After the success of the 2016 European Week of Sport, the ISF continues its cooperation with European Institutions. In fact, we are pleased to announce that the European Commission decided to award funding to an Erasmus+ project with the ISF as main coordinator for the first time.
Erasmus+ is the EU programme conceived to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. It provides funding for projects that engage Europeans in studying, gaining experience and volunteering abroad. The Sport Chapter of Erasmus+ is designed to encourage participation in sport and physical activity and to support innovative and creative initiatives in the field of sport.
The ISF applied to the Erasmus+ project in partnership with two other European Organisations, Sport and Citizenship and Hope for Children, and six of its national members, already active in the development of volunteer programs in school sport: namely, France (UNSS), Hungary (HSSF), Malta (NSSM), Turkey (TSSF), Croatia (CSSF) and Latvia (LSSF).
The funded initiative is a 2-year project named “V2S – Volunteering with School Sport”. Its aims are to involve and empower more young volunteers in the most diverse tasks within school sport organisations; V2S will also contribute to highlight and give value to all those skills that can be developed by means of volunteering in sport. 24 volunteers chosen by the six participating National School Sport Federations will be involved in activities in their own national organisations and in international events and workshops.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the project will be the international workshops organised during the European Badminton Schools Championship that will take place in June 2017 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. On this occasion, the young volunteers will have the opportunity to experience working in an international event; furthermore, they will take part in activities together with the athletes participating in the school championship. This will allow both athletes and volunteers to get to know each other better and to get acquainted with the different elements and the numerous skills that contribute to the success of an international sport event.
The award of European funding must be considered as an important achievement for the ISF and we are sure that this will consistently contribute to the development of School Sport all over Europe.