How to equip grassroots sport to be more inclusive?

Last week grassroots sport movement gathered in Papendal (Arnhem, Netherlands) for the 2022 European Sport Platform (ESP). The partners of the Erasmus+ funded EQUIP project used the occasion to meet and discuss how to implement “inclusion” in practice.

What does inclusion in grassroots sports actually look like? The EQUIP partners could answer that they are working with local and national ‘Champions’ clubs and federations to bring in significant changes toward equality.

6acfa9 D74763db498a4914936f5f32ef80ac6a Mv2

In Sweden, the Örebro Skateboardklubb built an inclusive arena for skateboarding, making it safe for all, and specifically for the LGBTQI+ communities, to try out the discipline over the summer.

 
 

In Italy, the ASD Centro ippico San Benedetto (equestry) created a new sport program and trained its staff to be able to welcome riders with and without disabilities.

 
 

In the Netherlands, the Ice-Skating federation has integrated inclusion and diversity in their 8-year-political plan to map out the existing barriers and develop pilot interventions to increase participation.

 
 

What do these equality ‘Champions’ have in common? They are determined to overcome challenges, motivated to see the change and stay flexibly to adjust their plan. Because they all started by making an action-plan!

 
 

During the 2022 European Sport Platform (ESP), the partners of the EQUIP project discussed how to equip sport clubs and federations to take concrete action. They are currently supporting more than 15 ‘Champions’ in six different countries (Belgium, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden) committed to improving governance and tackling issues of inequality at any level within their structure.

6acfa9 F45ca0f81453445c8264e0e6b4351089 Mv2

The key learnings identified along the way will be presented in a series of mini-video accessible to all on the ENGSO Education website by the end of 2023. Stay tuned for the European Sport Platform (ESP) 2023 in Portugal to see the final results of the project!

 

EQUIP is coordinated by ENGSO and co-financed by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union. Meet the project partners and follow the group’s achievements on the EQUIP webpage.