Youth League finalists unite to give back to local community.

Youth League finalists unite to give back to local community

Ahead of Monday’s final, young players from Hajduk Split and AZ Alkmaar participated in the UEFA Foundation for Children's inspiring social programme initiative by training with local children with disabilities.

Over the weekend leading up to the UEFA Youth League final between Croatia's Hajduk Split and the Netherlands' AZ Alkmaar, UEFA and the UEFA Foundation for Children extended a special invitation to local associations Seven Association and SRD Young Stars to join the finalists for an exclusive training session.

Twenty-two young players with learning disabilities had the chance to train alongside emerging talents and future top players on UEFA’s home pitch in Nyon, Switzerland. After warming up together with different exercises and games where they practised their passing, shooting and technical skills, they then played a series of fun and intense games. It was a heart-warming sight as the teams put aside their rivalry and came together to share a moment of fun and camaraderie on the field.

The Youth League donates a portion of its revenue to the UEFA Foundation for Children to help fund social projects and associations, including the Seven Association. This initiative serves as a meaningful way to give back to the local community and offer support to young players with disabilities. The experience was truly special, and everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed it.

"It was a very special day for our team. We were really impressed to see the level of play of the players from both teams. We enjoyed the hospitality and thank the UEFA foundation for inviting us. We hope to come back next year."

- Naom Jafer, SRD Young Stars captain

UEFA Foundation at the Youth League

The UEFA Foundation for Children also made an inspiring show of solidarity by setting up a vibrant stand at the fan zone outside the Stade de Genève. The foundation brought its mission to life through an array of engaging games and activities designed to showcase its tireless efforts to support children's development worldwide.

The foundation also invited children from the Rêves (Dreams) association in Switzerland to attend the exhilarating Youth League semi-finals and play fun games at its stand in the fan zone to win awesome prizes and even meet the beloved Youth League mascot, Yuli!

 

Football for Kids

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Switzerland
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/01/2023
Cost of the project €45000
Foundation funding €20000
Project identifier 20220500
Partners PluSport Disabled Sports Switzerland
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

PluSport is the Swiss federation for disability sport. It has promoted the integration of disabled people through sport for over 60 years. PluSport uses football to promote disability sport among its 12,000 amateur members; 90 regional clubs offer a wide range of sports. PluSport also organises some 100 camps.

Project goals

To use football as a tool for the integration and promotion of young people. All children should be given the opportunity to have fun playing football, make new friends and integrate socially.

Main objectives:

  • Facilitate access to ball games for disabled children
  • Create new ball sport groups for children and teenagers
  • Develop the discipline of rafroball for young wheelchair users
  • Promote and develop sports for disabled people
  • Participate in projects through partnership relations
  • Encourage social integration through sport

Project content

Disability football has great promotional potential. Thanks to the support of the energy group Axpo Holding AG, promotional events are planned in support of the national disability sports day and the ‘PluSport football teams’ project for disabled children and young people. The goal is to create at least 15 youth groups for approximately 220 athletes with eight tournaments a year.

‘From Football to Rafroball’ project

This project introduces a new integrative form of play for wheelchair users called rafroball. This is a ball game developed for both disabled and non-disabled young people that replaces football for wheelchair users.

The objective is to create five youth groups with 50 active athletes and to organise two tournaments and a sports camp each year.

Action plan

  • Integrate children, teenagers and whole groups in PluSport clubs or regional associations of the Swiss Football Association
  • Identify infrastructure needed for training/matches (halls, pitches, changing rooms)
  • Provide training for coaches
  • Organise additional tournaments
  • Organise football camps for children and teenagers
  • Provide compensation for volunteers (coaching staff, referees, athletes)
  • Purchase equipment for training and tournaments

Partners

Fitba Players

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Scotland
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 03/01/2024
Cost of the project €124000
Foundation funding €88000
Project identifier 20220116
Partners Scottish Football Partnership Trust
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

In Scotland the unfortunate situation is that you have to pay to play, even though clubs try to support those most in need where possible. A recent survey carried out by the Scottish FA suggested that at least 49% of community clubs have had to increase their monthly fees for children to cover increased operational costs. This will lead to more children dropping out of the game. Every young person has a basic human right to be involved in sport and feel included, regardless of their financial or social circumstances. This project will support this aspiration.

Project goals

Our plan is to support 400–500 disadvantaged children over a 12-month period. If we can help these children and their families through the difficult times brought about by the cost-of-living crisis, we stand a greater chance of their participating in football for life.

Project content

The SFP Trust will set up a bursary application process and work with grassroots community clubs. Funding will support individual children up to the age of 18 who play at community football clubs and who are at risk of dropping out of the game due to financial hardship. Affiliated clubs will be encouraged to apply for funding to cover 12 months of participation costs for disadvantaged children, meaning that the players can stay on the pitch and remain part of the football family.

Partners

SCORING GIRLS

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany & Iraq
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €435,000
Foundation funding €115,000
Project identifier 20220430
Partners HÁWAR.help
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

More people are displaced today than at any time since World War II. In Germany, there are approximately 1.4 million refugees, while in post-conflict Iraq, some 1.2 million inhabitants are internally displaced persons (IDPs). Action is needed to tackle barriers to the integration of refugees and IDPs, especially women and girls. Female refugees face additional hurdles to integration, from family pressures to cultural and host community expectations. These issues need to be addressed.

Project goals

SCORING GIRLS* uses football as a tool to empower a unique target group – refugee, migrant and underprivileged girls aged 9–18. A weekly programme promotes self-esteem and a sense of community to boost social integration. The SCORING GIRLS* project has been implemented in three IDP camps in Iraq and seven locations in Germany and encourages the development of a shared identity among the participants and their host communities.

Objectives

  1. Empower refugee and IDP girls through soft-skill development and psychosocial support
  2. Support the development of a strong, inclusive community by strengthening social cohesion and community services for refugees and their families
  3. Promote direct engagement and mutual understanding between refugee and IDP girls and host communities in Germany and Iraq
  4. Raise awareness of the potential of sport as a tool to empower and integrate refugees

Expected results

  1. Improved soft skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and resilience in 280 girls
  2. The construction of cohesive communities of girls with diverse backgrounds in nine locations
  3. Active support of girls involved in the project by 500 family members
  4. Some 700,000 people taught the power of sport to build cohesive communities and empower girls

Project content

The following activities will take place with 160 girls at two venues in Germany and three IDP camps in Iraq.

Weekly empowerment programme

  1. Recruitment of girls and relationship-building
  2. Weekly football-based, soft-skills programme
  3. Empowerment dialogues with role models

Community-building programme

  1. Group excursions
  2. Family engagement events and training
  3. Friendly football matches

Partners

Girls Community League

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tacloban City, Leyte (Philippines)
Start date 02/01/2023
End date 02/29/2024
Cost of the project €110,280
Foundation funding €35,104
Project identifier 20221010
Partners FundLife International
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Some 4.8 million children drop out from school every year in the Philippines. The main reason is poverty: children are forced to abandon school in order to work. The poverty rate in the Leyte region is almost 48% – the highest in the country after Mindanao. The COVID-19 pandemic had a catastrophic impact as schools were closed for over 700 consecutive days and disadvantaged children were not afforded online education opportunities. In December 2021, Typhoon Rai further aggravated access to education. The return to full teaching provision was only completed in autumn 2022.

The Girls Community League (GCL) is an add-on to our flagship projects currently being run in Tacloban (FFLA) and Cebu (FDA, with support from the UEFA Foundation for children). GCL is designed to alleviate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Rai on access to education. It is a girl-focused protection and education programme based on experiential play and learning to help children return to school after  the 700-day break due to COVID-19 and to reduce subsequent dropouts such that girls finish their education.

Project goals

Our organisation's mission is to give every child equal opportunities in football and life. GCL’s objectives are to:

  1. provide children who were forced out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Typhoon Rai with access to safe play and learning spaces within their communities;
  2. provide these children with educational support during their back-to-school journey through our Play-Believe-Achieve methodology;
  3. increase girls' engagement and decision-making abilities through an approach that puts girls front and centre.

Project content

FundLife will make full use of its strong partnership with local government to promote the project’s objectives. It will also involve the Department of Education to ensure that girls from all schools within the project area will be given the opportunity to participate.

The organisation will sign agreements with all its partners to strengthen community ownership of the project. Project orientations will be conducted with the recipients, their parents, schools and other stakeholders. Policies will also be disseminated, especially FundLife’s child protection policy.

Once these activities have been completed, FundLife will start the play learning, mentoring and study support sessions for girls. GCL plans to involve eight teams, making sure that each team can play at least 25 games. Festivals will be held for all GCL participants and their peers, with competitive matches and fun learning activities.

Capacity-building exercises will also be conducted with teachers and sports coaches to allow them to better assist children in their back-to-school journeys.

Partners

Team up for Ukraine emergency fund

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Austria, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, UK, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Estonia, Portugal, Romania, Moldova
Start date 03/01/2022
End date 06/30/2023
Cost of the project €496,210
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20211111
Partners Common Goal
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The war in Ukraine has given rise to a severe humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement.  

At the outset, there was an immediate need for emergency humanitarian aid including food, transport to safer locations, accommodation, medical assistance, psychological support, schooling and childcare.  

Since then, 8.1 million Ukrainian refugees have found themselves scattered throughout various host countries, struggling to integrate and adapt to their new surroundings. Their needs are multifaceted and pressing, from material assistance and food security to healthcare, employment, accommodation, education, and access to vital information.  

Of particular concern is the plight of refugee children. An estimated 44% of Ukrainian refugee households across Europe comprise school-aged children between 5 and 17 years old. Their need for structured support is of paramount importance. Not only do they require access to quality education, but also structured psychological support to address the traumas they have endured. 

Project goals

  • Secure basic supplies, medical assistance and psychological support for displaced people on the move within Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.​ 
  • Provide access to accommodation, medical assistance, childcare, schools and information about access to employment  
  • Offer structured psychosocial support and inclusive activities that encourage integration through football  

Project content

Through the Team up for Ukraine emergency response fund, Common Goal has activated a team of organisations, players, foundations, brands and other stakeholders in football to provide immediate humanitarian aid and ensure long-term support to those affected by the war.  

With the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children and others, a total of 14 organisations in 11 countries have got involved: SpreeFlanke, Fundación Red Deporte y Cooperación​, Spirit of Football​, War Child Germany​, Trenuj Bycie Dobrym​, Oltalom Sport Association​, INEX-SDA​, Cross Cultures Project Association​, Champions ohne Grenzen​, Fútbol Más Foundation​, AMANDLA, Kicken ohne Grenzen​, League of Tolerance,​ and Policy Center for Roma and Minorities​.

These organisations have offered different types of support in and outside Ukraine, including logistical support, transport to safer locations, accommodation, medicines and other basic supplies, cultural integration and adaptation, access to psychosocial support and stress relief, job integration, adaptation and training​; and school or childcare placements​.

Within Ukraine, 3,000 humanitarian kits containing medicine, food and essential goods have been distributed to internally displaced families, and 56 communities have received tools, materials and equipment for events. 

Collectively, the projects and organisations supported by the fund have collaborated with 183 partner organisations, including schools, football clubs, local authorities and another NGOs.​ A total of 16,937 children and adults have directly benefited. 

Partners

UEFA President sees football’s force for good in Uganda

UEFA President sees football's force for good in Uganda

Aleksander Čeferin visits non-governmental organisation that is using sport to bring hope to young people growing up in Kampala slum district.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin witnessed firsthand how sport is helping to improve the lives of vulnerable, young people when he visited one of Uganda’s largest slum communities this week.

During his stay in the capital Kampala, Mr Čeferin travelled to the Acholi Quarters district, home to some 20,000 residents, where the Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project (SREP) is building sports facilities, training coaches and creating social and economic opportunities for 2,500 children and 850 caregivers.

The project is run by non-governmental organisation, the Aliguma Foundation, which receives funding support from the UEFA Foundation for Children.

"Football is maybe the most powerful thing in the world.”

Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President

Clearly moved by the warmth of his welcome and his conversations with local schoolchildren and community leaders. “It's not only about elite competitions. but it can also be a force for good,” added the UEFA President, after watching an exhibition football match played on a makeshift football pitch in Acholi. “We should use it to do good and working with the Aliguma Foundation is one way we do it.”

 

"This wasn't just an ordinary visit. It was a game-changer. UEFA President walking through one of the largest slum communities in Kampala gave hope to so many destitute people. We can dream again knowing that all things are possible."

Ritah Aliguma, Aliguma Foundation CEO

UEFA commitment

Both Mr Čeferin's visit and his words of support underline UEFA's commitment to using football’s popularity and influence as a force for good. Since its establishment in 2015, the UEFA Foundation has supported over 400 projects worldwide, donated equipment and provided grants - all with the goal of assisting the world’s poorest, most vulnerable children or crisis-stricken regions.

UEFA’s President was travelling to the African continent for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, en route to attending the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.

 

The Aliguma Foundation

Project Partner

Founded by Ritah Aliguma in 2017, the Aliguma Foundation aims to use football to improve the lives of young people in slum communities. The initiative empowers beneficiaries to build better lives for themselves and their families by facilitating access to education, essential health care and football training for children.

 

 

Eleven new projects by ECA member clubs supported following the second round of the ECA’s relief programme.

Eleven new projects by ECA member clubs supported following the second round of the ECA’s relief programme

ECA PARTNERS WITH UEFA FOUNDATION ON HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE TO HELP UKRAINIANS AFFECTED BY THE WAR

Following a second call for proposals, the ECA Relief Committee has approved applications for financial assistance from ten clubs to support 11 new projects designed to assist children and families displaced by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The approved projects have been passed to the UEFA Foundation for Children for final approval and transfer of the funds granted, up to a maximum of €25,000 per club per proposed project. The total amount granted to the new round of projects comes to around €250,000, meaning that a grand total of €930,000 has now been allocated out of the original €1m ECA Relief Fund.

Commenting on the allocation of funds to the clubs, Dariusz Mioduski, ECA Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the ECA Relief Committee, said:

“At ECA, we are all engaged in assisting clubs and allowing them to continue their excellent work in supporting Ukrainian children and families displaced by this tragic war. I am very pleased, therefore, that our ECA Relief Committee was able to approve another 11 projects, making a total of 26 projects that have received financial donations.

“The more projects and clubs ECA supports through this programme, the more children and families we help in these difficult times.”

The ECA Relief Committee was set up to receive and review applications from clubs that are implementing concrete and effective humanitarian initiatives to support the integration and development of those affected by the war in Ukraine.

ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi announced that an ECA Relief Fund of €1m would be made available to clubs for projects relating to the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis during his opening speech at the ECA General Assembly in Vienna in March last year.

In the first round of proposals in August 2022, the ECA Relief Committee approved 15 projects, committing €680,000 of financial assistance to humanitarian projects helping Ukrainian refugees.

The clubs whose projects were approved in the second round are Legia (Poland), Kalju (Estonia), SJK Seinãjoki (Finland), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Liberec (Czechia), Sporting CP (Portugal), Trenčín (Slovakia), NK Veres Rivne (Ukraine), Wisła Kraków (Poland) and Zimbru (Moldova).

 

Football for All

Location and general information

Closed
Location Beyrouth, North Bekaa, Lebanon
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €90240
Foundation funding €60000
Project identifier 20220033
Partners Tawazon Initiative for Development (TID)
Categories Access to Sport - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

The Football for All project helps Lebanese children who are suffering as a result of the severe economic, health, social and political crises that have afflicted Lebanon since October 2019. These circumstances became even more difficult after the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020.

Project goals

  • Create safe spaces for young players to enjoy football.
  • Give children from deprived backgrounds access to structured football training, taking into account that they may not be able to use existing football structures given the dangers and unpredictability of the streets in the current climate in Lebanon.
  • Offer children football training with all its associated values (cohesion, team spirit, fair play, mutual assistance, solidarity), while offering respite from sectarian, political and religious conflicts.
  • Promote the personal development and integration of young Lebanese people into society. Offer a healthy after-school activity.

Project content

The project gives children access to football training centres. Former Lebanese international players, qualified to teach, will provide two training sessions and a match every week. A coordinator will liaise and organise matches between training centres. Five training centres will open their doors to children in Lebanon’s five regions.

Partners

Education and sports for vulnerable children in Afghanistan

Location and general information

Closed
Location Afghanistan
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €293,915
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20220474
Partners Action for Development
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

Recent drought, flooding, earthquakes, COVID-19 and regime change have had a devastating impact on the most vulnerable groups in Afghanistan, including children who work on the streets and girls in particular.

Large numbers of Afghans have moved to the major cities in search of a means of survival and many children end up working on the streets in dangerous jobs to support their families. They are vulnerable to being abused, sexually exploited, subjected to forced labour, exposed to drugs and recruited by terrorist groups.

Engaging these children in education reduces these risks and helps them to reintegrate into society. Sadly, children in Afghanistan face multiple barriers to education and girls have been barred from school and university entirely.

Project goals

Action for Development's overall goal is to provide high-quality schooling to girls and disadvantaged children in Afghanistan. The aim is to improve their well-being in the short term and reduce poverty and child labour in the long term.

Project content

Education for street-working children

AfD’s schools offer 320 children two hours of high-quality schooling per day, close to where they work, in line with SDGs 1 (no poverty) and 4 (quality education). AfD is working on setting up new learning centres, as well as recruiting and training more teachers in the special needs of street children. AfD develops innovative tailormade teaching materials and is currently establishing a Montessori curriculum and harmonising the existing materials with the formal school curriculum. It is increasing synergies with local schools and continuing to organise awareness sessions promoting education and sports for girls. We also try to integrate as many children as possible into public schools to increase their chances of getting good jobs and break the cycle of poverty.

Health and well-being

All children enrolled in AfD’s education programme receive one healthy meal each day, which for many is the only meal they eat that day (SDG 2: zero hunger). Our Comprehensive Health Centre performs regular health checks, growth monitoring, vaccinations and psychological support in line with SDG 3 (good health and well-being). AfD also offers football coaching in order to entertain and educate the children and let them enjoy their childhoods in a safe environment.

Education for girls above 13 years old

AfD has recently set up a home-based education programme for secondary school aged girls who have been banned from formal government education (SDG 5: gender equality). Currently, 180 girls are enrolled and AfD is working to hire and train more female teachers, find partners to certify exams, improve the programme and identify digital platforms to give more girls access to education.

Vocational trainings

AfD has established a vocational training programme for 20 male students aged 14–16 (SDG 8: decent work and economic growth). AfD is working with local partners to further improve the learning modules it provides in in-demand skills, such as mechanics, carpentry and gem cutting. We are also working to raise awareness of the importance of providing digital learning to children in emergency situations and conflict zones.

Partners

Sports and Play for Asylum-Seeking Unaccompanied Minors

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Netherlands
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/01/2024
Cost of the project €108,257
Foundation funding €38,829
Project identifier 20220370
Partners KLABU Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The initial reception, medical check and first application interview of all asylum-seekers arriving in the Netherlands takes place at the Central Reception Centre in Ter Apel. In recent months, the centre has faced challenges with a higher influx of asylum seekers and slightly prolonged process times. Unaccompanied minors (UAM) – asylum seekers under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or adult relative – are particularly vulnerable. UAM are exposed to many challenges and traumas during their journeys and need special care. UAM numbers at the centre have increased in recent months, putting pressure on social workers who already lack sufficient time and resources. The stress of the asylum-seeking process coupled with the lack of meaningful daytime activities for UAM clearly have a direct impact on their mental well-being.

Project goals

  • Improve the mental well-being of UAM by providing access to sports
  • Create a safe space for young asylum-seekers to relax and socialise
  • Offer the adult residents of the centre training through a volunteering programme
  • Create an effective activity schedule around and beyond sports with a focus on well-being and personal growth

Project content

Community volunteers organise activities for UAM including art workshops and sports coaching days. The container-based clubhouse has been transformed into a sports library that is entirely managed and run by community volunteers. Improvements will be made to the clubhouse to further encourage social interactions.

As well as day-to-day activities, the project also hosts special events to bring young people together. The first Social Sports Day consisted of indoor sports, music, dance and arts workshops, all of which were much enjoyed by the young participants. A workshop is planned to design a sports kit for the centre’s young residents.

Regular workshops are led by refugees who have previously stayed in Ter Apel. They share their experiences of settling in the Netherlands after leaving the reception centre.

Partner

LEARN & PLAY – Equal opportunities for education and sport for all children!

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Montenegro
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 05/30/2023
Cost of the project €60,810
Foundation funding €47,810
Project identifier 20221116
Partners NGO Parents
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Alarmingly, 33.7% of children in Montenegro experience poverty. The UNICEF report Multidimensional Child Poverty in Montenegro (2021) states that the situation is expected to get worse, compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NGO Roditelji supports children living in extreme poverty – often in informal housing, without electricity and regular meals, and socially isolated owing to discrimination. They struggle at school and often drop out at an early age. None of them have access to any sport. Without education and social inclusion, they have no chance of a better life.

Project goals

Support education and social inclusion of 1,120 children who live in extreme poverty.

Specific objectives:

  • Provide access to sport – free football training for 800 children who live in extreme poverty
  • Provide free lessons to enable 320 children to acquire basic reading and writing skills
  • Boost the children’s self-esteem, motivation and social skills
  • Promote equal opportunities for all children among the main stakeholders

Project content

Equal opportunities for education and sport for all children! The project aims to improve opportunities for children aged 6–10 who live in extreme poverty in suburban and rural areas of Nikšić municipality, by supporting their education and social inclusion through sport. The project will consist of regular football training, mentorship (teaching them grammar, reading and writing) and ending with a sports tournament. LEARN & PLAY will help them to finish school, be included in social life, and spin the wheel of change!

Sport is life-changing for underprivileged children. Sport provides them with both formal and informal education. We have shown the potential of football in Podgorica and now in Nikšić.

Activities

  1. Football training in 8 primary schools
  • Selecting schools and coordinating the approach
  • Developing a training programme for PE teachers or licensed coaches
  • Providing sports equipment for children
  • Coordinating football training twice a week for 800 children per school
  • Organising visits by famous Montenegrin football players
  1. Organising free classes according to the school curriculum
  • Recruiting volunteers who will help the children learn
  • Training for volunteers
  1. Organising a football tournament for 16 school teams (2 per school)

Partners

Football: A universal language

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Lithuania
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €50,000
Foundation funding €37,000
Project identifier 20220179
Partners Vilnius social club
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Lithuanian society has faced various challenges over the last few years:

  • Deterioration in the population’s psychological health following the pandemic;
  • Large number of refugees arriving from Africa and the Middle east in 2021 after the border with Belarus opened;
  • Tensions with Russian community and migration from Ukraine as a result of the war in Ukraine;
  • Economic hardship, inflation and increased poverty.

In Lithuania, football is not accessible to vulnerable children and young adults because of the high fees and too much focus on results.

Project goals

Vilnius Social Club has run the football programme since 2013. The main goal is not sporting results, but a qualitative change in the life of each participant:

  • To help develop children and young people to develop skills and qualities that will help them to overcome various life challenges, such as independence, communication skills and the ability to work as a team, take responsibility, solve conflicts, find compromises and come to agreement.
  • To improve the participants’ social and sporting skills, thereby expanding the options available to teenagers in the future.

Principles of the project:

  1. Football is just a tool: we want participants in the football programme to grow as individuals, and we aim to create a space in which children and young people can take part in regular and long-term activities at their own pace. Playing football helps them to learn to be on time and stay until the end, to work as a team, to manage their emotions, to deal constructively with stressful and challenging situations, to win and lose, to interact with peers and adults, and to reflect on their experiences.
  1. Equal opportunities for all: we encourage diversity among the children who attend our football sessions, who include girls and boys, quieter and louder children, those of different nationalities, and weaker and stronger individuals.
  1. Empowering performance: we constantly reflect on our work and try to be clear about the limits of our responsibilities. Instead of playing the role of saviour, we choose to collaborate with our partners, provide them with feedback and work together to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people.

Project content

Participants of the football activities are divided into different age groups, with each having a two-hour session once a week. The sessions are structured as follows:

  1. Informal activities (free play): 20 minutes
  2. Opening circle: 10 minutes
  3. Football exercises: 30 minutes
  4. Football match: 30 minutes
  5. Discussion (circle): 30 minutes

Around 120 people aged from 7 to 20, with different experiences and facing different challenges, participate in the football programme each year. They all find a space where they are accepted regardless of their behaviour, financial situation or physical ability.

Additional activities include collaborating with families, one-to-one communication, work with individuals, activities during school holidays, and a summer camp.

Partner

Life’s A Ball

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location South Africa
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €48,550
Foundation funding €48,550
Project identifier 20220332
Partners Altus Sport
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

In parts of Tshwane (Pretoria) and Johannesburg, children live in poor socio-economic conditions with inadequate educational opportunities due to a lack of teachers, resources and classroom space. With no access to online learning, these children missed out on nearly two years of schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical education is practically absent from the school system. Sports facilities are non-existent or run-down and there are few physical education teachers and coaches.

Girls find it difficult to stand up for their rights and myths about health and reproduction hold them back from reaching their full potential. The unemployment rate is very high. Many young people lack the self-confidence and skills to find employment, and positive role models are scarce.

Project goals

  • Empower unemployed young people by educating them in personal development and leadership, basic employability skills, and fitness and sports
  • Promote physical and mental activity by introducing children to various sports and brain-fitness activities
  • Increase positive behaviour and reduce violence, physical abuse, crime and substance abuse
  • Instil positive values and good citizenship through Olympism and Olympic education
  • Motivate people with disabilities to be active
  • Support educational skills such as reading and writing
  • Empower girls by educating them about hygiene and reproductive health, leadership and basic financial management
  • Promote entrepreneurship through vegetable gardens that will teach children responsibility, financial management and leadership

Project content

The goal of the project is to utilise sport to empower children to make positive changes to their lives. The project involves training young people to run sports and life skills sessions for children. At these sessions, the children will play football, cricket, touch rugby, netball and hockey and learn about positivity, resilience, hygiene, puberty and menstruation, avoiding pregnancy, healthy relationships, bullying and peer pressure, gender-based violence and financial management.

Partners

Together for the Ukrainians

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Italy
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €50,000
Foundation funding €25,000
Project identifier 20220892
Partners Comitato Regionale Emigrazione Immigrazione - CREI ACLI Sardegna
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a forced migration of Ukrainian citizens across Europe. Although refugee flows can change rapidly, Italy has received the fourth largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe (220,000), after Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Project goals

The project’s short-term goals are to help refugees cope with trauma and restore their mental well-being as well as overcome communication barriers that hinder social interactions.

The medium-term objectives are to promote refugees’ personal development and growth in different contexts.

The long-term goals are to prevent isolation and discrimination, nurture relationships and offer healthy opportunities for cultural exchanges.

Project content

CREI ACLI acted immediately to address the critical issues of the emergency. However, these were short-term actions, whereas the integration of refugees is a long and difficult process, requiring efforts to prevent isolation, discrimination and, ultimately, social delinquency. Our refugee integration project is based on a social inclusion model that will address these difficulties.

In addition to the services we have offered since March 2022 (psychological support, Italian classes, support for enrolment in school and university, professional and career counselling), we will carry out the following activities:

Sport, art and cultural orientation: activities to present children with the opportunities in our area. Sports-based educational activities are great tools to reduce aggression, bring people together and build good relationships between different groups.

Enrolment in sports clubs: team sports favour interactions and integration. Refugee children will play in heterogeneous teams of local children and children from various ethnic origins. Special game-based training sessions and tournaments will be held in the province of Cagliari based on the theme of solidarity.

Recreation and fun activities: together with local children and second-generation immigrants in the same age range, young refugee will take part in social games and activities in the park. There will also be art workshops and discussions on customs, traditions, current affairs, etc.

Guided tours around Cagliari and trips further afield with local and second-generation immigrant children to visit places of historical, artistic, cultural and natural interest in Sardinia.

Partners

Visiting sick children in hospitals

Location and general information

Terminé
Location Hungary
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 07/31/2024
Cost of the project €134,000
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 20220462
Partners Amigos for Children Foundation
Categories Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Children may face a range of problems when they are admitted to hospital for long periods of time. They may fail to keep up with their studies and lose most of their social interactions. Frustration and a lack of motivation can adversely affect a child's fight against chronic illness.

Project goals

The Amigos for Children Foundation is working on a variety of approaches to introduce sports themes to the project’s hospital visits. With the assistance of the UEFA Foundation for Children we will add sports-related knowledge to the sessions, producing sports-themed exercise booklets. All volunteers are university students and recruitment will start in March 2023.

Project content

The project involves university student volunteers who visit long-term child patients at least twice a week to help them with their studies, assist with arts and crafts and improve social contact. The focus is on learning through play to the enjoyment of patients and volunteers alike.

The project will continue hospital visits to build on its eight successful years of experience. In 2022 the project welcomed a volunteer who had previously experienced the benefits of the programme as a patient. Bringing friendship, play and study to children's hospital bedsides, regardless of the patient’s gender, age or ethnicity, also has positive effects on recovery times.

Partners