote social participation and equal opportunities for girls
  • Build a strong, inclusive community and give visibility to strong role models
  • Empower girls* through competence development and mentoring for personal growth and responsibility.

 

Project content

2025

SCORING GIRLS*

Weekly Football Training

Core activity: weekly football sessions led by coaches and pedagogical staff. Training blends fun, education, and football to build confidence, resilience, responsibility, and teamwork. Feedback follows each session. Experienced girls (17 and older) act as peer mentors, fostering collaboration and role modelling.

Educational Activities

Beyond training, we offer vacation programs with matches, excursions, and workshops, as well as year-round tournaments and dialogues with inspiring figures from politics, media, culture, and sports.

Mentoring Programme

Launching in 2025: SCORING GIRLS* mentoring initiative with support from high-profile ambassadors (e.g., Nikeata Thompson, Fabian Reese, Lena Oberdorf) to enhance visibility and provide strong role models.

Public Relations & Networking

We actively promote SCORING GIRLS* to raise awareness and engage participants in advocacy, leveraging high-reach partners for stronger community impact.

Use of the FedEx/UEFA Foundation Grant

  • Infrastructure for the new Munich location
  • Staff and trainers
  • Transport costs
  • Events and workshops

Partners

FedEx_UEFA Champions_Lockup_Hor Pos RGB

Rouge et Bleu school at Necker children’s hospital

Location and general information

to be started
Location Paris, France
Start date 10/01/2025
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €950,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024000405 
Partners PSG for Communities
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

PSG for Communities takes advantage of Paris Saint-Germain’s huge popularity among young people to promote their inclusion and foster their healthy social development. It has created the Rouge et Bleu school – an innovative educational tool based around education, sport for health, and culture – in order to provide hospitalised children with a solid foundation for well-being and success. 

Project goals

  • Organise various fun, educational daytime or after-school sports activities adapted to the children’s medical needs and limitations  
  • Bring hospitalised and non-hospitalised children together so that they can understand and learn from each other 
  • Inspire a love of learning among children and teach them values of tolerance and openness 

Project content

The Rouge et Bleu school welcomes two groups of 16 children at a time, with activities adapted to individual needs. The programme is designed to: 

- Give children in hospital a chance to take part in cultural and sports activities 

- Provide opportunities to take part in individual and team sports 

- Offer activities that the parents of hospitalised children can take part in as well as supervised activities with care staff on hand 

Partners

Bloomsbury Communities

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location London, UK
Start date 09/09/2024
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €456,373
Foundation funding €47,505
Project identifier 2024000446 
Partners Bloomsbury Football Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Only 44% of young people (and 41.9% of girls) from low-income households in the UK currently meet the government’s physical activity guidelines. Physical and mental health is therefore being put at risk, while systemic health and social inequalities are being exacerbated. Many young people simply cannot afford to play football, with girls, child refugees and asylum-seekers, and children with disabilities facing additional barriers.   

Project goals

  • Improve mental and physical health, social mobility and life opportunities for children in London’s most disadvantaged and deprived areas.  
  • Enable participants to form positive relationships with young people from other national, ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds   
  • Help participants feel more integrated into their communities   
  • Improve participants’ ability to understand and control their emotions   

Project content

The project will provide opportunities for young people, including refugee and disabled children, to take part in football programmes in housing estates, schools and community centres in deprived areas of London, creating hyper-localised ‘football communities’. The charity’s financial assistance and the accessible nature of activities will ensure that no child is turned away. 

Partners

Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project (SREP): Primary school construction

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Masindi district, Uganda
Start date 02/15/2025
End date Ongoing
Cost of the project €300,000
Foundation funding €170,000
Project identifier 2024000336
Partners Aliguma Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The situation in Masindi district reflects the challenges faced by rural areas in Uganda, where access to quality education is severely limited. Many children attend overcrowded and under-resourced schools with high dropout rates and poor academic performance. In addition, the socio-economic conditions are such that children are often forced to prioritise labour over education, leaving many without the skills and knowledge they need for a better future. 

This project addresses the shortage of adequate infrastructure, trained teachers and teaching materials, breaking the cycle of poverty by investing in the future of the region's children. 

Project goals

  1. Build a modern primary school: establishing a well-equipped and safe teaching facility and an environment that is conducive to learning for children in rural Masindi
  1. Enhance access to quality education: ensuring that children in the region have access to quality education, reducing the barriers associated with inadequate infrastructure and resources
  1. Promote social inclusion: creating opportunities for all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special needs, to get an education and participate fully in their communities
  1. Improve educational outcomes: improving schoolchildren’s academic performance and overall development by providing better learning conditions, teacher training and educational materials
  1. Empower the community: engaging the local community in the development and maintenance of the school, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility 
  1. Support holistic development: integrating sport and extracurricular activities into the school curriculum to promote physical health, teamwork and life skills
  1. Reduce dropout rates: addressing contributing factors and creating a supportive and engaging school environment
  1. Strengthen teacher capacity: providing training and resources for teachers to improve the quality of instruction and support effective learning
  1. Promote gender equality: ensuring that girls have equal access to education and opportunities, contributing to gender equality and empowerment
  1. Foster sustainability: developing strategies to support the school’s long-term sustainability and lasting impact, including community involvement and partnerships

Project content

  • Planning and construction of a primary school in the Masindi district of Uganda
  • Teacher training and curriculum development
  • Provision of teaching materials and other resources
  • Community engagement and outreach

Partners

Girls4Football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Switzerland
Start date 05/24/2024
End date 05/24/2025
Cost of the project €450,000
Foundation funding €-
Project identifier 20240001
Partners Mastercard and local implementing organisations
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Sponsors - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Girls4Football is a social impact initiative launched by Mastercard in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children. Rooted in the long-standing collaboration between Mastercard and the UEFA Champions League, the programme addresses the need for inclusive, empowering opportunities for young girls in Europe. It responds to the growing recognition that sports, particularly football, can be a powerful vehicle for personal development, social inclusion, and gender equality.

The initiative was officially launched on March 18, 2025, and is being rolled out in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It aims to reach over 1,000 girls aged 8 to 16 in its first year. This marks the beginning of a three-year project, with this being the first phase of the initiative.

Project goals

The primary goals of the Girls4Football programme are to:

  • Empower young girls through access to free football training and socio-educational activities.
  • Promote physical and emotional well-being through regular sports and leisure engagement.
  • Foster life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience.
  • Enhance financial literacy by teaching participants how to manage money, budgets, and investments.
  • Encourage career aspirations in and around football, including roles off the pitch.

Project content

The programme includes a variety of components designed to support holistic development:

  • Football Training: Free, inclusive sessions focused on skill-building, teamwork, and fun, with a strong emphasis on encouraging girls to participate in sports.
  • Financial Literacy Course: Workshops and interactive sessions that teach essential money management skills, helping girls build a healthy relationship with finances from a young age.

Special Events:

  • Opportunities to serve as Mastercard Player Mascots at UEFA Champions League matches in cities like Paris, Munich, Milan, Madrid, and London.
  • Meet-and-greets with female football ambassadors who serve as role models.
  • Workshops with professionals such as nutritionists, physiotherapists, and referees to expose girls to diverse career paths in sports.

Local partners: To bring this initiative to life, Mastercard and the UEFA Foundation for Children have partnered with NGOs from the five countries:

Partner

Sports development programme

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location South Africa
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €166,000
Foundation funding €30,000
Project identifier 2024001091
Partners Grootbos Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Gansbaai, like other semi-rural areas in South Africa, struggles with youth unemployment, resulting in limited opportunities and a pervasive lack of hope among young people.

The situation is compounded by a number of challenges typical of disadvantaged communities: elevated school drop-out rates, poor public transport, gender-based violence, alcoholism, drug use, high levels of depression and other socio-economic pressures.

Project goals

  • Offer an engaging, fun sports programme during and after school to ensure that children and teenagers have a safe place to go, accompanied by trained adult coaches (target: 3,000 children)
  • Teach mental health and coping skills, menstrual health, gender-based violence awareness, HIV/AIDS awareness, wildlife conservation and nutritional health to support the local schools’ educational programmes, giving children hope and encouraging them to persevere with formal education
  • Deliver inclusive programmes to people of all ethnicities, ages, genders and abilities to ensure no one is left behind
  • Ensure awareness of nature and encourage conservation efforts
  • Help young people pursue careers and achieve financial stability to reduce dependence on state aid

Project content

  • In-school programme: physical education projects in 10 schools, and assistance with subject choice and career planning for teenagers
  • After-school multi-sport coaching: football, netball, hockey, girls' rugby, cross-country running, athletics, water safety, surfing, canoeing, gross motor skills for early childhood, adapted games for young people with special needs
  • Four holiday programmes a year
  • Tournaments and competitions
  • Mental health projects using surf therapy
  • Ocean and land conservation programmes
  • Awareness projects that use football to address gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS
  • Menstrual health/sanitary pad project
  • Rising stars project offering elite sporting opportunities
  • Training modules for coaching staff

Partners

Construction of an artificial football pitch

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Madagascar
Start date 02/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €406,043
Foundation funding €120,000
Project identifier 2024000804
Partners AKAMASOA
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

Madagascar is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Since 1989, Father Pedro Opeka and his humanitarian organisation, AKAMASOA, have been fighting the extreme poverty that plagues the country on a daily basis by providing emergency aid to those in greatest need, building houses, educating children, providing healthcare, helping people find employment and providing vocational training for young people.

In 1989, AKAMASOA helped 140 families from the capital, Antananarivo, settle 60km away in Antolojanahary, where the organisation built houses, a dispensary, schools and sports facilities. The village now has a population of 6’000.

Project goals

  • Build an artificial football pitch on the existing dirt pitch for the village’s 2,190 schoolchildren as well as other youngsters from the village and surrounding areas, giving every child the chance to play football, have fun, escape their difficult living conditions and the difficulties their country endures, and develop a sense of community
  • Enable children to play football not only in their school sports lessons but also, under supervision, during their free time and at weekends
  • Stage matches between local teams of children and young adults, bringing together residents of surrounding villages and developing a sense of community

Project content

  • Construction of an artificial football pitch for use by:
    • one nursery, one primary school, one secondary school and one college;
    • 2,190 children from primary to high school age (figures from the 2024/25 academic year).
  • Daily sports activities and competitions, including matches every weekend.
  • The pitch will be monitored at all times to ensure the facilities are being properly looked after.

Partners

Junior Camp

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Romania
Start date 04/01/2025
End date 10/31/2026
Cost of the project €164,900
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024000421
Partners European Amputee Football Federation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle

Context

Children with amputations and limb differences are often confronted by a range of physical, emotional and social challenges, and research shows that disabled children experience more bullying and discrimination than their peers. Adaptive sports are crucial for their development but access remains limited or non-existent. Providing children with amputations and limb differences with opportunities to participate in football improves their well-being and enables them to integrate and develop.

Project goals

  • Create more opportunities for young people to play amputee football
  • Establish new national programmes and increase the number of players, girls especially
  • Use the cultural power of football to enhance disabled children’s sense of self-worth, build confidence and independence
  • Foster physical, emotional and psychological well-being
  • Enhance social integration and peer support, promote cultural exchanges between participants
  • Encourage lifelong engagement in sport and active lifestyles
  • Raise awareness and advocate for inclusion

Project content

Junior Camp is an annual amputee football camp that offers children from Europe and further afield an inclusive, supportive and empowering environment. It creates opportunities for children to play football, connect through the universal language of sport and develop their skills. The camp is also a platform for coaches to share knowledge and experience and for parents to bond with their children.

Junior Camp is more than just a single event; it is a tool to promote and develop national programmes and motivate children to train all year round. The 2025 camp is being held in Eforie Nord, Romania.

Activities

  • Amputee football training and games: professional coaches and players run specialised training sessions focusing on skills development and teamwork (drills, practice matches and technical exercises tailored to each player's abilities)
  • Safeguarding workshops for new and experienced coaches
  • Cultural experiences: opportunities to absorb the culture and history of the camp's host venue
  • Activities that bring parents and coaches together

Partners

T.E.A.M Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Scotland
Start date 04/01/2025
End date 03/31/2026
Cost of the project €148,000
Foundation funding €78,144
Project identifier 2024001326
Partners Big Hearts Community Trust
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In Scotland, vulnerable children affected by trauma, poverty, cultural differences, language barriers, disabilities or mental health issues are at risk of struggling with the transition from primary to secondary school. Support for these children has been found to be particularly insufficient in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Paisley, Motherwell and Greenock.

Project goals

The T.E.A.M project uses football as a tool to improve the resilience and social connectedness of vulnerable children. It aims to:

  • Encourage new friendships and social connections
  • Help to forge connections between participants and their community
  • Improve physical health
  • Boost confidence and well-being

Project content

The project delivers weekly football sessions alongside confidence and resilience-building activities for 250 marginalised children aged 10 to 12, and they are also given a healthy snack during each session.

More than 80% of the children experience an improvement in their confidence and well-being. Parents feel more confident in supporting their children and children feel better connected in their personal relationships.

A model and learning plan are being developed with a view to rolling the programme out to more Scottish communities in the medium to long term.

Partners

Bijzondere Eredivisie (Special Premier League)

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Netherlands
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 07/01/2026
Cost of the project €421,000
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 2024000243
Partners Stichting het Gehandicapte Kind
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

Approximately 1,500 children play disability football in the Netherlands. Like all children, they dream of playing for their favourite professional clubs, and thanks to the Bijzondere Eredivisie, this dream can become a reality. Disabled children are given the spotlight and get to show that they are capable of playing at the highest level.

Project goals

  • Increase the visibility of disabled children
  • Inspire disabled children to play football and other sports
  • Increase disabled children’s participation in sport
  • Increase awareness of disability football in the Netherlands
  • Establish a sustainable competition, including all professional Dutch football clubs

Project content

The Bijzondere Eredivisie, launched in 2029, is a competition in which professional football clubs enter teams of disabled children. It is the first competition of its kind in the world, enabling disabled children to play for their favourite professional football clubs.

Teams are mixed, comprising 12 boys and girls of different ages and disabilities, carefully selected to ensure a balanced competition. They compete in a full league competition.

At the start of the season, the players sign a contract and are introduced to the press. They train with their clubs and participate in various workshops, for example on healthy nutrition and dealing with the media training.

The players travel to matches using the official team bus used by the first team and are invited to perform a lap of honour on the pitch at their opening match.

 

Partners

Prishtina Girls’ Football Team

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kosovo
Start date 02/01/2025
End date 07/31/2026
Cost of the project €161,650
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024001492
Partners KFV Prishtina
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Cultural norms and structural barriers limit girls' participation in sport in Kosovo. A lack of institutional support and inadequate infrastructure are particular obstacles.

Thanks to the UEFA foundation, a big step forward has been made, however, with the creation of the first football field in Kosovo managed by a women’s team, KFV Prishtina, through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Municipality of Prishtina.

Project goals

  • Create a safe, empowering and inclusive environment where girls from all communities and of all abilities can thrive in football, breaking down societal barriers and encouraging equal, active participation
  • Advocate for girls’ rights, raise awareness of gender-based violence and promote gender equality, social inclusion and empowerment within and beyond football
  • Promote leadership, peacebuilding, diversity, teamwork, respect and negotiation skills for personal and professional growth

Project content

  • Strategic partnerships: Establishing of long-term MoUs with other stakeholders to ensure sustained access to schools and sports facilities, creating a robust ecosystem for women’s football in Kosovo
  • Media awareness: A joint press conference with the Football Federation of Kosovo to launch the project and a dedicated Women in Football channel supported by leading news portals, raising awareness of gender equality in sport
  • Infrastructure development: Improving and adapting sports facilities to ensure equal access for girls, essential football equipment and coaching resources, and dedicated spaces for female athletes
  • Mixed participation: Promoting the integration of girls into U9 and U11 boys' leagues to normalise mixed participation and address the challenge of limited girls-only leagues
  • FC Barcelona collaboration: Partnership with FC Barcelona to include girls in all Barça Academy activities in Kosovo, providing equal opportunities and promoting inclusivity in football from a young age
  • Gender-based violence prevention: Educational workshops for girls and coaches to teach about preventing and reporting gender-based violence in line with the UEFA guidelines on child and youth protection
  • Free coaching and role models: Free, structured football training sessions in schools, using national team players as role models to inspire and encourage young female athletes
  • Parent and community engagement: Establishing a parents' council for all U9-U15 teams, promoting increased parental involvement in girls' as well as boys’ football
  • Inclusivity for disabled girls: Ongoing free football training for girls with Down’s syndrome (MoU with Down Syndrome Kosova), promoting inclusivity and participation in sport
  • Women’s leadership in sport: Supporting and encouraging women’s participation in refereeing and coaching, increasing female representation in decision-making roles within football
  • Mental health and well-being: Advocating for the mental health benefits of sport, fostering resilience, confidence and well-being among young female athletes
  • Environmental sustainability: Empowering girls to take leadership roles in environmental sustainability initiatives, integrating sustainable practices into football training and events
  • Alignment with SDGs: Ensuring the project contributes to global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality, education, health and climate action through sport

Partners