Sport dans la Ville lays the foundation for its summer camp and training centre in southern France

One in every four children never has a summer holiday. In 2020, the health crisis highlighted the difficulties encountered by youngsters living in at-risk neighbourhoods. If they never go away for a holiday, they are deprived of the opportunity to recharge their batteries, discover something new, commune with nature, meet new people and change their perspectives on life. These moments can give them the joie de vivre they need for proper personal and educational development. This was the impetus behind the Sport dans la Ville plan to build a summer camp and training centre to host 7,000 children in Le Poët Laval (Drôme). In November, the UEFA Foundation for Children decided to provide funding for some of the association’s projects.

Accompanied by its project partners, Sport dans la Ville laid the first symbolic stone for the centre this summer. Under a 30-year agreement with the site’s owners, Sport dans la Ville has undertaken to completely renovate the location, ready to open its doors to its young guests in June 2022.

“It was such a pleasure to start laying the foundations of our new summer camp and training centre. It will be a place where thousands of youngsters will be able to enjoy life, find fulfilment and feel transformed,” said Philippe Oddou, the co-founder and general director of Sport dans la Ville.

During the ceremony, the Sport dans la Ville youngsters planted an olive tree in the 27-hectare park. “It’s crazy to think we’re going to come to his incredible place for our holidays,” said Idriss, a young association member.

This exceptional centre will enable the young visitors to discover nature and learn about healthy eating thanks to the permaculture garden, while receiving guidance for their future training and careers in the hospitality industry.

A study is currently under way into various activities to encourage young people to adopt better eating, exercise and environmental habits.

Sport dans la Ville

Established in 1998, Sport dans la Ville is France’s leading non-profit association promoting professional integration through sport.

It sets up and supervises sports facilities and runs social and occupational integration programmes for 7,000 young people living in at-risk neighbourhoods.

Its programmes include:

• L dans la Ville, which promotes the emancipation and occupational integration of 1,770 teenage girls.
• Job dans la Ville, which helps 1,640 young people aged 15 and over to enter professional life. Entrepreneurs dans la Ville, which has supported 245 start-ups since 2007.