Play Together, Rise Together

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Colombo, Batticaloa, Galle, Kandy, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 02/28/2027
Cost of the project €38,599
Foundation funding €19,241
Project identifier 2025000750
Partners Child Action Lanka
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Children in Sri Lanka are growing up in environments shaped by the 30-year civil war, the 2014 Sinhala–Muslim riots, the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks and the recent economic crisis. This has weakened social cohesion and reduced opportunities for children to play and develop in safe and supportive environments.

Sport is one of the few activities in which children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds can meet, build trust and learn to live together. However, most families cannot afford sports equipment, training sessions or safe play areas.

Project goals

  • Provide regular, safe access to sport for more than 2,200 underprivileged children in nine Child Action Lanka centres
  • Strengthen social cohesion by bringing together children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds
  • Support the physical and emotional well-being of children
  • Ensure that disabled children are fully included in sports activities
  • Promote equal opportunities for girls and boys
  • Build children’s confidence, teamwork, discipline and leadership skills
  • Organise an inter-centre football tournament
  • Hold a Child Congress
  • Identify children with strong sporting potential and create pathways for long-term development in football or related fields
  • Strengthen partnerships between communities, coaches, teachers, local leaders and child protection services

 

Project content

  • Weekly football and multi-sport training sessions at each Child Action Lanka centre, focusing on teamwork, confidence and physical well-being
  • Adapted sports activities for disabled children, supported by trained staff to ensure safe and meaningful participation
  • Regular friendly matches and practice sessions to help children build skills and prepare for inter-centre events
  • Provision of essential sports equipment and safe play areas to make activities accessible to all children, including girls and disabled children
  • A large inter-centre football tournament in Colombo, bringing together children from different regions to promote unity, respect and social cohesion
  • Mixed-team formations during the tournament to encourage interaction and respect across ethnic, religious and linguistic boundaries
  • A Child Congress in Colombo, giving children a platform to speak about children’s rights, peacebuilding, gender equality, mental health and resilience
  • Joint activities with local leaders, sports professionals, teachers and child protection services to strengthen collaboration and community support
  • Healthy snacks provided during training sessions to support children’s nutrition and overall well-being

Partner

Sport Comes Back to Syria

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Damascus and Rural Damascus, Syria
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €169,345
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001538
Partners Bonyan for Youth and Development
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

More than a decade of conflict in Syria has left many children and young people affected by displacement, trauma, interrupted education, weakened community networks, and limited access to safe recreational spaces. Sports infrastructure has deteriorated, and many experienced coaches have left the country. Returning families and vulnerable communities continue to face social, psychological, and economic challenges. Sport is recognized as an effective tool for social cohesion, psychosocial wellbeing, inclusion, and youth development.

Project goals

  • Support conflict-affected children and youth through inclusive sport and development activities;
  • strengthen confidence, teamwork, life skills, and community participation;
  • improve employability and digital skills among young adults;
  • and build the capacity of local coaches and sports institutions.

Project content

The Sport 4 Development programme uses Football3 and community-based activities to create safe and inclusive opportunities for children and youth.

Key components include:

  • weekly Football3 sessions,
  • football leagues and tournaments,
  • child protection and safeguarding workshops,
  • environmental education and community clean-up campaigns,
  • digital literacy and employability training,
  • distribution of sports and hygiene kits,
  • and capacity building for local coaches and sports-sector personnel.

Target Groups

  • Children aged 6–17 affected by conflict
    • Internally displaced and returning children and families
    • Children with disabilities
    • Refugees, orphans, minority groups, and children experiencing poverty
    • Young people aged 18–25 facing unemployment and limited opportunities
    • Local coaches, facilitators, and sports-sector personnel

Expected Impact

The programme aims to reach 5,000 children through inclusive sports activities, support 100 young people with employability and digital-skills training, train 25 coaches, organize 50 inclusive matches and tournaments, and benefit approximately 20,000 indirect beneficiaries through families and communities.

Partner

Roots and Routes: Sporting Futures

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Athens, Attica, Greece
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 07/31/2027
Cost of the project €191,218
Foundation funding €117,058
Project identifier 2025001395
Partners Organization Earth
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In Greece, many unaccompanied minors and refugee children are growing up under conditions of displacement, uncertainty and isolation. In Athens in particular, several young people living in shelters have experienced conflict, loss and repeated disruption, while still having limited access to safe, structured opportunities for sport, learning, self-expression and meaningful contact with the wider community. Girls often face additional barriers to participation and visibility. Roots and Routes: Sporting Futures responds to this reality by using sport as an entry point to improve well-being, strengthen resilience, build practical life skills and create pathways for inclusion, protection and belonging.

Project goals

  • Improve the physical, mental and emotional well-being of unaccompanied minors through regular, inclusive sport activities.
  • Strengthen life skills through health literacy, soft-skills development and environmental education.
  • Foster social inclusion and a stronger sense of belonging through shared activities involving refugee children and local youth.
  • Prevent harmful and disruptive behaviors by applying a structured, trauma-informed sport methodology that promotes self-regulation, confidence and respect.
  • Equip frontline professionals with practical tools to support children’s resilience, psychosocial development and integration in everyday settings.

Project content

Roots and Routes: Sporting Futures is an 18-month program built around regular sport sessions, mainly football-based, delivered in a safe, inclusive and non-competitive framework. Sport is used not only to improve physical health, but also to help children develop teamwork, discipline, emotional regulation and trust. Alongside these sessions, the project provides health literacy workshops on topics such as hygiene, nutrition, mental health and substance-abuse prevention, as well as environmental education activities that build awareness and practical green skills through hands-on learning. Soft-skills sessions further support communication, resilience, leadership and cooperation.

A core part of the program is capacity building: professionals working with children will take part in a certified train-the-trainers course led by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, enabling them to use inclusive, trauma-informed, gender-sensitive sport methods in their daily practice. The project also includes dedicated workshops on gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence, as well as community events that bring together refugee children and local youth through sport, culture and shared experiences. Monitoring, participatory feedback and evaluation run throughout the project, helping the consortium improve delivery and document results for wider learning and future scale-up.

Partners

Kick for Change: Empowering children and teenagers through football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location White River suburb of Honiara, Solomon Islands
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €22,400
Foundation funding €22,400
Project identifier 2025000150
Partners Nukumatangi Community Association
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Solomon Islands face significant challenges in providing structured, safe and inclusive recreational and development opportunities for children and teenagers, particularly in urban and peri-urban settlements such as this in the White River area in western Honiara, where young people have limited access to organised sport, positive role models and life-skills education.

As a result, children and teenagers are exposed to the risks of inactivity, poor health, low school engagement and antisocial behaviour, with limited opportunities for personal development.

Football is widely popular and culturally accepted, making it an effective tool to engage young people, promote inclusion and transmit positive values.

Project goals

  • Provide children and teenagers with regular access to structured and safe football activities
  • Promote personal development, teamwork, leadership and discipline
  • Encourage a healthy lifestyle and regular physical activity
  • Promote inclusion and gender equality
  • Strengthen community engagement and social cohesion by involving families, schools and local stakeholders

Project content

  • Structured football training sessions led by trained coaches, focusing on basic football skills, teamwork and fair play, and encouraging active participation by girls as well as boys
  • Life-skills and values-based workshops integrated into sports activities, covering topics such as respect, leadership, gender equality, child protection and healthy lifestyles
  • Mentorship activities to help young participants to build confidence and take on leadership roles of their own
  • Friendly matches and community tournaments to showcase progress and encourage community involvement
  • Continuous monitoring, documentation and reporting to ensure accountability, learning and alignment with the objectives of the UEFA Foundation for Children

Partners

logo nca

Football for Life

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bern and Zurich, Switzerland
Start date 08/01/2026
End date 07/31/2027
Cost of the project €410,991
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025000741
Partners Swiss Academy for Development
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Exercise, sport and play are fundamental components of a child’s development that promote curiosity, empathy, social interaction, learning, joy and much more. At the same time, language skills are a prerequisite for education, work and social life. In Switzerland, strong inequalities exist across both language development and physical activity, with children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds the most affected. These inequalities often impact school performance, physical and mental well-being and personal development. Experiences at an early age set the tone for life: establishing healthy habits, getting involved in sport and developing language skills while young can support well-being, fitness and future educational success.

Project goals

Overall goal

Provide equal access to educational and development opportunities and foster the social integration of children, especially girls, from migrant backgrounds through sport

Specific objectives

  • Provide children with access to regular exercise and sport
  • Enhance children's language and learning skills through a movement-based learning approach, using football as a motivational tool
  • Encourage the development of personal and social skills through sport and play-based learning

Project content

Football for Life uses football to support 8 to 13-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Weekly football training sessions that encourage language development and personal growth are combined with regular cultural events, such as a children’s press conference with professional football players.

The training sessions and cultural events are designed and delivered by multidisciplinary teams, including students, coaches from local grassroots sports clubs and teachers from participating primary schools. Focusing on football-related topics, the weekly training sessions take place at the schools and use playful and interactive methods, serving as dynamic opportunities for language practice. For example, children discuss player roles, explore team dynamics and collaboratively develop game strategies – all topics deliberately chosen to strengthen their language skills.

The sessions also focus on developing motor skills, football techniques and values such as fairness, teamwork and self-confidence. All project activities are centred around the development of personal and social skills and follow the Swiss Academy for Development’s established, award-winning approach, which fosters life skills through sport and play.

Partners

My field, my game, my freedom

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location La Carpio, Los Diques and Maleku, Costa Rica
Start date 08/01/2026
End date 06/30/2028
Cost of the project €315,506
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025002363
Partners GOLEES Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Human rights have suffered a clear setback in Costa Rica in recent years, in part because of policy changes that disproportionately impact girls in informal popular settlements and indigenous communities. These populations are affected by hate speech targeting migrants, a lack of protection for indigenous peoples, the elimination of measures safeguarding LGBTQI+ pupils in schools, increasing threats from organised crime and rising rates of femicide.

Project goals

  • Implement a gender-focused football methodology that promotes community-based solutions to social issues and inequality.
  • Foster individual and collective leadership among vulnerable girls.
  • Build national and international alliances to promote widespread adoption of strategy’s for inclusive, equitable and diverse

Project content

Working from a feminist perspective and with an awareness of intersectional discrimination, the project will deliver safe spaces for sport, social activities and educational initiatives. In addition, it will develop a gender-focused social and sporting methodology that enables players to identify the challenges they face in their communities as girls, indigenous people, migrants or people with diverse sexual identities, and to find collective solutions to these challenges. The project’s activities on and off the pitch will include social events to be held during the next two World Cups.

Partners

Fitba Players Fund

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Towns and cities in all regions of Scotland
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 03/01/2027
Cost of the project €124,237
Foundation funding €88,741
Project identifier 2025000527
Partners The Scottish Football Partnership Trust
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Children and families in deprived Scottish communities continue to face increasing financial pressure. The ongoing impact of inflation and cost-of-living challenges has further widened inequality. As a result, more children than ever are unable to afford football participation costs. Without intervention, hundreds of children face becoming excluded from regular training, club activities and matches, severely impacting their physical and mental well-being.

Project goals

  • Support the participation of up to 500 disadvantaged children in grassroots football throughout the year
  • Prevent vulnerable children from dropping out of organised sport
  • Strengthen long-term engagement and participation in football at grassroots level
  • Promote inclusion and equal access to sport regardless of financial background
  • Support children's mental health, physical well-being and personal development
  • Strengthen the football community by ensuring equal opportunities for all young players

Project content

  • Launch a nationwide bursary scheme and deliver application support through local grassroots clubs
  • Collaborate with strategic partners such as the Scottish FA, the Scottish Youth Football Association, Scottish Women’s Football and Scottish Para-Football
  • Monitor impact through club reports, family feedback and participation data
  • Deliver over 73,500 hours of football activity across Scotland

Partners

Legacy for the future

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Poland
Start date 08/01/2026
End date 12/31/2027
Cost of the project €163,240
Foundation funding €58,890
Project identifier 2025002127
Partners Trenuj Bycie Dobrym
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In Poland, women make up only 6.7% of football players, only 1 of the 12 top-tier women’s clubs has a female manager and only 166 of the over 6,000 clubs have girls' teams.

At the same time, women’s football is more popular than ever thanks to the historic qualification of Poland's women's national team for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. Coach Nina Patalon and captain Ewa Pajor became national heroes, and some two million viewers in the country tuned in to watch the tournament.

Project goals

Continue the legacy of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, using football3 as a bridge between schools and women's football clubs.

Specific goals:

  • Boost girls' participation in football by connecting schools with women’s clubs through football3
  • Empower female teachers to serve as football3 leaders and role models to foster inclusion and fun for girls
  • Strengthen cooperation with the Polish Football Association to promote equal access and visibility for women and girls in football

Project content

  • Create an online course for teachers participating in the programme to simplify access to participation
  • Host educational conferences to introduce activities planned for 2026/27, the football3 method and the online course for new participants, and for the Polish Football Association to present football opportunities for women and girls, supported by the Ministry of Education
  • Deliver 600 football3 lessons to 4,500 children (50% girls)
  • Organise 16 football3 tournaments for 2,400 children (50% girls) to promote equal access, with women’s football clubs and female players in attendance
  • Host a football3 gala with the Polish Football Association for 350 children (50% girls)
  • Conduct research to evaluate the project’s impact

Partners

Sport EurHope

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Poland and Romania
Start date 03/01/2026
End date 02/28/2028
Cost of the project €229,656
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025001197
Partners Fondazione Inter EF - ETS
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

  • Bosna and Herzegovina: Cultural and religious divisions continue between Serbian Orthodox, Croatian Catholic and Bosnian Muslim communities since the Bosnian War, affecting education (with different groups separated under the ‘two schools under one roof’ policy), politics and everyday life.
  • Hungary: The Roma population, Hungary’s largest ethnic minority, faces entrenched discrimination in education, housing and employment. Increasing anti-migrant rhetoric has led to heightened nationalism. In addition, disadvantaged young people in rural areas often lack access to structured extracurricular activities, and the LGBTQI+ community is also ostracised.
  • Poland: Migrants and refugees, particularly from Ukraine, Belarus and the Middle East, face social exclusion, lack of support with integration and rising xenophobia.
  • Romania: Roma communities face poverty, limited civic participation and systemic exclusion, including being separated from others in schools. In addition, disparities between urban and rural areas leave many young people without access to quality extracurricular opportunities, and emerging migrant populations and increasing multiculturalism require new integration strategies. Finally, girls’ participation in football activities is very limited.

Project goals

SPORT EURHOPE aims to build a more inclusive society through sport, by reducing discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes, and building a specific methodology that could be used again or be replicated by third parties.

Four main areas of action have been identified:

  • Inclusion of girls, to promote gender equality
  • Inclusion of minorities, to bridge the social gap between migrants, Roma communities and others
  • Football for all abilities, to reduce barriers to enable everyone to participate
  • Inclusion of people from all religions, ethnicities and cultures, taking into account cultural traditions and freedom of belief

The project is expected to produce results at individual, local and international levels.

Project content

  • Analysis, to confirm the needs assessment and tailor the intervention and targets, based on a one-year pilot in each country
  • Implementation, of an on-pitch activity every week for two years, in collaboration with local partners and schools
  • Development and dissemination, of an inclusive-football methodology to foster sustainable societies, open-minded generations and respectful people and to provide project beneficiaries with skills in problem-solving and creative thinking, plus emotional tools to recognise and manage their feelings, accept people who are different from them, face wins and defeats, and increase their mediation and listening skills.

Partners

Girls and football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Niamey, Dosso and Tillabéri, Niger
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 12/31/2027
Cost of the project €97,065
Foundation funding €91,943
Project identifier 2025001732
Partners New Challenges
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Young people in Niger, especially in the Niamey, Dosso and Tillabéri regions, face numerous challenges: school dropout, early marriage, social disengagement and limited access to sports facilities. These are exacerbated by poverty, insecurity and restrictive sociocultural norms. For example, football is largely considered a boys’ sport, limiting girls' access to the personal development opportunities it offers.

Project goals

Use football as a tool to empower 90 vulnerable 12 to 18-year-olds.

  • Specific goals
  • Foster inclusivity and the participants' psychosocial development through regular sports activities
  • Develop participants’ leadership skills and independence and encourage them to engage with their community
  • Boost participants’ motivation at school and raise awareness among the community of girls' potential and the importance of letting them play sport

Project content

Girls’ football clubs

Two clubs per region (15 girls per club) offering regular training and educational sessions on topics such as:

  • Girls’ rights and gender equality
  • Sexual and reproductive health
  • Female leadership
  • Peace and social cohesion
  • Preventing violence
  • The importance of education

Personal development workshops

One two-day workshop in each region followed by a panel discussion featuring local female sports leaders to inspire participants through lived experiences.

Interregional tournament

One club match per region, followed by a semi-final in Niamey and a final the following day. The aim of the tournament is to promote social cohesion and solidarity between communities.

Academic support

Supporting 90 participants in their studies for the duration of the project by paying their school fees, providing school supplies and offering individual and group tutoring.

Community awareness-raising

A large-scale community forum in each of the three regions and four radio debates per region on the importance of sport for girls, gender equality and social cohesion.

Partners

Football for peace, resilience and the prevention of violent extremism

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Al-Shirqat (Saladin governorate) and Mosul (Nineveh governorate), Iraq
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 12/31/2027
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2025002131
Partners Triangle Génération Humanitaire
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

More than six million displaced people and returnees in Iraq are grappling with the long-term consequences of conflict, displacement, economic hardship and climate disasters. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable, not only living in poverty and being exposed to violence but also having their education disrupted and being forced to relocate frequently. They often have no identity papers and many are subjected to child labour, early marriage, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, recruitment by armed groups and violent extremism. Children from families that support the Islamic State and children living in detention centres are among the most vulnerable.

Project goals

The overarching aim of the project is to protect and empower vulnerable children and adolescents affected by conflict and the negative consequences of climate change in the Al-Shirqat and Mosul areas.

Specific goals:

  • Improve access to inclusive sports activities in youth centres, detention centres and schools
  • Promote psychosocial well-being, social integration and peace
  • Reinforce the education and protection of children, whether they attend school or not
  • Foster youth community engagement, climate action, decision-making and resilience

Project content

The project combines structured learning, safe play and community support and focuses in particular on girls, disabled children and those who have stopped going to school, been displaced or detained or whose families support the Islamic State.

  • Renovating football pitches
  • Organising tournaments and outdoor sports camps
  • Supporting youth-led structures, initiatives and awareness-raising campaigns relating to child protection, education, climate change and sport
  • Training teachers, coaches and staff at detention centres on child protection, children’s rights and sports-based psychosocial support
  • Providing a safe space where vulnerable children and adolescents can develop their life skills and civic values
  • Offering informal education opportunities
  • Running an innovation lab

Partners

Building power through sport and feminist narratives

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location San Salvador, Mejicanos and Ayutuxtepeque, El Salvador
Start date 02/01/2026
End date 06/30/2026
Cost of the project €53,888
Foundation funding €43,110
Project identifier 2025002176
Partners Terre des Hommes Deutschland e.V.
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Women in El Salvador are brought up in a heavily patriarchal culture. Domestic and sexual violence disproportionately affects under-18s, who are socialised in contexts of female subordination and competition among women, with very limited access to sport, safe spaces and public expression.

The country has high rates of teenage pregnancy and early unions, factors that reduce girls' time spent in educational and recreational settings. In 2024, El Salvador registered a total of 7,900 pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 18, representing an average of 21 cases per day, according to data from the ministry of health. More than 72% of these girls were in a formal union before becoming pregnant.

These conditions reinforce cycles of exclusion and restrict access to sport as a right and a tool for well-being. Football continues to be dominated by men, and the media continues to overlook girls and depict them primarily as victims. There is a fundamental lack of access to leisure activities and all public playgrounds have been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project goals

  • Adolescent girls and young women gain self-confidence, empowerment and recognition by doing sport in safe and inclusive spaces
  • At least 80% of project participants continue to play for their football team after the project ends
  • A regional women’s football network is established and gains recognition
  • The feminist digital publication La Brújula and other supportive media outlets promote feminist narratives and representations of children, adolescents and their rights

Project content

  • Implementation of the Somos Campeonas! (We Are Champions!) programme through the Ixchel women’s association’s Football for All School. A sports and sociocultural initiative aimed at promoting rights, gender equality and the empowerment of girls, adolescents and young women, the programme has been developed with a gender and intersectional perspective, incorporating popular education methodologies and community participation.
  • Weekly training sessions and workshops for 80 teenage girls (aged 13 to 17), encouraging them to make their own decisions and take responsibility.
  • Hiring of a specialised coach and creation of a safe and secure space for women to play sport, fostering holistic development, active participation and long-term involvement.
  • Creation of spaces for reflection and training, focused on female empowerment and leadership skills.
  • Training for journalists, including a manual and feminist narratives for digital media
  • Awareness-raising and intergenerational dialogue involving feminists and the women's football ecosystem
  • Coordinated action with mentors, families and local groups to strengthen local networks, promote cross-cutting human rights and ensure social sustainability.

Partners

Life Saving for Vulnerable Undocumented Migrants’ Children

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Taipei City, Taiwan
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €168,045
Foundation funding €47,544
Project identifier 2025001447
Partners Harmony Home Taiwan
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Most undocumented children in Taiwan are the children of migrant workers. These families face numerous difficulties. Migrant women who fall pregnant usually skip antenatal check-ups because they are afraid of being reported to the authorities. Moreover, since these mothers are undocumented, their children are not covered by the health insurance system, Delayed treatment can exacerbate medical conditions and can even lead to death.

Project goals

  • Save 140 undocumented children from danger and death.
  • Provide 30 children with developmental support to help them catch up with their peers.
  • Help 50 undocumented children between the ages of three and seven to access sport.
  • Helping undocumented mothers and their children return safely to their countries of origin.

Project content

  • Provide undocumented mothers with shelter and 24-hour care for their children.
  • Ensure that undocumented children receive the necessary vaccines, health check-ups and early intervention (weekly occupational therapy or physiotherapy) in the case of delayed development, which affects around 50% of these children.
  • Weekly football training sessions for ten children between the ages of five and seven, and friendly matches.
  • Yoga sessions delivered by a volunteer yoga studio at Harmony House twice a month for ten children.

Partners

Powerchair Football for Kids United

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Groningen, the Netherlands
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 01/01/2031
Cost of the project €46,500
Foundation funding €27,500
Project identifier 2025001169
Partners Kids United
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

In the northern Netherlands, disabled children and young adults who are fully dependent on electric wheelchairs have very limited access to structured sport. Powerchair football is not currently available in the region, which means that they are required to travel long distances to participate.

Kids United is a non-profit foundation based in Groningen that has been offering inclusive, free-of-charge football opportunities to children and young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities since 2003. While the organisation supports more than 150 children through weekly training sessions and inclusive sports activities, there remains a clear gap for opportunities for electric wheelchairs users.

 

Project goals

  • Offer powerchair football activities for disabled children and young adults in the northern Netherlands
  • Promote social inclusion, self-confidence and well-being through structured team sport
  • Establish a sustainable powerchair football programme within Kids United
  • Train coaches and volunteers in inclusive sport and safeguarding practices
  • Strengthen partnerships with sports organisations and local stakeholders to ensure long-term impact

Project content

The project focuses on creating a sustainable, inclusive powerchair football programme within Kids United. Activities include acquiring specialised powerchair football equipment, organising weekly training sessions and delivering courses for coaches and volunteers.

Participants will train in a safe and adapted environment under professional supervision. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Football Association and other partners to ensure quality, continuity and alignment with national powerchair football structures.

Partners

kids 2 sterren conv 1

GoalNation: Build. Play. Belong.

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Chișinău, Moldova
Start date 01/01/2026
End date 01/01/2027
Cost of the project €60,000
Foundation funding €48,000
Project identifier 2025001165
Partners CSF SPORTING CHIȘINĂU
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Most refugee children from Ukraine lack access to safe, inclusive and well-equipped football facilities in Moldova. The pitches that do exist are limited in number, poorly maintained or far from the refugee settlements. Clubs and NGOs are overwhelmed and underfunded. This project fills a critical gap by creating child-friendly, accessible and sustainable football spaces that foster integration, well-being and personal development through sport.

Project goals

  • Develop eco-sustainable sports facilities in underserved areas
  • Promote the social inclusion and well-being of young Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan children through football
  • Foster teamwork, resilience, cross-cultural understanding and environmental awareness
  • Support grassroots football and equal access to sport
  • Empower young people through physical activity, education and safe play environments

Project content

GoalNation builds eco-certified football facilities for Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan youngsters, including a new 20m × 32m mini-pitch in Chișinău. Using FIFA-standard turf and local labour, the project will support more than 160 children from ten teams.

Partners

Life Kicks: Skills beyond the field

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Birkirkara, Malta
Start date 03/06/2026
End date 07/30/2026
Cost of the project €9,834
Foundation funding €7,867
Project identifier 2025000934
Partners Generation (Change?)
Categories Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Malta has some of the highest obesity rates in Europe and a 2018 WHO study found that only 39% of boys and 10% of girls meet the daily recommended physical activity levels. Around a third of young people drop out of organised sport each year, often blaming a lack of enjoyment, rigid structures and limited resources.

The Maltese sport ecosystem remains constrained by structural and cultural factors. Elite development is often prioritised over grassroots sport and mass participation, and girls are less likely to participate because of cultural perceptions and a lack of encouragement. In addition, young people from marginalised backgrounds are often excluded because of financial limitations or a lack of support. The country lacks open spaces where young people can meet up and play a game of football without paying. Malta also has very few programmes specifically designed to develop soft skills through sport.

Project goals

The aim of Life Kicks is to use football as an educational tool to equip young people with essential life skills, improve their well‑being and promote inclusive participation in sport and community life.

  • Develop life skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, decision-making and self-discipline
  • Promote physical and mental well‑being
  • Make participation in sport more enjoyable, inclusive and meaningful for young people
  • Actively engage people from diverse and marginalised backgrounds
  • Promote gender equality
  • Strengthen community bonds, encourage mentorship and provide spaces for positive social interactions

Project content

Generation (Change?) youth workers deliver informal transversal skills sessions at Birkirkara FC Youth Academy alongside sports activities led by football coaches. Using youth work methodologies to combine informal education with sport, the programme provides a well-rounded developmental environment that fosters participants’ personal and social capabilities. Around 200 young people can take part, including those from challenging social backgrounds, and at least 25% of the participants are girls.

Partners