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The UEFA Foundation for Children extends the reach of UEFA EURO 2016

The UEFA Foundation for Children is supporting three projects organised by EURO 2016 SAS on the initiative of Michel Platini and Jacques Lambert.
These three projects will enable some 20,000 young people from France and 1,500 from elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world to get involved in this summer’s magnificent celebration of football.

20,000 children’s smiles

The UEFA Foundation for Children is offering 20,000 EURO 2016 match tickets to associations that work with vulnerable children in France, whether as a result of family problems, social exclusion, health issues or abuse. The youngsters, aged 12 to 16, will be selected from areas in or around the ten host cities.
Tickets will be available for a total of 43 games, i.e. all the group matches (except the opening match) and the round of 16. Each host city will have 2,000 tickets to distribute. The UEFA Foundation for Children is the sole point of contact for the host cities for this project, and the cities themselves are liaising with the local beneficiaries.

European schools tournament: EURO FOOT JEUNES 2016

The host cities of Lens and Lille are hosting a European schools tournament from 29 May to 5 June, just days before the opening match at UEFA EURO 2016.
This event will bring together almost 1,000 boys and girls from the countries of the 30 UEFA member associations not represented at this summer’s finals. The aim is to get all 54 UEFA member countries involved in the greatest celebration of football in Europe.

International solidarity tournament

Some 600 young people from the most disadvantaged communities in Europe and the rest of the world will take part in an international solidarity tournament as part of streetfootballworld Festival 2016, which will run from 30 June to 7 July in conjunction with Sport dans la Ville.
This international community initiative will be a sort of EURO of its own for the young people involved. It will be a celebration of football as a sport that is open to all, a fundamental principle of the game that we hold dear and defend firmly.

UEFA Foundation for Children supports Spirit of Soccer in Iraq

Football programme launched to educate children about the danger of landmines

The UEFA Foundation for Children is supporting the Spirit of Soccer project in Iraq, using a programme that emphasises the power of football to educate children about the dangers of landmines and explosive remnants of war. The project includes mine risk education, raising awareness of the danger and promoting behavioural changes.

The humanitarian consequences of violence in Iraq and Syria have been catastrophic. More than 2.2 million Iraqis – half of whom are children under the age of 18 – have been displaced, and are forced to live in camps without any formal education or social structures. One day, they will return home to regions polluted by the legacy of conflict, where landmines, unexploded weapons and ammunition, and improvised explosive devices will be a constant and deadly threat.

The funding provided by the UEFA Foundation for Children will support the training of 150 new football coaches, who will be taught how to deliver mine risk education to over 25,000 Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian children in 2016.

“Some of these children have experienced violence and trauma, often on a daily basis,” said Spirit of Soccer founder and CEO Scott Lee. “Football can do so much; whether it is giving them skills that could help them survive the war, or just giving them a reason to smile. When you play football, you live in the moment. If we can provide these children with a moment of peace, this will truly be a precious gift.”

José Manuel Durão Barroso, chairman of the UEFA Foundation for Children’s board of trustees, said: “The UEFA Foundation for Children places the well-being of children at the heart of its activities, especially vulnerable children who are suffering as a result of conflict. Given the dangers posed by landmines and other legacies of such conflict, it is absolutely crucial that young people are made fully aware. We applaud and fully support the Spirit of Soccer project on this vital education initiative, and we are very happy that football is once again being deployed as a source of happiness and hope.”

Note to editors:

Spirit of Soccer is an international non-profit organisation that uses the world’s most popular sport to empower and educate young people about the dangers of landmines and unexploded weapons in areas of past or ongoing conflict: http://spiritofsoccer.org/

Tonga’s Just Play programme reaps rewards

Tevita Telini was not born with a disability, but in primary school he had an operation on his head that went wrong. Consequently, he lost all his strength and struggled to walk or stand without assistance.

Some 90% of disabled children in the Pacific Islands do not attend school. Negative perceptions surround people with disabilities, who are not given the respect or equality they deserve and are often excluded from physical activity, which increases their risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Luckily, Tevita attended the Ofa Tui Amanake (OTA) disability centre in Tonga, where the Just Play programme is run once a week.

Tevita took part in Just Play every week and attended weekly workouts with the Tonga Football Association to build up his strength. When he began, a 2kg weight was too much for him to lift while standing up, and he could only do one sit-up before he was exhausted. Tevita’s lack of fitness and inactive lifestyle put him at a higher risk of developing NCDs. However, he is very determined and worked hard to build up his strength at the OTA centre and through Just Play.

His hard work paid off when, at the age of 31, he was selected to represent Tonga in the 2015 Special Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After two years of training, Tevita was capable of lifting 20kg, and could complete three sets of 20 sit-ups. His tenacity has also earned him a place at the 2017 Special Olympic Games, where he will compete in the javelin, shot-put and discus.

Not only has Tevita improved his lifestyle, built up his strength and lowered his risk of developing NCDs, he has also become a role model to aspiring disabled and non-disabled athletes around Tonga. He has proved that with hard work and determination, you can overcome obstacles and achieve something great. Tevita and many others who have participated in Just Play have changed perceptions surrounding disabled people in the Pacific Islands, proving that they deserve respect just like everybody else.

While Just Play is a sport for development programme that targets children aged 6 to 12, the programme has no age limit for participants with intellectual disabilities. Just Play is managed by the Oceania Football Confederation, with support from the UEFA Foundation for Children, the Australian Government, the Australian Football Federation, the New Zealand government and UNICEF.

To find out more about Just Play programme

Record crowds see exhibition at Futsal EURO

An exhibition set up by the UEFA Foundation was on view to the record crowds who have turned out to watch matches at the UEFA Futsal EURO final tournament in Serbia.

The host nation’s games have been attracting sell-out attendances and huge numbers of the visitors to the Belgrade Arena have been pausing to look at a collection of photographs that reflect conditions at the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, where the UEFA Foundation has embarked on a football-inspired project to make life more bearable for the children living in a ‘camp’ which has evolved into a township of almost 80,000 inhabitants.

The thousands of visitors who have seen the exhibition have included organised visits by groups of schoolchildren who have been involved in the legacy and sustainability projects that UEFA has pegged to Europe’s premier futsal event. Among them was a group of 40 young pupils from the Dositej Obradovic school – one of the eight institutions from the Novi Sad area who participated in the UEFA project. There was a good deal of discussion and banter about which of the photographs made the most impact. Goran, one of the youngsters who had travelled in with the group, spoke for many when he commented “there is a photograph with a bicycle that I liked very much. I would love to meet those children and to play football with them. Maybe their team against ours. And then we could make all different kinds of teams together. That would be really nice.”

The visit was one of a number organised by Igor Janković, director of grassroots football at the football association of Serbia. He told the children the stories behind the photographs – the realities of a harsh life in the desert under precarious living conditions. “One thing that can make them happy,” he told them, “is the opportunity to enjoy some football”. However, the key factor for the children who visited the exhibition was the take-home message behind the photographs. “Sport helps people to face and overcome various difficulties in life,” Janković told the pupils from Novi Sad. “It can also give you confidence and friends. Those children at the refugee camp show you that football can be very useful and helpful in life.”

Another important part of the project linked to UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 was a grassroots futsal competition in which the ‘winning’ boys and girls were selected according to fair play principles rather than results. The climax was a final tournament involving some 700 children, played on the day before the semi-finals at the Belgrade Arena where, of course, they had the chance to see the striking UEFA Foundation exhibition of photographs from the Za’atari refugee camp which they had been told about at their schools.

UEFA Foundation for Children provides funds to Play for Change programme in Nepal

Programme designed to bring positive changes in children’s lives

At its last board meeting in November, the UEFA Foundation for Children decided to provide funds to Play for Change, to help the organisation in its delivery of a sport and education programme in Besisahar – a municipality in Nepal that was affected by two earthquakes in April and May 2015. The programme, known as Khelaun Khelaun (‘let’s play’ in Nepali), is designed to use sport as a vehicle to improve children’s health and well-being, increase girls’ participation in sport and create local employment, thereby developing long-term opportunities and access to sport.

The programme will be based in and around Besisahar, which is located in the Lamjung district of Nepal. Current access to sport is poor, especially as Lamjung and its sports facilities were were damaged by the two earthquakes last year. The participation of women and girls in sport presents another testing challenge.

Play for Change is working hand-in-hand with Global Action Nepal to ensure that all children have the chance to play sport in their schools and communities.

The main aims of the Khelaun Khelaun sports programme are to:

increase participation in sport among disadvantaged children, especially girls;
establish sports activities and local leagues in 40 schools in and around Besisahar;
improve sports infrastructure and facilities;
train coaches and teachers in local communities;
promote health and well-being;
create brighter perspectives for children in and around Besisahar, by enabling them to acquire new skills;
empower and develop skills within the community.

José Manuel Durão Barroso, chairman of the UEFA Foundation for Children’s board of trustees, said: “Sport has a vital role to play in bringing meaning and fun to children’s lives, and the UEFA Foundation for Children is determined to be at the vanguard of promoting health and well-being through sporting activity. The establishment of a sport and education project in this area of Nepal will not only give joy to children, but also help create and foster a positive future for the community. We fully support Play for Change in its admirable work, and wish everyone the very best in this exciting venture.”

Marie Le Page, Director of Play for Change, said: “We are really excited to be working with UEFA Foundation for Children where we share a passion for sport. We believe that this project will offer a great platform and opportunity to the devastated communities of Nepal.”

Notes:

Play for Change (PFC) is dedicated to the provision of life-changing opportunities for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Read more about Play for Change and its work on www.playforchange.org

Global Action Nepal (GAN) has been improving access to and the quality of education in Nepal for 20 years, working primarily with remote and marginalised communities. Read more about Global Action Nepal and its work on www.nepalaction.global/

Za’atari camp photo exhibition at Futsal EURO in Belgrade

UEFA foundation contributes to the tournament legacy

The UEFA Foundation for Children is contributing to the UEFA Futsal EURO 2016 tournament legacy programme through a photo exhibition focussing on children’s lives at the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. The exhibition is being hosted by the Arena of Belgrade from 28 January to 15 February. Thanks to the involvement of Serbia’s Ministry of Education, classes from underprivileged neighbourhoods in Belgrade will be provided with free tickets to attend a Futsal EURO match, and to visit the exhibition, which will serve as an educational tool. Documentation will be made available to teachers, to enable them to explain to the students about the lives of refugee children in the camp, and to show the importance of football in the children’s existence.

This photo exhibition gives an opportunity for the UEFA Foundation for Children to show its presence and activities at the refugee camp. Access to and participation in sports activities is very important for the youngsters living at the camp. It is more than just an opportunity to play and have a nice time. Sport is used with an educational approach, addressing social issues and focussing, in particular, on conflict resolution and raising awareness of early marriages and birth control, as well as the importance of school, health, hygiene and well-being. Sport is also used to reinforce social values such as tolerance, inclusion and fair play.

The on-site activities of the foundation serve the following objectives:

Providing equipment and infrastructure
Training of local coaches – men and women
Organising regular training sessions and tournaments
Integration of young children through sport
Reinforcing children’s rights

More information

Brochure: Introduction of the Za’atari Refugee Camp

A beating heart for children

The UEFA Foundation for Children has hit the ground running since its launch last April – and with UEFA EURO 2016 looming, this year promises to bring more joy for youngsters in Europe and beyond.

The joy shining in young eyes thanks to football has been a recurring feature in a memorable first year for the UEFA Foundation for Children, launched last spring with the key aim of using the game’s social force to help children and safeguard their rights.

The foundation, which embodies UEFA’s wish to play a more active role in society – using football as a vehicle – has hit the ground running in the initial eight months of its existence, already winning widespread plaudits for the quality of its work. A wealth of activities in 2016 are destined to provide further happiness and positive experiences for youngsters in Europe and beyond.

Launched on 24 April 2015, the foundation made its objectives immediately clear, and began forging a positive reputation with its opening projects. At the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, in particular, and in conjunction with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the foundation consolidated help to children displaced by the conflict in Syria by organising sports activities, training for football coaches and tournaments for girls and boys living in the camp.

In the Pacific region, the foundation took up responsibility for the Just Play project set up by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and UEFA, which seeks to encourage physical activity among 6 to 12-year-olds and promote healthy lifestyles to confront the local problem of child obesity. Work is also under way with the International Foundation of Applied Disability Research (FIRAH) to improve the lives of autistic children and their families.

An exciting year beckons for football fans, with UEFA EURO 2016 in France certain to dominate the summer. Appropriately, the foundation has launched three projects linked to the event, and will arrange and support activities that bring children to the fore.

July’s international streetfootballworld Festival 16 in Lyon will bring together 500 children and young people in celebration of UEFA EURO 2016, with the highlight being an international solidarity tournament backed by the foundation. In addition, just before the finals, Euro Foot Jeunes will see the cities of Lens and Lille stage boys’ and girls’ European schools’ football tournaments. The goal is to gather all 54 UEFA nations together in France so that they can be part of this fiesta of football – and Euro Foot Jeunes will feature nearly 1,000 players from the 30 European countries that have not qualified for the final round.

Deprived children will also have the chance to savour the unique UEFA EURO 2016 experience, with the foundation inviting 20,000 youngsters to attend a finals match. The children will be selected and looked after by the host cities and associations that play a recognised role at national or local level.

Other major UEFA occasions enabled the foundation to give children unforgettable memories in 2015. Eight children and four accompanying adults from the Air pur & soleil (Fresh Air & Sun) organisation in France attended the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin. In Poland, 143 vulnerable children were thrilled to be present at the UEFA Europa League final in Warsaw. Another 100 young people in precarious situations in the Prague region attended the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in the Czech capital.

Perhaps the most eye-catching moments happened at the UEFA Super Cup match in Tbilisi, Georgia, last August. Through a shared initiative between the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and the UEFA foundation, 1,000 disadvantaged children and accompanying adults from Georgia and eight neighbouring countries joined the star players of Barcelona and Sevilla as well as the match officials in forming a human chain, and four young Georgians sang John Lennon’s song Imagine to promote a powerful and moving message of peace through unity.

All of this impressive activity was guaranteed to meet with recognition, which duly came in November when the foundation won its first honour, the Foundation of the Year prize at the 2015 Peace and Sport Awards in Monte Carlo, for its impact in improving the living conditions of disadvantaged children.

Reaction to the migration crisis in Europe was also immediate – the UEFA Executive Committee giving its approval in September to a donation of €2m to the foundation for a series of initiatives to help child migrants in Europe and beyond.

By the end of the year, eight new projects had been added to the foundation’s portfolio for the forthcoming period. These include a health and social integration scheme in the Republic of Ireland; a programme tackling social exclusion in Burkina Faso; a campaign raising awareness of the dangers of mines, and awareness of football, in Iraq; and a project in Nepal aiming to ensure access to sport for vulnerable children, in particular young girls.

This year promises to be even more fulfilling than the first. “We are very proud of the work we do around the world and look forward to embracing new projects which can improve the lives of children around the world,” says the UEFA foundation’s chairman José Manuel Durão Barroso. “We are going to work to defend the rights of the poorest children and support them – through education, health initiatives, social inclusion and access to sport – to enable them to envisage a better future.” Football’s heart for children has never beaten more soundly …

UEFA Foundation helps children to live their dreams!

With the help of associations that fulfil the dreams of seriously ill children, as well as the goodwill of football clubs and their players, and thanks to UEFA and all its volunteers, the UEFA Foundation for Children has made some children’s dreams come true.

As a result, these children and their families have been able to share some memorable happy moments together, brightening the children’s lives and helping to build their confidence.

Marc’s dream:

To go to the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin.

UEFA Foundation for Children wins 2015 Peace and Sport Awards

The UEFA Foundation for Children won the prize of Foundation of the Year at the 2015 Peace and Sport Awards, which took place in Monte-Carlo on Thursday night.

In activity only since April of 2015, the UEFA Foundation for Children has already supported a variety of projects around the world and was recognised for the impact it has made improving the living conditions of disadvantaged children. This year, The UEFA Foundation for Children has worked diligently to protect the rights of children at the Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, bringing joy and unity through sport and football for boys and girls alike. Another highlight for the Foundation in 2015 was hosting 1,000 disadvantaged children at the UEFA Super Cup Final in Tbilisi, Georgia. The children took part in the pre-match opening ceremony with star players from FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, promoting peace and understanding.

The Chairman of the UEFA Foundation, Mr. Durao Barroso, said, “I am delighted that the work of our Foundation, which is only taking its first steps, has been recognised at such a prestigious awards ceremony. We are very proud of the work we do around the world and look forward to embracing new projects which can improve the lives of children around the world.“

The Peace and Sport Awards reward the expertise of organisations working for sustainable peace through sport, through initiatives promoting the best practices in the field. The President of the Peace and Sport, Joel Bouzou, handed the award to the UEFA Foundation for Children last night.

For more information on the UEFA Foundation for Children and its projects, go to

Website: www.UEFAfoundation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uefafoundation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UEFA_Foundation

Media contacts: media@uefafoundation.org

International solidarity tournament for young people during UEFA EURO 2016

The international streetfootballworld Festival 16 has been launched in Lyon – and next July’s event celebrates UEFA EURO 2016 with an international tournament backed by the UEFA Foundation for Children.

The international streetfootballworld Festival 16 has been launched in Lyon at a ceremony hosted by the Sport dans la Ville association. The festival, which will take place in July 2016, will bring together 500 children and young people in celebration of UEFA EURO 2016. The highlight will be an international solidarity tournament, supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children.

It will be their own UEFA EURO 2016 – a far-reaching event sponsored by Sport dans la Ville in Lyon, with children and young people from all over Europe and beyond comingtogether from 30 June to 7 July 2016. Sport dans la Ville is an association that was created in 1998 and has received backing from numerous partners, including the UEFA foundation.

The festival was launched in the presence of some 200 children from various sports centers of the Association around Lyon, who were given the opportunity to have their photos taken with, and get autographs from Olympique Lyonnais’ Nabil Fekir, who is currently recovering from injury. The children also formed a guard of honour for all the personalities and partners present, and gave a very warm welcome to Super Victor, the official UEFA EURO 2016 mascot.

“We really value the fact that UEFA not only organises major international competitions, but also makes it possible for events like this international solidarity tournament to take place in the context of UEFA EURO 2016,” said Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michael Aulas. “It is a desire we share with [UEFA President] Michel Platini. This is one of two tournaments that UEFA, through its Foundation for Children, is supporting in connection with UEFA EURO 2016,” said Jacques Lambert, president of EURO 2016 SAS. “We want to stress the fact that everyday football, the football played by youngsters in the country and the city, is almost more important than the football played by the big names we see on TV, because that is what brings the game to life. We must not forget this fundamental aspect of our sport. I’m sure this festival will be a wonderful success.”

Éric Abidal and Ludovic Giuly, both of whom made names for themselves at Olympique Lyonnais and won the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona, will be the UEFA Foundation for Children’s ambassadors in Lyon. “It’s always great to help out young people who need some structure and this kind of support,” said Giuly, “so that they can grow and have fun in the best possible conditions. We all dreamed of taking part in this kind of festival at their age. We’re delighted to be able to make it happen for them,”

“I really treasure the role of ambassador,” Giuly added. “Football is something I know very well, and I love working with children. What’s more, this is a really important initiative. I’m proud to be a Lyonnais and to do my bit to support an event like this.”

The UEFA Foundation for Children is also organising the 20,000 Children’s Smiles initiative – which, with the help of a large number of ambassadors, will give 20,000 disadvantaged children the opportunity to attend matches at EURO 2016.

ABOUT THE ORGANISERS

streetfootballworld (www.streetfootballworld.org)

The global streetfootballworld network unites more than 100 community organisations that use football to bring about social change. For these organisations, football is more than a game; it is a motivator and a common language that helps us to progress by learning from one another.

Sport dans la Ville (www.sportdanslaville.com)

Sport dans la Ville is the biggest non-profit organisation working to promote social and professional integration through sport for people aged 7 to 25 who live in disadvantaged areas.

The UEFA Foundation for Children supports Universal Children’s Day

The UEFA Foundation for Children is committed to improving the lives of children who are most in need by promoting universal and fundamental values such as human dignity, solidarity and hope.

That commitment links the foundation closely to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the United Nations on 20 November 1989. The convention comprises 54 articles ratified by the vast majority of the UN’s member states (191 out of 193). It is based on the principle that children are vulnerable beings and are individuals who have the right to be cared for, protected and educated, no matter where in the world they are born, and that children must also have the right to play, to learn and to express themselves.

The convention is of crucial importance, but has sadly not been enough to make children’s rights a reality. War or extreme poverty, but also family problems, social breakdowns, abuse, illness or a lack of education, plunge children and their families into sometimes tragic situations.

The UEFA Foundation for Children is supporting Universal Children’s Day, which provides the ideal opportunity to remember the numerous injustices committed against children all over the world. Since it was founded in April 2015, the foundation has got involved in some major projects, and it aims to continue assisting a large number of organisations working to help disadvantaged children all over the world, because the future for a better world is based on our children.

In the words of José Manuel Durão Barroso, chairman of the foundation and former president of the European Commission: “Children are the single most important thing at stake in the world today. They require strong, collective, immediate action. The objectives of the UEFA Foundation for Children are simple yet ambitious, and characterised by a profound humanity. The foundation aims to come to the aid of future generations in the fields of health, education, integration of minorities, defence of the rights of the child and, of course, access to sport. Together, we must act to guarantee children a future full of promise. Because by acting on behalf of children today we are shaping the society of tomorrow.”

Media Release 03 – UEFA Foundation board supports eight new projects

The UEFA Foundation for Children strengthens its commitment to defending the rights of vulnerable children worldwide

The UEFA Foundation for Children’s decision-making body, the board of trustees chaired by former European Commission president José Manuel Durão Barroso, held its latest meeting yesterday at the Foundation’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The meeting agenda included a review of all current ongoing projects, followed by the ratification of new initiatives to be added to the Foundation’s portfolio in the coming months. The amount of €1.1m will be invested in new projects to be implemented on three continents over a period of several years.

Selected initiatives meet the following criteria: correspondence with the Foundation’s statutes; credibility of the partner organisations; presentation of a viable budget with local partners; and viability of the activities.

The meeting saw the Foundation commit financial support to eight new projects:

Establishment of a media library for street children in Ziguinchor (Senegal) in partnership with the Bibliothèque sans Frontière association. This initiative aims to facilitate access to education for street children, in particular young girls involved in child labour. Some 7,500 children are expected to benefit from this apprenticeship tool.
Health and social integration through sport in Ireland: This initiative, which comes under the patronage of the John Giles Foundation, aims to promote sporting activities within disadvantaged communities in Ireland; prevent obesity and social exclusion; and help to strengthen club structures and local entities, in order to foster the social integration of vulnerable sectors of the population.
Improvement of living conditions of street children in Luanda (Angola): This project, an initiative of SAMU International in partnership with the Arnold Janssen Centre, aims to improve and facilitate access to basic social services for children and young people living on the streets in Luanda. Another objective of this project is to develop socio-sporting activities by making football a support activity. UNICEF estimates that 5,000 children and young people live on the streets of Luanda.
A programme tackling social exclusion in Burkina Faso: This programme, organised by SAMU International, aims to combat the social exclusion of street children, and seeks to help them get off the streets through family assistance and professional training. UNICEF estimates that 3,500 children live on the streets of Ouagadougou.

Raising awareness of the dangers of mines, and awareness of football in Iraq: Led by Spirit of Soccer, the objective of this project is to reduce the risk of accidents linked to mines and other unexploded munitions that endanger children living in risk areas. In addition, the initiative enables the development of sporting activities for displaced sections of the population. According to estimates, 25,000 children live in camps in Iraq.
Inclusive education for the children of East Jerusalem: This project, which comes under the patronage of Terre des Hommes Italy, aims to improve school infrastructures and enable access to sport in the poorer areas of East Jerusalem. The initiative will provide help to 4,700 children and some 200 teachers at ten schools.
One Goal for Education: The European Football for Development Network (EFDN) is active in five European countries: Belgium, England, Israel, Netherlands and Scotland. This project aims to foster the personal development of children aged 8 to 15 through playing football; support vulnerable children in the education system; strengthen self-esteem and promote tolerance; and create a guide and e-learning platform to ensure the sustainability of the project. Between 1,000 and 1,500 children will benefit from this initiative.
The “Play for Change” programme in Nepal: Launched by the association of the same name, the project aims to ensure access to sport for vulnerable children, in particular young girls; the objective is also to establish sporting activities and local leagues within the schools, and to develop training for coaches and teachers in local communities.

Following the Foundation board of trustees’ meeting, chairman José Manuel Durão Barroso said: “We are satisfied at being able to work on new projects of quality with trusted partners, and in very diverse regions. Together and from today, we are going to work to defend the rights of the poorest children, and support them – through education, health initiatives, social inclusion and access to sport – to enable them to envisage a better future.”

Further information

The official UEFA Foundation for Children website: www.UEFAfoundation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uefafoundation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UEFA_Foundation

Media contact: media@uefafoundation.org

Children’s lives at the Za’atari camp

Nearly 80,000 Syrian refugees – 57 percent of whom are children – live at the Za’atari camp, which is located in the Jordanian desert. The UEFA Foundation for Children, in collaboration with UNHCR and the Asian Football Development Project, is helping children and young people through sports activities, in particular football, to allow them to play and remain children in a situation of war.

This exhibition draws a parallel between three different aspects of children’s lives at the Za’atari camp.

Children at the camp have had the opportunity to show, through their eyes, how life goes on despite the particular context in which they are living. In partnership with a local NGO, these youngsters have benefited from training as photographers, and the UEFA foundation provided cameras to allow them to realise their own exhibition and promote it beyond the borders of the Za’atari camp. The aspiring photographers were very motivated to take part in this project. Using professional cameras was a massive experience for them.

Pascale Cholette, a French photographer who works for the Metasud and Future Learning agencies, felt the great contrast between her freedom and the refugees, who are captive behind fences. Captive herself as a result of her European vision and Western culture, she decided to use the lights of the desert to isolate the youngsters from reality, and to just simply focus on what they are – children.

Rawan Risheq, the Jordanian photographer, had a fascinating experience. She was granted access into mosques and homes, and visits to youth centres and playgrounds enabled her to understand how a refugee’s life is organised, and how the Syrians have adjusted after years in the camp. Many children were happy to be photographed. However, some would barely smile – they seemed like grown adults in children’s bodies. Rawan came across a great deal of talent and so many powerful expressions which held stories of survival within them.

Euro Foot Jeunes launched

Supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, Euro Foot Jeunes was launched on 1 October by the UNSS, the ISF, EURO 2016 SAS and the FFF.

Supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children, Euro Foot Jeunes was launched on 1 October by the national union of school sport (UNSS), the International School Sport Federation (ISF), EURO 2016 SAS and the French Football Federation (FFF).

The foundation was established on the initiative of UEFA and the UEFA President, Michel Platini, and emphasises UEFA’s desire to play a more active role in society. For many years UEFA has supported various children’s initiatives and programmes. This support has led the foundation to work with several partners to develop projects both inside and outside Europe. Euro Foot Jeunes is one such project.

From 29 May to 5 June, just before UEFA EURO 2016 officially begins, the cities of Lens and Lille will host the boys’ and girls’ European schools’ football tournaments. The aim is to gather all 54 UEFA nations together in France so that they can be part of the ultimate celebration of football. Euro Foot Jeunes will bring together participants of 45 nationalities and almost 1,000 players from the 30 European countries that have not qualified for the main event.

The cities of Lens and Lille were chosen to host the tournaments by the organisers.

Euro Foot Jeunes will take place at top sports facilities provided by Lille Metropole and RC Lens: Stade Pierre Mauroy, which will host six UEFA EURO 2016 matches, and La Gaillette, RC Lens’s training and development centre. The matches will be supervised and refereed by 300 young people from the UNSS in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. In addition to the sporting dimension, there will be a strong educational component, which will provide an opportunity to highlight the diversity of educational pathways and the numerous different projects devised to help all pupils succeed. “We hope Euro Foot Jeunes 2016 will be a chance to reinforce the UNSS’s educational aspect, with the help of a big international sports event in France,” said the UNSS national director, Laurent Petrynka.

Watch the UEFA Super Cup opening ceremony!

Football United for Peace was the theme of the opening ceremony of the 2015 UEFA Super Cup, which took place at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi on 11 August. The match was between FC Barcelona, winners of the UEFA Champions League, and Sevilla FC, winners of the UEFA Europa League.

This special pre-match ceremony was planned with the help of the UEFA Foundation for Children and in collaboration with the Georgian Football Federation.

The ceremony started with Georgian folk dancing accompanied by young drummers, while 1,000 disadvantaged children and accompanying adults from Georgia and eight neighbouring countries took their places around the pitch. They then joined the players and the match officials in forming a human chain. The grand finale was led by four talented young Georgians, who sang John Lennon’s Imagine to promote the message of peace.

The UEFA Foundation for Children would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation for getting the football associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine involved in this initiative and for the warm welcome given to the children.

The children went home with happy and unforgettable memories of the event. Attending an elite football match involving their idols and getting a taste of the atmosphere at such a great match truly was a dream come true.

Football united for peace

A pre-match ceremony involving 1,000 children and accompanying adults will illustrate football’s power to bring people together

Children from Georgia and neighbouring countries will spread messages of peace at the 2015 UEFA Super Cup in Tbilisi, thanks to a shared initiative between the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and the UEFA Foundation for Children. Nearly 1,000 disadvantaged children from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine have been invited to the event, all with support from their national football associations.

The children will participate in the pre-match ceremony, which is inspired by the theme ‘football united for peace’. The ceremony will be based around a human chain made up of the children and accompanying adults, the players – From FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC – and the referee team, symbolising how football can bring people together.

“As well as learning about elite football from the match, everyone will receive a message of peace and unity from the children – a message that is important for society,” said GFF president Zviad Sichinava. “The inclusion of this message in the pre-match ceremony shows how important these core values are to UEFA – values which led to the inauguration of the UEFA Foundation for Children. I would like to thank all the participating associations for their support in working not only to invite these children but to use football’s vast popularity as a stage to promote these vital values to a global audience.”

“Football gives us a great opportunity to be united as a society, and to empower children through the values that it brings, and the UEFA Super Cup is no different,” said UEFA President Michel Platini. “Childhood is a time when we exhibit the most extraordinary potential, and we hope that the presence of these children at this great occasion in Tbilisi can be inspirational for their futures. We would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation and its president, Zviad Sichinava, for the work undertaken with the UEFA Foundation for Children in order to make a difference to vulnerable children through this project.”