In the project WELLcome – Wellbeing and integration through sports, innovative and effective models are developed in the sports sector, to integrate and engage refugees in society with the help of sports. Within the project, Finlands Svenska Idrott (FSI) and Humak University of Applied Science (Humak), together with sports associations and reception centers in Finland, develop sports opportunities for children and young people with an immigrant – and refugee background.

The general objectives of this project

  • To support young refugees (age 7-16) to take part and engage in the local sport clubs in Finland and to thereby support their integration into the Finnish society.
  • Create new and impactful business models for the integration of refugees and immigrants in Finland with the help of sports
  • To raise awareness and knowhow in social including and integration of refugees amongst board members, staff members and trainers in sport clubs in Finland.  
  • To spread the model and best practices developed in the project to all the member sport clubs of FSI and to the general public and important stakeholders in Finland and in Europe.

ÅIFK, which is a bilingual sportsclub in Turku with over 600 athletes in its activities in football, handball and athletics, functions as a pilot sports association in the project.

The project’s operating models are distributed nationally in Finland to all sports associations that belong to Finlands Svenska Idrott and, according to good practice, they are also distributed internationally. The two-year project runs during the years 2022-2024.

The project is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EECEA) with the Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions (PPPAs) program and the Ministry of Education and Culture (UKM). The total approved sum for the project is 285,000 euros.

Projectteam

Tarja Krum

Projektledare
Finlands Svenska Idrott
tarja.krum(a)idrott.fi

Iida Laitila

Projektkoordinator
Finlands Svenska Idrott
iida.laitila(a)idrott.fi

Janina Sjöstrand

Projektledare
Humak
janina.sjostrand(a)humak.fi

Anna-Maija Riutta

Expert
Humak
anna.maija.riutta(a)humak.fi

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