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Zaatari and Azraq residents to benefit from two new artificial football pitches

The UEFA Foundation for Children, Lay’s and the Asian Football Development Project partner for a second year to build new football facilities for refugees.

Jordan, 17 September 2018: the UEFA Foundation for Children, Lay’s and the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) have joined forces to turn unsafe play areas at two refugee camps in northern Jordan into artificial football pitches. A dedicated girls-only pitch will enhance Zaatari’s current football facilities, while a newly upgraded pitch will enable even more football-loving girls and boys in the Azraq camp to enjoy their favourite game.

Lay’s first teamed up with the UEFA Foundation for Children and the AFDP in September 2017 to build a full-size, permanent artificial pitch for Zaatari residents. Over the past 12 months, 35,000 children and adults have used the pitch, with 600 matches played in 20 tournaments and football training courses on offer all year round. Additionally, 40 men and 40 women have become certified football coaches.

Today, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein will return to officially open the girls-only pitch in Zaatari, having inaugurated the first pitch in 2017. Azraq will also welcome special guests for an official opening ceremony, including UEFA Foundation for Children general secretary Urs Kluser and PepsiCo Middle East and North Africa (MENA) snacks director Mazen Al Masri, who will meet members of the community and local certified football coaches.

These new football pitches have been designed to help create an everyday environment where youngsters can enjoy recreational time and remain children even in wartime. The new girls-only facility in Zaatari meets a growing need to promote girls’ participation in sports activities at the camp, while supervised sports activities at both camps will help reduce tensions, encourage dialogue and improve conflict resolution and well-being.

- Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president

When children enter these football pitches, they dare to dream big. They are football players, defenders, strikers, goalkeepers, referees and fans, having a good time while learning how to play in a team. In many, lasting ways, their lives will be transformed well beyond that last whistle blow.

- HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, AFDP founder and chairman

The Arab world is united in its love for football, and the Zaatari project enables young people to live out their passion and bond over the camaraderie the sport inspires. PepsiCo is proud to be part of this initiative with the AFDP and the UEFA Foundation for Children, in line with our Performance with Purpose strategy to do business in a way that benefits the communities we live and work in.

- PepsiCo’s MENA snacks director, Mazen Al Masri

Lay’s, a PepsiCo brand, has been an official partner of the UEFA Champions League since 2015. It has a long-standing relationship with football around the world, having developed several initiatives to promote the sport throughout the Arab world in addition to its UEFA Champions League partnership. Lay’s has also replaced areas of wasteland with football pitches in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as screening UEFA Champions League matches free in youth centres and other locations in both countries.

UEFA Foundation for Children–AFDP collaboration

Project partner

Since 2013, the AFDP and the UEFA Foundation for Children have been organising regular football training sessions and workshops at the camp for displaced persons in Syria, particularly for children, who are the most vulnerable victims of war. This long-term collaboration has given rise to many different projects that use sport, especially football, as a platform for social development. Football continues to play a pivotal role in helping refugees respond to the challenges of their displacement and the impact the conflict has had on their lives, by giving them a fun, healthy team-work based outlet, in which they can build friendships and regain a sense of normality and hope. Additionally, the UEFA Foundation for Children–AFDP collaboration has trained 287 refugees, 190 men and 97 women, to become coaches for over 6,800 Syrian youngsters, 4,150 boys and 2,650 girls. The coaches, in turn, have launched their own football league at the camp and hope to establish a football club in the near future.

About PepsiCo

Project Partner

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2017, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – the fundamental belief that the company’s success is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. It believes that continuously improving the products it sells, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and its shareholders. For more information, visit http://www.pepsico.com/.

Football provides new prospects for Estonian children

For the second year in a row, the NGO SPIN has received a UEFA Foundation for Children Award on a recommendation from the Estonian Football Association.

During a trip to Tallinn, we received a warm welcome from the CEO of SPIN, Keit Fomotškin. “It means a lot to us to receive a UEFA Foundation for Children Award,” he said. “Recognition from outside Estonia is very important for our team of coaches who work with the kids every day. The award will enable us to expand our programme and involve more participants.”

The youngsters who attend the SPIN-programme come from difficult social backgrounds and have been identified in collaboration with social workers, local authorities and schools.

SPIN believes in the potential of every child to become a good citizen. By playing football in a safe and motivating environment, youngsters learn the positive values of team sport that can be replicated in everyday life. The programme aims to combat youth criminality, lower school dropout rates and increase the number of young people in skilled labour, while providing them with alternative ways to spend their time.

Three times a week, the children meet for a 90-minute training session under the guidance of professional football coaches and assistant coaches. These sessions focus on sports and different skills needed in life and are intended to give them a better knowledge of social values and develop their social behaviour in parallel to their performance in sport. They also develop social skills, such as effective communication, conflict resolution and setting personal goals.

Assistant coach Laura Karpova usually trains the girls. “Women’s football is not very popular in Estonia,” she said. “The SPIN-programme is flexible and we also focus on other activities to reach our goals with girls. For example, they like drawing.”

Angelina (17) and Inna (15) are two active programme participants, both of whom love football and like getting together with their teammates. Angelina in particular really likes the team spirit in the programme. Sometimes she gets to be captain. She likes playing tournaments and is motivated to win.

The children’s development is assessed by measuring their rate of participation and discipline in the activities, as surveyed by the coaches, as well as their grades and behaviour at school.

After the first year, the programme’s impact speaks for itself:

8% improvement in their school results
6% improvement in their behaviour at school
19% improvement in activity, participation and discipline
18% decrease in readiness to engage in risk behaviour
12% improvement in self-control
95% of the participants rate the programme as either good or excellent

Thanks to the foundation’s support, the programme was launched in Tartu. Furthermore, it has helped make reaching target group children more effective. The funding also covers equipment and materials and the summer camp in 2018.

SPIN currently involves over 250 active participants aged 10 to 18 – 83% boys and 17% girls. The programme partners 45 different schools in the Estonian municipalities of Tallinn, Tartu, Rakvere, Kohtla-Järve and Narva.

Building an inclusive future for visual impaired children

UEFA Super Cup, a platform for positive change

Since its creation in 2015, the UEFA Foundation for Children has become a key presence at the UEFA Super Cup, delivering strong messages of integration, solidarity and hope.

This year in Tallinn, a mixed choir of visual impaired and normal-sighted boys and girls aged between 7 and 15 will perform the Florence And The Machine song You’ve got the Love before kick-off on Wednesday 15 August. The choir will be made up of children from Tallinna Heleni Kool (Helen’s School in Tallinn), which teaches children with hearing and visual impairments, and multiple disabilities, and Tallinna Poistekoor (the Tallinn boys’ choir).

The support of the players of Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid will highlight the importance of integrating children with disabilities into society as well as giving opportunities to children in less-privileged parts of the world. The youngsters will have the chance to meet players from both teams and share their mutual love of football ahead of the match.

“It’s the first time our students have been involved in such a big project, and I am very happy,” said Erki Korp, head of Tallinna Heleni Kool. “Mentalities towards persons with disabilities are changing very slowly in Estonian society. An event like this will raise awareness of the problems faced by blind children in our society, and people will start to talk about it, which is very important in bringing about positive change.”

“The UEFA Super Cup is an important event for the UEFA Foundation for Children, where we can make a link between professional football and local children,” said Urs Kluser, general secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children. “Football is a game of passion that builds bridges between people. No matter who you are or where you come from, you have a part to play in the world of football.”

Note:

The UEFA Foundation for Children launched a new call for projects on 13 August. Applicants have one month to submit details of their projects. All the necessary information and the selection criteria are published on the online platform. The board of trustees will decide on projects and announce its decisions before the end of 2018.

Additional information:

High-resolution videos and images relating to this press release can be found in the newsroom.

Follow the UEFA Foundation for Children on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

UEFA Foundation for Children launches 2018 call for projects

On 13 August, the UEFA Foundation for Children launched its 2018 call for projects that seek to promote children’s fundamental rights across the globe.

This call for projects is aimed at any organisation that shares the values of the UEFA foundation and proposes practical measures to help children, in particular in the areas of access to sport, health, education, employment, personal development and supporting vulnerable children.

Applications are invited from organisations anywhere in the world. Support is not limited to projects within Europe

The UEFA Foundation for Children will examine and evaluate each project. The final decision on the selection of projects will be taken by the board of trustees in accordance with the foundation’s statutes and ethics code.

Specific conditions relating to funding are provided in the project criteria.

To submit your project, click on this link. The application deadline is 14 September 2018.

Candidates will be notified of the progress of their application by the end of 2018.

2018 UEFA Foundation for Children Award for Ampu Kids in Germany

Zaatari and Azraq residents to benefit from two new artificial football pitches

Ampukids is a German project that assists amputee children. Ampukids offers children and their families extensive support to cope with their new situation, to manage daily life and the new challenges associated with limb amputation. An amputation is a horrifying incident for a family, and competent psychological care is often necessary. Ampukids’ main aims are to enable amputee children to find their way back to normal life, to participate in any social activities and sports, and to create a German-wide network of children and families sharing their experience and individual skills.

Ampukids also organises events bringing together ‘Ampukids’, their families and friends, as well as non-amputee children. These events support mutual interaction, integrating amputee children into mixed teams and allowing them to set their own goals. Ampukids events also bring together families, allowing them to exchange their expertise in dealing with all the challenges associated with amputation in childhood.

Every year, Ampukids organises an integrative sports tournament entitled ‘No barriers, just sport!’, bringing together amputee and non-amputee-children. The DFB’s Sepp Hersberger Foundation supports Ampukids in organising this event, which is very well attended and appreciated by all participants. The children form mixed groups and participate in different sports, including a football match. Spectators are often astonished by the creative ways in which the teams integrate their amputee members and easily manage sporting challenges.

Link to video

DAYSI’S STORY

Sport is one of the things that Daysi loves.

Two years ago, a 13-year-old girl named Daysi joined the School of Integration, Sports Training, Artistic Expression and Professional Development (EIFODEC) in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

At that time, she had basic motor skills and did not have the opportunity to do sport and develop her physical abilities. Since attending the EIFODEC, Daysi has improved her motor skills and has gained confidence through playing team sports such as football, which is her favourite. Football has had a significant impact on the development of Daysi’s self-esteem, personal safety, cooperation and teamwork.

At the age of five, Daysi was rescued from her home because she was exposed to constant sexual abuse by her stepfather and was neglected by her biological mother. Since then she has been living in a foster home with a system of surrogate families. She has found support and love from her foster mother and younger siblings.

Daysi says: “I like to play football because I can run and laugh with my friends. I play well, I have fun and I exercise a lot.”

Daysi is beneficiary of the programme Light for the World.

Field in a Box™ provides opportunities for young people in Brazil

Football as a platform for positive change in Olinda

The community of Rio Doce yesterday celebrated the official opening of a Field in a Box pitch in Olinda as part of a collaborative social responsibility programme by FedEx Express, the UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld. This ambitious project aims to use football to deliver positive change in communities where young people live in challenging circumstances.

“This Field in a Box pitch will provide sports infrastructure for community activities aimed at creating opportunities for youngsters and strengthening social ties in Olinda. Every child will learn to play a key role in the community’s future and cohesion,” said Pascal Torres, general secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

“When FedEx Express began sponsoring the UEFA Europa League, we wanted to find a way to use our involvement in professional football to benefit young people on a more personal level. The Field in a Box initiative uses a shared interest in football to open up new possibilities for individuals and communities around the world,” said Américo Pereira Filho, vice-president of operations for FedEx Express Brazil.
The installation of the pitch was overseen by global charity streetfootballworld and its network member love.fútbol. The non-profit organisation Pazear, based in Olinda, has developed a programme of activities to ensure sustainable use of the pitch by the community. These activities are based on the Football3 methodology that uses the game to promote communication, fair play, and respect among players, while also instilling a sense of responsibility and ambition in aspiring young footballers.

“We are inspired by our friends in Rio Doce and proud of our community-driven approach to this collaboration with FedEx Express, the UEFA Foundation for Children, streetfootballworld, and Pazear. All communities have the power to be agents of their own change. This project is an important step in using sport for social development,” said Drew Chafetz, CEO and co-founder of love.fútbol.
The community welcomed the arrival of the pitch and took part in the early construction stages, planting trees, painting tyres and transporting materials to help lay the groundwork at an event coordinated by love.fútbol. FedEx Express teams from Jaboatão dos Guararapes also volunteered, painting walls and benches, removing debris and cleaning.

Brazil is the fourth country to receive a Field in the Box pitch, after Spain, Poland, and South Africa. Field in a Box is funded by FedEx Cares, a global social responsibility platform committed to investing $200 million in 200 communities around the world by 2020.

Read the project file here.

Match for Solidarity helps disabled children around the globe

UEFA and the United Nations helped to raise €605,000 for the UEFA Foundation for Children to fund humanitarian and development projects around the world.

On 21 April, UEFA and the United Nations Office at Geneva joined forces to stage the Match for Solidarity charity football match. Aside from the game, between teams captained by Ronaldinho and Luís Figo, the event included a unique global digital auction for fans and a live auction at a gala dinner held after the match. All proceeds from the match and auctions are being allocated to humanitarian and development projects.

The match, held at the Stade de Genève in glorious sunshine, proved to be extremely popular, with 23,654 fans turning up to watch Figo’s team triumph 4–3 in an almost sold-out stadium. The overriding aim of the event was to promote peace, human rights and well-being across the world through the the Sustainable Development Goals as set out by the United Nations.

“I am delighted that both fans and football legends were able to come together to raise money for good causes and help those in need,” said the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin. “We are in a privileged position and we must use this to help children living in challenging and difficult circumstances around the world.”

A total of €605,000 was raised and is being allocated by the UEFA Foundation for Children to humanitarian and development projects selected by a committee of representatives from UEFA, the United Nations Office in Geneva and the Fondation du Stade de Genève. The objective was to support initiatives that use sport, and football in particular, as a way to protect the rights and promote inclusion of disabled children in our societies.

“Solidarity is key to creating a fairer world for everybody,” said Michael Moller, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva. “This Match proved it one more time, by bringing together stakeholders of International Geneva to help reduce inequalities – Sustainable Development Goal number 10 – and to support projects for children with mental and physical disabilities worldwide. Together, our actions can produce results and have an impact in people’s lives; we need to put aside our differences and focus on our mutual goal to create a world of opportunities.”

At local level, support is being given to an awareness campaign run by Autisme Genève, an association that promotes a better understanding of people living with autism and an appreciation of diversity in society. The non-profit organisation was founded in Geneva in 2007 on the initiative of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.

At international level, the approved projects are:

Blind soccer in Bamako (Mali): A project run by Libre Vue since 2012 to give the visually impaired greater opportunities to play football.

Everyone invited to the pitch! (Argentina): Run by Asociación Civil Andar in the Moreno district of Buenos Aires for over 20 years, this project fosters the development of people living with mental disabilities through employment, sport, arts culture and health initiatives.

Inclusive sports for peace (Sri Lanka): This project, run by local NGOs und supervised by Handicap International, is active in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara and helps young people living with physical disabilities by ensuring sport is available to all and by promoting social cohesion.

“We are pleased that the momentum and support we received from the Match for Solidarity event has allowed us to assist programmes that improve the lives of children across four continents,” said Pascal Torres, general secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children. “Children living with disabilities are particularly vulnerable and therefore need more support to have their basic rights respected, including access to education, sports and leisure activities.”

The UEFA Foundation for Children would like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of this fantastic event: UEFA, the United Nations Office at Geneva, the city and canton of Geneva, the Fondation du Stade de Genève, as well as the fans, players, referees and donors, and everyone else who helped make the first Match For Solidarity a great success.

For high-resolution videos and images relating to this media release, visit the newsroom.

You can also follow the UEFA Foundation for Children on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Making football dreams come true

The foundation endeavours to put a smile on the faces of children and young people who are seriously ill or whose lives have been changed forever an accident by enabling them to meet their favourite player or a prestigious football team, or simply to enjoy the unique experience of watching a major European match.

For the last three years, we have been working closely with Etoile filante/Sternschnuppe and Make a Wish in Switzerland and the French association Rêves to provide unforgettable experiences for children and the families that support them day after day. We do all we can to give them a couple of magical days to help them through the more difficult moments.

The foundation made the dreams of 46 children come true during the 2017/18 season:

18 children saw their favourite player in action for their club
6 children met the players of their national team
22 children watched the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League finals

Club matches :

Gwendal’s dream came true when he met the FC Barcelona players and watched the Champions League match between FC Barcelona and Olympiacos FC on 18 October.
Larisa met the player David Luiz and attended the Champions League match between Chelsea FC and AS Roma on 18 October.
Christoph, whose dream was to see the Borussia Dortmund team, met them at their Champions League match against Tottenham Hotspur FC on 21 November.
Simone met Neymar at a training session and at the Champions League match between Celtic FC and Paris Saint-Germain on 22 November.
Bruno met his favourite team, Juventus, at their Champions League match against FC Barcelona on 22 November.
Dominic met the FC Bayern München players and watched their match against Paris Saint-Germain on 5 December.
Sami watched Paris Saint-Germain’s match against FC Bayern München in Munich on 5 December.
Mathis watched Paris Saint-Germain’s match against FC Bayern München in Munich on 5 December.
Mateo’s dream of seeing Real Madrid CF in action came true on 6 December 2017, when he watched them play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Marco had dreamt of meeting AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and was given the chance to do so on 22 February.
Timoty fulfilled his dream of meeting Lionel Messi and watching an FC Barcelona match on 4 April, when they played AS Roma in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Enzo fulfilled his dream of meeting Lionel Messi and watching an FC Barcelona match on 4 April, when they played AS Roma in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Loic fulfilled his dream of meeting Lionel Messi and watching an FC Barcelona match on 4 April, when they played AS Roma in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Ulrich had dreamt of meeting Paul Pogba and was able to do so at a training session before Manchester United FC played Sevilla FC on 13 March.
Gabriele met the player David Luiz and watched the Champions League match between Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona on 20 February.
Océane’s dream of meeting Dimitri Payet came true at the Europa League semi-final in Marseille.
Azra attended the Istanbul derby between Galatasaray AŞ and Beşiktaş JK on 29 April.

National team matches:

Julien met Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini when Italy played their European Qualifier against FYR Macedonia on 6 October.
Noa met the Portugal team on 10 October, when they played their European Qualifier against Switzerland.
Jorim met the Portugal team on 10 October, when they played their European Qualifier against Switzerland.
Gautier met the French national team in Saint Denis (Paris) on 11 November after the friendly against Wales.
Alex met the French national team in Saint Denis (Paris) on 11 November after the friendly against Wales.
Calvyn met the French national team in Saint Denis (Paris) on 11 November after the friendly against Wales.

Finals:

Dylan fulfilled his dream by watching his favourite team, Olympique de Marseille, contest the Europa League final in Lyon.
A group of nine young people from the Air Pur et Soleil association, who were going through a tough time in their lives, attended the Europa League final. They also had lunch with famous French player Yann M’Vila of AS Saint-Étienne.
A group of 12 youngsters from the Sport dans la Ville association (France) were rewarded for their good behaviour and exemplary hard work for the association with a trip to Kyiv to watch the Champions League final.

Winners of 2018 UEFA Foundation for Children Awards announced

Awards go to 20 European organisations supporting disadvantaged children

On 16 May, the Board of Trustees of the UEFA Foundation for Children met in Lyon at the offices of Sport dans la Ville – an organisation that uses sport to help young people to integrate into society – under the stewardship of its chairman, Aleksander Čeferin.

The agenda for that meeting included a number of important items of business, such as the 2018 UEFA Foundation for Children Awards and the approval of the projects to be supported using the proceeds from the recent Match for Solidarity, which took place in Geneva on 21 April and was jointly organised by UEFA and the United Nations.

As regards administrative business, the chairman of The Football Association, Greg Clarke, was voted onto the Board of Trustees, bringing the total number of members to 11. The Board of Trustees also took note of the impending departure of the foundation’s secretary general, Pascal Torres, who will be replaced by Urs Kluser.

2018 UEFA Foundation for Children Awards
In January, UEFA’s 55 member associations were again asked to nominate a charity partner that was involved in activities benefiting children – a repeat of last year’s initiative aimed at placing Europe’s national associations at the heart of the decision-making process as regards these awards. The eligibility criteria for this year’s awards were as follows:

Nominees had to be based in one of UEFA’s member countries.
They had to comply with the Ethics Code of the UEFA Foundation for Children.
They had to be registered with the relevant national authorities and comply with all legal and financial obligations.
Their activities had to be aimed at helping disadvantaged children.
Priority would be given to national associations whose charity partners had not received an award in 2017.

Each award-winner would receive a grant of at least €50,000.

A total of 22 national associations submitted nominations, ten of which had not nominated anyone last year. Only two nominees were rejected on account of a failure to satisfy the above criteria. The Board of Trustees decided to divide the total amount of funding available – €1m – equally between the remaining nominees, with the 20 organisations below each receiving a €50,000 grant:

National association	Recipient organisation
Football Federation of Armenia	Grant Life
Austrian Football Association	Helga Keil-Bastendorff Stiftung
Royal Belgian Football Association	BX Brussels
Croatian Football Federation	Pogled Autism Association
Cyprus Football Association	Goal in Life
Football Association of the Czech Republic	Special Olympics Czech Republic
Estonian Football Association	SPIN
French Football Federation	Fondaction du Football
German Football Association	AMPU KIDS – a project by Ampu Vita e.V.
Israel Football Association	The Israel Sport and Education Initiative
Football Federation of Kosovo	Kosovar Youth Council
Liechtenstein Football Association	Football is More
Lithuanian Football Federation	Vilnius Social Club
Football Federation of FYR Macedonia	SOS Children’s Village Macedonia
Polish Football Association	Amp Futbol Polska
Football Association of Ireland	Irish Society for Autism
Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation	Škola fudbala Respekt
Football Association of Slovenia	Debeli Rtič Youth Health and Summer Resort
Swedish Football Association	Lennart Johansson Foundation
Swiss Football Association	Verein Raumfang

2018 call for projects
This year, applicants should submit details of their projects between mid-August and mid September. The selection criteria will be set out in the application form.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is set to take place on end of 2018 to announce the selected of the new projects.

For high-resolution images relating to this media release, please visit the foundation’s newsroom.

You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Stars in their eyes

Local children will escort the players out onto the pitch thanks to a partnership between the UEFA Foundation for Children and FedEx

The UEFA Europa League final is a source of great excitement to its host city, and not least to the young fans who dream of seeing their heroes in the flesh.
The UEFA Foundation for Children and the competition’s main sponsor, FedEx, have worked together to make the dreams of 22 local children a reality. Those youngsters, aged between seven and nine, will walk onto the pitch hand in hand with the players from Olympique de Marseille and Club Atlético de Madrid prior to kick-off. They having been chosen by French non-profit organisation Sport dans la Ville. They learned of their role from none other than FedEx ambassador and Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit during a special trip to the Stade de Lyon.

“The news that the children would escort the football stars they admire most onto the field at the UEFA Europa League final was completely unexpected – a possibility that many would not even have dreamed of,” said Hélène Blondel-Ehni, director of partnerships at Sport dans la Ville.

FedEx donated its full player-escort line-up to local charities at previous UEFA Europa League finals in Basel and Stockholm, prior to the 2018 showpiece in Lyon. The sponsor works together with the UEFA Foundation for Children and global charity streetfootballworld on a collaborative social responsibility programme that uses football as a platform to connect people and possibilities around the world.

“To step out onto the field at the UEFA Europa League final is something completely out of the ordinary, and you can see a sense of pride in their faces on the night,” said Jérôme Ovion, vice-president of hub operations at FedEx Express France.

In addition to this player escort initiative, the UEFA Foundation for Children is also giving away 100 match tickets to other partner organisations, allowing even more children to attend the final and enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

Dreams made possible for Lyon children at UEFA Europa League final

FedEx Express donates its player escort allocation to French charity Sport dans la Ville

The UEFA Foundation for Children and FedEx Express – a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation and the world’s largest express transportation company – are offering local children a dream opportunity at the UEFA Europa League final in Lyon on 16 May 2018.

Children chosen by Sport dans la Ville, a local non-profit organisation, will lead the two teams – Olympique de Marseille and Club Atlético de Madrid – out onto the pitch at the Stade de Lyon, where, for a brief moment, they themselves will be the stars of the UEFA Europa League final. FedEx Express’s UEFA Europa League ambassador, Ruud Gullit, delivered the exciting news to those 22 children during a recent behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium.

As the main sponsor of the UEFA Europa League, FedEx Express works closely with the UEFA Foundation for Children on initiatives that use football as a platform to connect people to new possibilities. This will be the third time that a charity based in the city hosting the UEFA Europa League final has been asked to nominate children to be player escorts at this prestigious match. This initiative complements the FedEx Cares programme, which embodies the company’s broader commitment to investing in communities where its team members live and work around the world.

“Many children in the care of charities face very challenging life circumstances. For them, to step out onto the field at the UEFA Europa League final is an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you can see the joy on their faces,” said Jérôme Ovion, vice-president operations, hubs and transport at FedEx Express in France.

“The news that the children would be escorting their footballing heroes out onto the pitch at the UEFA Europa League final was completely unexpected – something that many will not even have dreamt of,” said Hélène Blondel-Ehni, director of partnerships at Sport dans la Ville.

“For the third year in a row, FedEx Express and the UEFA Foundation for Children are giving children in the city hosting the UEFA Europa League final an opportunity to shine,” said Pascal Torres, secretary general of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

For more information about the FedEx Cares programme, click here.

To see a video about this year’s player escort programme, click here.

For high-resolution videos and images relating to this media release, visit the newsroom.

You can also follow the UEFA Foundation for Children on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Field in a Box opens up new possibilities for young people in Philippi, Cape Town

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), and the UEFA Foundation for Children celebrated the opening of the latest Field in a Box in the Philippi township of Cape Town on Saturday 14 April 2018.

As the main sponsor of the UEFA Europa League, FedEx delivers its Field in a Box programme in collaboration with the UEFA Foundation for Children and global non-profit organisation streetfootballworld. The programme delivers easy-to-install, artificial-turf sports fields, each aiming to use football as a platform to empower children and young adults.

“Our intention by building these fields is to provide an environment that is inclusive and accessible to everyone in the community. We hope that they will provide a foundation for personal and sometimes longer-term socio-economic development,” says Mike Higley, FedEx Express vice-president for sub-Saharan Africa.

“Living and playing together is a commitment to the future and sustainable development of South Africa. We are pleased to join forces with FedEx Express and streetfootballworld to allow the boys and girls of this community to become the responsible citizens of tomorrow,” says Pascal Torres, general secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

“By introducing the ‘football for good’ movement to Philippi, we’re offering young people an opportunity to learn the benefits of teamwork and respect in an environment where positive dialogue is really encouraged,” says Vladimir Borkovic, director of streetfootballworld.

Oasis, a non-profit organisation founded in Cape Town in 2000, will oversee the programme of activities at the field and ensure its sustainable use in the community. “The Field in a Box will be a great support for the youth of Philippi. We hope this initiative will uplift the community and be enjoyed by all,” says Clifford Martinus, founder of Oasis.

Together with FedEx Express, Oasis hosted a formal inauguration of the field attended by, among others, Albert Fritz, Western Cape provincial minister for social development, and Anroux Marais, provincial minister for cultural affairs and sport. Former South Africa captain, Lucas Radebe joined in the celebrations, to the delight of local children.

This is the third Field in a Box to be built by FedEx in collaboration with the UEFA Foundation for Children and the first of three fields that FedEx has committed to build outside Europe under its community investment platform FedEx Cares.

UEFA Foundation for Children and Swiss Football Association pledge support for PluSport

The UEFA Foundation for Children will be supporting the Goal Plus – Play Football project run by PluSport, the Swiss disability sport association, for another year, while the Swiss Football Association has signed an agreement with PluSport to form a partnership in the area of disability football.

Football is the world’s most popular sport and, thanks to these two partnerships, access to sport, and to football in particular, will be made easier for everyone, regardless of any disability. Play Football promotes the integration of disabled children and teenagers into society and sport by creating football groups that train together regularly and organising tournaments at which teams can compete against each other.

“The fact that the foundation is supporting our project for another year is great news for us and shows the increasing value attached to our tournaments,” explains René Will, PluSport director.

By supporting the project, the UEFA Foundation for Children wants to enable children and teenagers to play football, improve their heath, receive coaching and enjoy sport. Pascal Torres, the foundation’s general secretary, agrees: “We are proud to support disability football. This sport gives people pleasure, enables them to meet others and facilitates their social integration.”

The Swiss FA and PluSport are aiming to establish a long-term partnership. Disability football needs to become a fully established part of the Swiss sports landscape. Both organisations are keen to make use of synergies, promote football for all and share their experiences.

Read the project file.

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Eleven Campaign to raise the curtain on the Match for Solidarity

On Saturday 21 April, prior to the UEFA-United Nations Match for Solidarity, 11 children who have been followed by the Eleven Campaign will take to the pitch at the Stade de Genève to play in a football match designed to symbolise unity.

Can football unite the world? That is the question posed by the Eleven Campaign, the non-profit organisation behind the Eleven film project. Supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, the Eleven documentary aims to demonstrate the power of football to unite the world by following 11 children as they come together to play the football match of their lives.

The Eleven Rise As One game will take place ahead of the Match for Solidarity, a charity event being organised by UEFA and the United Nations on Saturday 21 April. It will bring together 11 children from 11 different countries, who will meet for the first time when they arrive in Switzerland to form a football team and play a 30-minute match at the Stade de Genève. Their opponents will be a team of 10- to 15-year olds with no fewer than 11 different origins.

As the world’s most popular sport, football is more than just a sport, more than just a game. It has the power to overcome prejudice, promote peace and bring people from different backgrounds together.

Come and share in this great adventure and see how football has the power to unite the world!

The first to arrive at the stadium will take part in a draw to win jerseys signed by football legends such as Figo, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, as well as a Real Madrid jersey signed by Ronaldo.

Tickets available from: www.ticketcorner.ch
Learn more about Eleven Campaign: http://elevencampaign.org/

TIPS – a tool for the uses of the new technologies with children with ASD

TIPS – feedback from the use of the new technologies with children with autism spectrum disorder symptoms (ASD)

On the occasion of the world autism awareness day, FIRAH and its universities and stakeholders European partners publish TIPS.

This booklet in done in a question and answer format. It gathers answers of children and adolescents with ASD, to their parents, and to professionals working with these children on the use of new technologies. The questionnaires included questions on the digital tools and method of use, the different areas (educational, communication, logic…) in which they were used, appropriation, and specific questions on verbal communication and social interactions. The questionnaires were filled in by 111 professionals, 137 parents, and 90 children or adolescents with ASD, from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Tips was created through the autism and new technologies program led by FIRAH and the UEFA Foundation for children.

Read about Tips