Collaboration for new Erasmus+ project confirmed
We are proud to announce the successful collaboration with TAFISA on the project proposal “International and European Sport Organisations Activate Citizens”. The project has been selected by the European Commission and will be co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union in 2021 and 2022.
It is no ground-breaking news, that physical inactivity is globally on the rise, levels of participation in sport and physical activity are decreasing, and decision makers are faced with the question of what effective and adequate measures to take to counteract the consequences of a lack of physical activity – and at the same time pave the way to secure the benefits of participation. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic is not helping to get people moving, moreover supporting this inactive path.
The project aims to gather International and European Sport Organisations (IESOs) and develop a new delivery system that places participation in Sport for All and physical activity at its core. It will reflect on how to adapt sports, their rules, settings, delivery, etc. to the needs of target groups and grassroots sport participation, and on how IESOs can better contribute to achieve the objectives of key European and International policy papers, including, but not limited to, the WHO Global Action Plan for Physical Activity, UNESCO Kazan Action Plan, UN Sustainable Development Goals, EU Council Recommendation on HEPA, and EU Physical Activity Guidelines.
Why do we focus on international sport organisations and international federations?
It is quite simple: They are key stakeholders and bear a huge responsibility in the promotion of grassroots sports, as they are governing specific sports and engage participation through a unique sporting approach and broad networks at all geographical levels. Many of these organisations and federations prioritise elite and/or competitive sport activities as well as delegate the promotion of grassroots sports to their national federations or clubs.
Therefore, we want to reflect on how to adapt the sport system to the needs of grassroots sport participation, identify new target groups and deliver frameworks of sport and opportunities to practice, and create opportunities and easy access for non-active people with the ultimate aim to activate citizens.
Who is involved in the project?
Besides us, the ITTF Foundation, these are the following project partners with TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All) taking the lead:
Confederazione Boccistica Internazionale | Switzerland |
German Flying-Disc Federation | Germany |
International Dance Organisation | Denmark |
International Fistball Association | Austria |
Italian Federation of Traditional Sports and Games | Italy |
Sports Union of Slovenia | Slovenia |
World Minigolf Sport Federation | Sweden |
What are our specific tasks?
Above other intellectual outputs, we, the ITTF Foundation, will concentrate on empowering physically inactive people by extracting good practices accomplishing an IESOs’ Sport for All and physical activity toolkit and establishing a Capacity Building Workshop. This way, we can share resources and educational tools based on EU policy papers on how to promote physical activity with and additional focus on how to raise awareness and achieving social inclusion and equal opportunities in sport, healthy lifestyles, good governance, etc.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank TAFISA for their effort and trust. We look forward to start working with everyone involved – because TOGETHER we are stronger.