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Active Network project partners local authorities with grassroots sport organisations

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17/12/2012

The story of the Active Network

WHAT’S THE CONTEXT?

Physical inactivity might not have been yet identified as the public enemy n°1 but soon will it be. Indeed it is a true epidemic: a fast growing phenomenon, affecting all the countries: between 40% and 60% of the EU population leads a sedentary life  and all the layers of the society: two thirds of the adult population (people aged over 15 years) in the European Union (EU) do not reach recommended levels of activity (30 minutes/day on most week days) and only 34% of European young people aged 11, 13 and 15 years reported enough physical activity to meet current guidelines .

Worrying enough is that today's 10 year olds are the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents by 5 years .

We are all responsible. We know the risks factors:

-Inadapted environment.

-Technology and innovation making our life easier and literally killing daily physical activity.

-Mal nutrition.

-Decrease in PE hours.

-Poor and slow adaptation of the sport and recreation movement to the new needs of individuals.

While one sector alone cannot address this complex issue, it is our duty to take a proactive and innovative role in the fight against physical activity and develop active network.

We know who are at the front line: local authorities and sport for all organisations are focal point to activate citizens throughout Europe and provide them incentives to move.

Not only are local authorities (including municipalities) the second largest source of the estimated total budget of the sport system (€26.0bn) , they are also key actors when developing new opportunities and facilitating environments for PA

WHAT ARE THE NEEDS?

While there exist obvious daily connections between grassroots sport organisations and local authorities, there is yet nowhere to be seen a network gathering these two sectors together.

Yet experience has showed that providing room for knowledge sharing and cooperation is the best way to stimulate innovation.

ISCA and ACTIVE Network project partners believe there could be more synergies created while focusing on developing a common understanding and invent new paths towards the same goal.

SO ACTIVE NETWORK?

-ONE GOAL: Increase citizens’ participation rate to sport and physical activity

-WHAT: A sustainable European network that will develop and strengthen cooperation and collaboration between local authorities and sport for all organisations.

-WHEN: January 2013 – June 2014

-HOW: Four steps:

Increase knowledge base by researching, compiling and disseminating current knowledge and experience in municipal and non-governmental organisation cooperation.

Building Capacity by designing and implementing learning and exchange opportunities for effective partnerships

Raising Awareness by initiating a friendly competition between good practice partnerships and executing a high-visibility awards scheme and show to celebrate the winners.

oBuild the Network by advocating towards national and EU governmental institutions on the key role of sport organizations and local authorities in the promotion of sport and physical activity.

-WHO: Co-funded by the European Commission`DG for Education and Culture under the 2012 Preparatory Action in the Field of Sport, gathering 27 (16 Sport organisation + 11 Municipalities) partner organisations representing 16 EU countries from West to East and from North to South…

-LEGACY: A high potential for spreading and transferring best practices and knowledge in each represented country. Indeed organisations from the sport sector are national umbrella associations whose specific role will be to exploit well-functioning partnerships between local authorities and local sport organisations so that the good practices are spread to other localities in the particular country.

Kick-off event gathering all partner organisations will take place in Copenhagen from 15 to 17 February 2013.

Twinning meetings will then be organised during the lifespan of the project between sport organisations and municipalities based on defined topics.

Identified and described good practices with extraordinary results/potential and high transferability of partnership between sport organisations and municipalities will be presented and awarded at the MOVE Congress 2013 in Barcelona (October 2013).

ACTIVE Network project will be closed by the Closing Conference “Looking into the future of ACTIVE Europe” in 2014.

 

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