ISCA Annual Report 2023

OUR VISION

A

world of physically active citizens in vibrant civil societies

OUR MISSION

We empower organisations worldwide to enable citizens to enjoy their human right to move

ISCA is its members

ISCA and sportandev join forces

ISCA General Assembly 2023

Advocacy

ISCA Health

Thematic Projects

Icehearts Europe

European Grassroots Esports

Integration of Refugees Through Sport

Generations Uniting Through Movement

DigiFit

MOVE

2023 ISCA

2023

MOVE for Fun

NowWeMOVE Campaign

No Elevators Day

MOVE Week Latin America

MOVE Week

European School Sport Day

European Week of Sport Denmark

Members' and Partners' Projects

ISCA’s European Volunteers

ISCA Executive Commitee

ISCA Staff

Finances

ISCA Membership

Become a Member

deserve organisations that treat them as their first priority MOVING PEOPLE

The vast majority of people who are active in sport – in all of its formats – exercise because it improves their health, their physical, mental and social wellbeing. They play sport and are physically active for recreational purposes. And they deserve organisations that treat them as their first priority! These organisations offer recreational activities for all age groups – from toddlers, to children, adolescents, and adults in all life phases, not least senior citizens. They provide huge value daily to individual citizens and communities.

Many ISCA members have this majority of people as their first priority and for ISCA it is the only priority. Having a rather specific single priority makes it easier to keep the focus, to communicate and advocate for the best possible opportunities for recreational, social sport for all age groups.

A CLEAR MISSION REDUCES DILEMMAS

It is easier to avoid dilemmas when you’re allowed to choose between serving the interests of recreational sport participants or chasing medals. Sports clubs that have to accommodate everything from talent scouting and development to less competitive games and exercise for children and seniors do not always look out for the interests of their diverse participants – and recreational and social sports tend to lose out.

This organisational priority dilemma in sports-political environments could be compared with the competing priorities evident in the health sector. Most public health providers have a focus on both cure and prevention. Everybody knows that prevention is very important in the longer term, not least when looking at return on investment. But when it comes to prioritisation, the ‘cure’ always wins over ‘prevention’ in political battles.

DIVERSITY IS THE REALITY AND THE FUTURE

Fortunately, the demand for active recreation coming from large segments of the population has also resulted in the creation of multiple organisations with diverse origins that specifically focus on recreation as their first or even single priority. These organisations have developed over decades and this is fortunately a process that continues. This organisational diversity clearly benefits all those who aim for physical, mental and social health via a diverse spectrum of sport and recreational physical activities – in other words, it benefits society.

President’s introduction

Organisational diversity is the reality and the future – and together we can create a future of MOVING PEOPLE!

3756

89 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES MILLION PEOPLE

MOVERS, MOVE AGENTS, NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS AND ONLINE LEARNING USERS FULL AND PREMIUM MEMBERS

REPRESENTING

107 FROM FROM 20 11

GLOBAL MOVE CONGRESSES

80+ INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION PROJECTS 25 20 STAFF MEMBERS COUNTRIES towards one goal:

WORKING MORE THAN DAYS

10,147

ISCA IS ITS MEMBERS

We empower organisations worldwide to enable citizens to enjoy their human right to move. How do our members benefit from being part of this movement?

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2023, ISCA shared €1,815,107 with our members, partners and NowWeMOVE National Coordinators.

It has opened the door to us to European projects, has given us an overview of numerous interesting examples in various fields of physical activity promotion and has allowed us to meet several new partners.

DUSAN PJEVAC | Azur Sport Santé, France

We have gained international recognition, new ideas and started new projects in our country such as MOVE Week and No Elevators Day.

FRANJO LOVRIĆ | Zdrav životKINEZIS, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Being an ISCA member provides value to our organisation through access to knowledge, networking opportunities, resources, ideas, project development and a platform for staying updated on best practices in the health, wellbeing, physical activity and sports sectors.

CYNTHIA DEBONO | MOVE, Malta

As an ISCA member we enjoy networking, opportunities to be involved in international projects and being part of the NowWeMOVE campaign as a national coordinator in Austria.

PATRÍCIA NEČADOVÁ | Association for Active Life and Education, Austria

Being part of ISCA gives us the opportunity to share and discuss how to develop the sports culture in Arab countries.

ASHRAF MAHMOUD | ISCA Africa Chair, Egyptian Sports Culture Association, Egypt

ISCA and sportanddev join forces

A stronger, more consolidated sport for development sector: this is the vision behind an alliance created in 2023 between the International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) and ISCA. The two entities formed a multi-year strategic partnership to ensure that sport better serves all in society, with a focus on strengthening impact and collaboration in sport and development.

The agreement means that the operations of sportanddev (finance, human resource and legal) will be managed by ISCA, which was selected as the new host for sportanddev after a public call for proposals in 2022 and an extensive review process by the sportanddev Steering Board. sportanddev was hosted by the Swiss Academy for Development since the inception of the platform in 2003 and is now legally registered under ISCA in Denmark.

About sportanddev

The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) is a leading global hub for those using sport to achieve social, environmental and economic development objectives. sportanddev provides the global platform for sharing knowledge, building good practice and capacity, facilitating coordination, and fostering partnerships between and within different stakeholder groups.

WHAT DOES THE ALLIANCE MEAN?

The two entities will engage in close strategic cooperation but will remain as distinct organisations and brands with separate mandates. Their respective boards will continue to operate independently and set the course for the development of sportanddev and ISCA, respectively. This means sportanddev will maintain its autonomy and impartiality, critical to its success as a leading global platform for sport and development.

Both entities agree that they will pursue common and joint initiatives as well as continue to develop programmes that are independent from each other. The two boards will liaise with each other and explore relevant areas of development opportunities and cooperation.

The shared ambitions are high! By joining forces, the two organisations aim to strengthen not only their own work but to consolidate the sport for development community through better collaboration and a more unified voice.

President of ISCA Mogens Kirkeby says: “ISCA is very pleased to engage in this alliance. With our strong starting point in sport for all, physical activity and play, we can now provide additional opportunities and open new doors for our members and stakeholders in the field of sport for development. We look forward to the journey!”

sportanddev.org

ISCA GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2023

This year’s General Assembly took place on 18 November, after the MOVE Congress in Madrid. With more than 40 member organisations represented, the 25th edition of the ISCA General Assembly was the largest yet. Chairs Cristiane Fiorin-Fuglsang (ISCA Latin America Consultant) and Elena Garcia Morales (ISCA Financial Manager) oversaw the proceedings in which ISCA members took a range of important decisions based on the prepared materials in the Delegate File.

Alongside voting for the Executive Committee, ISCA members unanimously adopted the new budget for 2023-2025, the largest budget in ISCA history, with more than 11 million euros spread over the three calendar years.

ISCA restructured its membership offer, and in turn the membership fee levels, at the 2021 General Assembly in Brussels. The delegates unanimously voted to continue utilising the current fee structure for the next two years. Furthermore, a proposal was put forward to update the ISCA statutes by shortening them to make them more precise and to better reflect the changes made to ISCA's membership structure. This proposal was also adopted.

As a global democratic member organisation, 38 new ISCA members were formally adopted by the General Assembly, and welcomed into the worldwide network of grassroots sport promoters. The General Assembly was also presented with a review of ISCA’s work over the past two years and proposed actions for the next two years, information about ISCA hosting sportanddev.org and the status of projects, the membership offer, finance and regional reports.

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENTS

Mr Mogens Kirkeby (DGI, Denmark)

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Ms Liliana Ortiz De La Cruz (Corcultura, Colombia)

SUBSTITUTES

Ms Maria Luiza Souza Dias (ISCA LATIN AMERICA

Ms Daniela Conti (UISP, Italy)

Mr Branko Vujović (Association Sport for All Serbia, Serbia)

Ms Jayne Greenberg (ISCA NORTH AMERICA CHAIR, Education Consultant, United States) NEW

Ms Helen Vost (Youth Sport Trust International, UK)

Prof Dr Michael Tiemann (DTB, Germany)

Ms Siu Yin Cheung (ISCA ASIA

Read more about the ISCA General Assembly at isca.org/delegate-file-2023

CHAIR, Corcultura, Colombia)

CHAIR, Gymnastics Association of Hong Kong)

Mr Jakub Kalinowski (V4SPORT Foundation, Poland)

Ashraf Mahmoud (ISCA AFRICA CHAIR, President of the Egyptian Sports Culture Association, Egypt)

Mr Patrice Roder (UFOLEP, France)

Mr Fernando Alves da Silva (SESC Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

ADVOCACY

A strong political voice in physical activity and health promotion

At ISCA, we know that an inactive population is an unhealthy one – and that physical inactivity is a ticking time bomb that costs billions. We established ISCA Health to forge stronger ties between the health and physical activity sectors and cover actions such as NowWeMOVE awareness-raising campaigns, MOVE Congress sessions dedicated to NCD prevention and mental health, webinars and advocacy events at the European Parliament. We received support for this work from EU4Health operating grants, as the first sport organisation ever to receive that recognition. With ISCA President Mogens Kirkeby serving as Vice-Chair of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport’s Consultative Committee, ISCA receiving accreditation as a non-State actor to attend WHO Regional Committee for Europe meetings and contributing to the pan-European network DisQo’s Discrimination and Health working group, ISCA continues to be a strong political voice across sectors.

ADVOCACY

We need health investment policies based on return on investment!

COMMENT BY MOGENS KIRKEBY | ISCA President (Published

on isca.org/news)

We know that physical activity is effective and cost efficient when it comes to the prevention of non-communicable diseases. But while increasing a population’s physical activity levels significantly can be cheaper than other solutions, it can also be a complex task.

Health-Enhancing Physical Activity –European efforts 2023

• EU4Health Operating Grant

• Funded by: European Health and Digital Executive Agency

• Grant amount: €652,519

• Project period: 1 February-31 December 2023

Changing behaviour, integrating more physical activity into daily life and making recreational physical activity accessible does not come from new policies released here and there. It takes long-term prioritisation and investment from multiple sectors and stakeholders – especially entities that deliberately operate with long-term visions and perspectives. The political sector is, unfortunately, better ‘built’ for short-term, visible promises and actions. Long-term prevention initiatives, on the other hand, always lose out to attractive promises of instant cures.

We are therefore in need of ‘health investment policies’ that are based on return on investment (ROI) calculations. If there is more action to back long-term prevention

Political event in focus: European Parliament #HealthyLifestyle4All round table

The #HealthyLifestyle4All round table, held in November 2023, was organised as part of ISCA's ongoing collaboration with JOGG and Schuttelaar & Partners, which continues to translate conversations into meaningful actions. This event, held at European Parliament in Brussels, aimed to connect public and private stakeholders to brainstorm and form new partnerships. The diverse group included NGOs, industry leaders, as well as policymakers, who are all driven by the common goal of advancing health and wellbeing.

initiatives – recognising the gains both in terms of price and effects – we’ll see even better returns for public health and the economy in the future. Quick facts and figures from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and OECD report: Step up! Tackling the burden of insufficient physical activity in Europe (2023):

• Physical activity is healthy!

• Investing in the promotion of physical activity has an ROI of 1:1.7 (meaning that if you invest €1 million your return will have the value of €1.7 million)!

• The 27 European Union member states could save €8 billion annually if all citizens followed the WHO’s physical activity guidelines!

None of these conclusions are new. Our sector is already enlightened by knowledge, but knowledge does not automatically lead to action. That’s why we started ISCA Health, to connect the “doers” and bring health promotion to the fore in our work. In 2023, ISCA was supported by an EU4Health Operating Grant, which covered actions such as NowWeMOVE awareness-raising campaigns, MOVE Congress sessions dedicated to NCD prevention and mental health, webinars and a roundtable event at European Parliament (see focus box).

isca.org/health

THEMATIC PROJECTS

ISCA leads and partners in record number of projects

ISCA’s project portfolio is growing rapidly, and in 2023 we led a record number of 10 projects and partnered in 16. In 2024, the total number of thematic projects in which ISCA is involved will increase to 31. In practice, this equates to networking and knowledge exchange among hundreds of organisations that are either directly part of the projects or learn about their specialist areas through international events like the MOVE Congress. ISCA received funding from the EU (including an operating grant in the field of Health), Novo Nordisk, the Council of Nordic Ministers and CISU –Civil Society in Development for project activities in 2023.

THEMATIC PROJECTS

ICEHEARTS EUROPE

€4 million EU4Health Action Grant supports expansion of Finnish best practice

ISCA and the Finnish long-term support programme for vulnerable children, Icehearts, joined forces with 10 partners in 2023 to launch a Europe-wide expansion of this successful initiative, backed by a €4 million EU4Health Action Grant. The Icehearts Europe project aims to help social organisations in other countries establish Icehearts programmes, equip new mentors with customised online learning tools and bring this new network together at international study tours and conferences.

THE ICEHEARTS APPROACH

Icehearts is as an evidence-based and highly successful best practice from Finland. The model provides consistent, long-term, holistic support for vulnerable children. Children who require special support and are recognised as being at risk of social exclusion at an early stage are selected for a team that is led by a mentor who supports the selected children at school, after school and at home for 12 years. They are selected in co-operation with preschool, school and social service professionals. The child’s caregivers ultimately decide if the child will participate in the team activities and accept the support offered.

Icehearts Europe puts active lifestyle promotion at the centre of the picture, illustrating how schools, sports clubs and community associations can work together to create activities that support children in developing both physical and psychosocial skills.

ICEHEARTS EUROPE MANUAL AND IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

The Icehearts Europe model, described in a concise manual and implementation guide in six languages (English, Danish, Estonian, Italian, Slovenian and Spanish), draws on lessons learned from the 27-year-old Finnish programme. The original Icehearts programme

Key facts

• Project title: Icehearts Europe

• Project period: January 2023-December 2025

• Co-funded by: EU4H-2022 Programme

• Grant amount: €4,000,000

uses grassroots sport and physical activity as one tool among a variety of leisure and soft skill-learning activities to help children form social bonds in a supportive team environment.

ONLINE TRAINING TOOL FOR MENTORS

The aim of the training tool is to provide an active learning experience to people who want to become a trained Icehearts Europe mentor. The tool is a precursor to a more extensive online learning course that will be launched in 2025. Users of the training tool should, on completion, be able to:

• Outline the features of the successful Icehearts Finland model

• Define the characteristics of an optimal mentormentee bond

• Outline how the mentor and mentee can build a shared purpose and set goal

• Produce and deliver a shared pilot plan for Icehearts Europe activities.

FIRST AND SECOND ADOPTERS OF THE APPROACH

As the Icehearts Europe project enters its second year, the best practice will be piloted in five more countries: Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. The project partners from these countries carried out a Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment (SANA) in 2023 to prepare for the pilots. These “first adopters” of the approach will share the outcomes of these pilots with 14 more organisations (second adopters) through capacity building events in 2025, culminating in the MOVE Congress.

MOVE CONGRESS 2023 MASTERCLASS

Icehearts Finland experts Kai Tarvainen and Nelli Niemelä took delegates on a deep dive into the Icehearts approach in a dedicated masterclass at the MOVE Congress 2023. Fellow Finns Petteri Lahti, Head of the Sport and Youth Department of the city of Pori, and Riikka Heinzmann, a school teacher who specialises in the Icehearts method, joined them to deliver the two-hour masterclass, which was moderated by Fiona Chambers from University College Cork.

icehearts.eu

Full project partners

ISCA, Icehearts (Finland), EuroHealthNet (Belgium), Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (Finland), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (UNICAS) (Italy), University College of Cork (Ireland), the Italian Institute of Public Health (ISS) (Italy), DGI (Denmark), SPIN (Estonia), Fútbol Más Espana (Spain), UISP (Italy) and Sports Union of Slovenia.

Associated partners

UFOLEP (France), V4Sport (Poland), BG Be Active (Bulgaria), Deutscher Turner-Bund/Deutscher Turner-Jugend (Germany), SOKOL (Czech Republic), Health Life Academy (Croatia), Latvian Sports Federation Council (Latvia), NEMUNAS (Lithuania), MOVE Malta, Association Sport for all Suceava (Romania), Hungarian School Sport Federation, BVLO (Belgium), Social Innovation Sports (Portugal) and University of Seville (Spain).

EUROPEAN GRASSROOTS ESPORTS

Esports is rapidly booming as a recreational and competitive sport, attracting more and more participants at the grassroots level. This two-year Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnership project European Grassroots Esports, led by ISCA with international esports experts, has an important mission to help community organisations overcome stereotypes about gaming and esports and include young gamers in grassroots sport’s value-based, social structure.

In its first year, the project partners mapped stakeholders, best practices and a conceptual model of grassroots esports that can help sports clubs open their doors to esports activities. As the project aims at enhancing

awareness of the individual and social benefits of responsible, value-based esports, the project partners organised four national seminars (in Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands and Norway), produced 10 opinion pieces and were part of an international debate at the MOVE Congress 2023 to initiate exchange and an open discussion on the benefits and challenges of grassroots esports.

The six project partners now aim to build local clubs’ capacities to deliver grassroots esports activities by launching an online learning course (‘How to develop your grassroots esports club’) on learn.isca.org in June 2024. Three national pilot actions will also start in January 2024 to test the project’s esports model.

When you gather in a club and you're sitting down physically next to your teammates and you're playing esports in an organised way, I think it’s really positive in the sense of the community that it builds.

ANDRÉ BAUMANN | Grassroots Esports Alliance, Norway

WHY ARE SPORTS CLUBS GETTING MORE INTERESTED IN ESPORTS? BECAUSE…

Esports can bring new members from a target group that they have not yet reached.

Esports can engage new trainers and volunteers, and more parents too!

Esports can have positive spill-over effect to traditional sport activities.

Esports can bring more partners and more resources to grassroots sport clubs.

Esports can bring a positive, socially oriented and proactive image to grassroots sport clubs.

esports.isca.org

Key facts

• Project title: European Grassroots Esports

• Project period: January 2023-December 2024

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

• Project partners: ISCA (lead), H2O Esports Campus (the Netherlands), Viken Sport Region (Norway), Hungarian Esport Federation (Hungary), DGI (Denmark) and play-eSHanseSPIEL e. V (Germany).

PHOTO: H2O Esports

A global movement INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES THROUGH SPORT

Integration of Refugees Through Sport (IRTS) is a growing ecosystem and community of stakeholders that has evolved significantly over the past decade, with ISCA in a key position. Sport and play have been used for relief and inclusion of refugees for much longer, of course, but there is an emerging movement of initiatives and stakeholders who are leading the way in this field. Here we feature four key ISCA projects.

GLOBAL IRTS

Refugee crises all over the world bear resemblances, so there is added value from looking at these complex challenges from a global perspective. The Global IRTS partnership is unprecedented, comprising UN institutions, funding bodies, humanitarian organisations and sporting bodies. And it takes the international dimension of the Erasmus+ sport programme to a new level, with a truly global group of partners from both Erasmus+ countries and well beyond.

• Project period: January 2024-December 2025

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

• Coordinator: ISCA and sportanddev (hosted by ISCA

• Full list of partners at bit.ly/49AxrA4

IRTS UKRAINE NORDIC

The clear pan-Nordic dimension of the IRTS Ukraine Nordic project is reflected in the partners’ ambition to share their experience and expertise across four countries and develop a shared methodology and approach. Their goal is to test, refine and spread that approach to Nordic cities and towns and also to inspire other countries via a training tool highlighting techniques that support stress relief, learning and inclusion through sport.

• Project period: November 2022-April 2024

• Co-funded by: Nordic Co-operation

• Grant amount: €170,000

Partners: ISCA (lead), Monaliiku (Finland), Viken Idrettskrets (Norway), Dansk Skoleidræt (Denmark), UMFI (Iceland)

INTEGRATION OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES THROUGH SPORT

This project, led by our member V4Sport Foundation, is supporting the integration of Ukrainian refugee children through sport by collecting and developing scalable, targeted, hands-on resources, piloting testing them in Poland and Romania, and widening the impact through international networks in sport organisations across Europe to extend the results and benefit Ukrainian children across the continent. In the first major dissemination event for the project, the MOVE Congress 2023 featured an IURTS workshop led by Laureus Sport for Good, V4Sport Foundation and ISCA.

• Project period: January 2023-December 2024

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

• Partners: V4Sport Foundation (Poland, lead), ISCA, Suceava Sport for All (Romania), Terre des Hommes (Romania), University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy), Laureus Sport for Good

WE PLAY TOGETHER!

We Play Together! is an Erasmus+ Youth Cooperation Partnership project with the aim of supporting the social inclusion of displaced Ukrainian youth in local communities through sport and increasing the receptiveness of the grassroots sport sector to welcome migrant and refugee youth in the BalticPolish region. In 2023, the partners co-hosted a festival in Lithuania for 150 young participants from Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Lithuania, which included a two-day training session for 80 volunteers.

• Project period: September 2022-June 2024

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership in the Field of Youth

• Grant amount: €250,000 Partners: MTÜ SPIN (Estonia, lead), ISCA, Latvian Sports Federation Council, The Kazickas Family Foundation (Lithuania), V4Sport Foundation (Poland)

irts.isca.org

GENERATIONS THAT MOVE TOGETHER #StickTogether

Physical activities that appeal to both younger and older generations are more often about “movement” than organised sport. That’s why we created the Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) project, because we believe that fun, low barrier physical activity could be the right formula to bring younger and older generations together – and help them to #StickTogether.

Key facts

• Project title: Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM)

• Project period: January 2023-December 2024

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

• Project partners: ISCA (lead), Youth Sport Trust (UK), Sports Union of Slovenia, BG Be Active (Bulgaria), Deporte Para La Educacion Y La Salud (DES) (Spain), Stichting Hanzehogeschool Groningen (Hanze) (the Netherlands) and Azur Sport Sante (France).

The aim of this EU Erasmus+ Cooperation partnership is to identify, recruit, train and support a cohort of experienced practitioners who will facilitate local-scale activities that connect young people with seniors to help increase their participation in physical activity and sport. Rather than focusing on traditional sport, there is a strong emphasis on piloting activities in five countries (Bulgaria, France, Slovenia, Spain and the UK) that explore ways of adapting traditional and non-formal games to different age groups and physical conditions.

WHY SHOULD GENERATIONS MOVE TOGETHER?

Did you know that 40% of elderly people are feeling lonely and 16% of young people are feeling depressed? And what’s more, that less than 40% of these groups are meeting the WHO’s recommended physical activity levels? These were the alarming findings of the project’s research phase.

And they illustrate potential to bring young people and seniors together in ways that get them active,

both physically and socially. The GUM programme will therefore offer opportunities for these two generational groups to meet and co-create activities.

• Older people (defined as seniors aged 65 years and over for the purpose of this project) whose participation in physical activity and sport tends to decline as they age.

• Young people (for the purpose of this project defined as those aged 24 years and younger), whose life-long physical activity habits are in their formative stage.

The name of the project, Generations Uniting through Movement (GUM) puts any kind of movement in the limelight – in line with the WHO’s Every Move Counts campaign and research. GUM could be the magic glue that sticks us all together and we hope our colourful campaign will attract attention and support to initiatives that keep people active across ages.

New project in 2024: Moving for Health

ISCA’s new Moving for Health (MfH) project aims to connect physical and health literacy and to offer tools, knowledge and healthy lifestyle information by connecting individuals (teachers, trainers, health providers, community developers) and organisational settings (schools, clubs, communities, health centres).

• Project period: January 2024-December 2025

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

• Project partners: ISCA (lead), EUPEA (Luxembourg), Sports Union of Slovenia, National Institute of Public Health (Slovenia), University of Lisbon (FMH, Portugal), DES (Spain) and Change the Game (Sweden).

The DigiFit project SHAPING UP FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

Digital transformation has become a critical process in today’s rapidly evolving world, requiring continuous learning, experimentation and adaptation. For grassroots sport organisations, building digital capacity is key to becoming more resilient, adaptable and prepared to tackle future challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic underscored the urgent need for such readiness as many more every day activities shifted online and AI emerged as a new threat or opportunity for organisations worldwide.

The Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership DigiFit: Fit for the Digital Age emerged in 2023 as a catalyst for leveraging digital transformation and innovation to enhance resilience and capacity within the grassroots sport and physical activity sector, with the aim of making it #DigiFit.

THE STATUS OF DIGITALISATION IN SPORT

To lay the groundwork for this transformative process, the DigiFit partners conducted a pan-European survey in

Key facts

• Project period: January 2023-December 2024

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnerships

• Grant amount: €400,000

Full partners: ISCA (lead), PRN SI - National Sport Innovations Resource Center of the French Ministry of Sport (France), DGI (Denmark), European Platform on Sport Innovation (EPSI) (Belgium), University College of Cork (Ireland) and Institute for Sport and Youth (IDPJ) (Portugal).

• Associated partners: Grand Paris Sport Cluster (France) and UNICAS (Italy).

2023 to assess the current status of digitalisation among grassroots sport organisations. Organisations from across the continent contributed valuable insights that served as a foundation for an incubation programme designed by the partners to empower their fellow organisations to embrace new digital tools and approaches.

THE INCUBATION PROGRAMME

At the heart of the DigiFit project lies the incubation programme, which started in January 2024. This innovative initiative aims to create a collaborative ecosystem by inviting forward-thinking solution providers and grassroots sport organisations to come together. Through this programme, participants will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge, learn from experts, and develop the digital capabilities necessary to thrive in the digital age. By embracing a culture of innovation and fostering partnerships, organisations can enhance their digital readiness and position themselves for future success.

ACCELERATING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

The primary objective of the DigiFit project is to accelerate the digital transformation of grassroots sport organisations and their staff by fostering digital readiness, resilience and capacity building. Recognising that this journey is not without its complexities, the DigiFit partners hope to provide the necessary support and resources to facilitate the growth of these organisations in the digital realm.

digifit.isca.org

Our dynamic pan-European team are co-designing, implementing and evaluating a programme to digitally transform grassroots sport.

DR FIONA CHAMBERS | University College Cork, Ireland

Level up. Shape up. Power up.

MOVE CONGRESS 2023

The 11th MOVE Congress on 15-17 November 2023, organised by ISCA with Spanish partners Fútbol Más and Deporte para la Educación y la Salud (DES), España se Mueve and with support from the EU, was held to coincide with the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It was the second time that the MOVE Congress has been held in Spain – the first being in Barcelona in 2013. And it is the first time the main stage has needed to be "zapatos de flamenco proof" – that is, robust enough to withstand the rhythm created by flamenco shoes. The opening’s interactive flamenco show set the scene for the 400 delegates, including 52 speakers, from 50 countries to inspire each other and move together over two action-packed days. Here are some of the many highlights from the conference.

Why mental health rocks!

We always enjoy putting rock star speakers on the MOVE Congress stage – especially those who prove that Mental Health Rocks! TEDx speaker Dominique de Marné from Mental Health Crowd and “stigma disruptor” and workplace wellbeing expert Barbara Brennan were two of our most popular speakers in 2023, following on from the great response to our 2021 workshop ‘Rebuilding mental health through physical activity’. Drawing links between physical and mental health is essential for healthy lifestyle advocates, so we’re delighted to have crafted a platform for this topic at the MOVE Congress.

Moving on a planet in crisis?

The world faces a range of intersecting crises, including escalating conflict and humanitarian crises, a climate crisis, a cost-of-living crisis and other local, national and global challenges.

Keynote Karim Abu-Omar didn’t shy away from the tough question – how can people stay active and healthy on a sick planet?

We dedicated a track to the role of sport in environmental sustainability, plus a debate on how sport can respond in times of crisis, a workshop dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees through sport, and one on designing people-friendly urban spaces through placemaking.

Shaping up for the digital age

Esports and AI are not only coming, they’re already here, and it’s time for the grassroots sport sector to adapt. That’s why we opened up an esports debate in the MOVE Congress plenary and followed this lively discussion with a workshop on the future of AI in sport and basic tools sport organisations can use to assist their work. The practical workshop was exclusively for congress participants, but the esports debate and introduction to the workshop are ready to view on-demand on YouTube (@ISCAchannel).

Catch up and get ready for 2025!

You can read recaps of all MOVE Congress 2023 sessions at the official website and watch selected presentations and interviews on our YouTube channel. We hope it will inspire you to join us at the MOVE Congress 2025!

movecongress.com

It takes a village to raise a healthy child

A child’s wellbeing and development are influenced by a community that is much broader than their immediate family. We used an interactive “fishbowl” discussion to explore a holistic, child-centred approach to kids’ health and wellbeing and imagined the room as a village sitting around one table. We also featured masterclasses on the Icehearts programme for supporting vulnerable children, and the ‘FUNdamentals of a healthy childhood’. The speaker line-up included experts from WHO Europe, EuroHealthNet, the Gasol Foundation and International Diabetes Federation.

Inspiring movement at all ages

A leaf blower, a wheelchair and a beach ball. As a conference organiser, we get some unusual requests for speaker props, but these (and the combination of them that unfolded) could be among the most eccentric ones we’ve ever had. Not to mention the mystery surrounding them – how would our Friday keynotes Joël Kruisselbrink and Azmi Alubeid use them on stage? Visit our YouTube channel to find out youtu.be/vKXU96xUcjA

Next stop, Denmark!

The suspense surrounding the next MOVE Congress location didn’t last long on the final day of the event, as ISCA made a surprise reveal at the closing that the next host will be DGI in Denmark in 2025. The MOVE Congress 2025 is set to coincide with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Outstanding initiatives and role models in physical activity and health ISCA AWARDS 2023

The winners of the 2023 ISCA Awards recognising and celebrating outstanding initiatives and role models in the field of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) were revealed at the opening of the MOVE Congress in Madrid, Spain. The 12 shortlisted nominees travelled from three continents to attend the ceremony after being selected for their stand-out applications among 55 eligible organisations and individuals nominated.

Brazilian organisation Luta pela Paz won the Physical Activity and Mental Health Award; Youth Sport Trust UK’s Move and Groove initiative won the Physical Activity and Healthy, Active Ageing Award; the Estonian University of Tartu’s Move Lab took home the Health-Promoting Schools Award; and Marina Draskovic, Judo club for people with disabilities FUJI, Croatia, was awarded the people’s choice ‘Role model in health for socially disadvantaged groups’.

The winners were announced by four of the jury members who had been part of making the final selection in three categories. The winner of the fourth category, the Role

Model Award, was selected through a public vote. To avoid bias in the voting, the jury members with potential conflicts of interest in particular categories did not vote in those respective categories.

For the third edition in a row of the ISCA Awards, the unique trophies were made from Lego, this time by children from local international school Liceo Europeo. ISCA Awards coordinator Liina Sepp invited four of the students to the stage to introduce themselves and present the awards.

All shortlisted nominees received a trip to Madrid to take part in the whole of ISCA’s MOVE Congress on 15-17 November 2023, and the winners each received a cash prize of 3000 euro. At ISCA, we are delighted to have had the opportunity to award best practices and role models again, this time in the field HEPA thanks to support from an EU Operating Grant in the Field of Health.

awards.isca.org/winners isca.org/health

ISCA Awards 2023 shortlisted nominees

Physical activity and mental health

• Intelligent Health (UK)

• Luta pela Paz (Brazil)

• Yoga and Sport with Refugees (Greece)

Physical activity and healthy, active ageing

• German Gymnastics Federation (Germany)

• Youth Sport Trust (UK)

• Lunga Vita Attiva Aps (Italy)

Health-promoting schools

• University of Tartu’s Move Lab (Estonia)

• University of Bradford (UK) Mathare Girl Power Project (Kenya)

See

Role model in health for socially disadvantaged groups

• Aneta Grabmüller Soldati, Naplno (Czech Republic)

• Layana Souza, Changing the Score (Brazil)

• Marina Draskovic, Judo club for people with disabilities FUJI (Croatia)

PLACEMAKING AND SPORT

Uncovering innovative solutions to the big facility challenge

The challenge to find new facilities for sport and physical activity often compels cities and sports bodies to reach for the “start building or renovating” button. But what if they resisted the urge to push this button and chose instead to utilise the public spaces around them as venues for their sporting activities?

Can it be done? With a creative approach and the right permissions, it can. Using squares, plazas, parks or even open streets for physical activity and sport accommodates a very modern need for citizens to be active on their doorstep. It also meets the growing demand for outdoor activities in urban areas.

Placemaking as an approach entails designing simple, innovative, and cost-effective solutions for the way a public space looks (the hardware) as well as the activities that take place in the space (the software). Our 18-month Placemaking and Sport project will therefore explore these solutions at a European level, including a demanddriven approach in which citizens’ needs are listened

to and acted upon. It takes the view that sport organisations should think of sport and physical activity from a broader perspective and adapt what they deliver to new ways in which their members are inspired to be active.

In 2024 the project will test and demonstrate the value of placemaking for sport by conducting five pilot actions in Denmark, France, Italy, Malta and Spain, by developing and compiling inspirational resources, and by building the capacities of sport organisations and cities to take up placemaking approaches.

placemaking.isca.org

Key facts

• Project name: Placemaking and Sport Innovative European Solutions Project period: August 2023-January 2025

• Co-funded by: European Commission under the Pilot Projects & Preparation Actions (PPPA), PPPA-SPORT-2022 GRASSROOTSINNOVATION Programme.

• Grant amount: €400,000 Project lead: ISCA

• Expert stakeholders: Gehl, Denmark, and BG Be Active, Bulgaria

• Pilot organisations: DGI and Copenhagen, Denmark; Azur Sport Sante and Nice, France; Unione Italiana Sport Per Tutti (UISP) and Matera, Italy; MOVE Malta and Zejtun, Malta; DES and Valencia, Spain.

READY, SET, LEARN!

Your roadmap to professional development in the physical activity sector

Did you know that ISCA hosts an online learning platform with 11 courses plus six training tools on dedicated project websites? We published four training tools in 2023 and two more learning opportunities are coming soon in 2024. Start here on our learning roadmap to navigate to the topic of your choice.

Icehearts Europe

How to use sport and physical activity to improve the wellbeing of disadvantaged children and young people as an Icehearts mentor (in 6 languages).

icehearts.eu/training-tool

Generations Uniting through Movement

Learn how to set up and deliver a successful intergenerational initiative that encourages young people and seniors to be active together (in 5 languages).

generationsmove.org/training-tool

Future MOVE curriculum

ISCA and Gerlev Sports Academy’s curriculum on Sport for Development and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is being tested by 540 Danish students, and is now online. sustainability.isca.org/future-move-resources

Sentry Sport

This practical guide is focused on combating discrimination in grassroots sport, including how to help victims, the role of sport in social inclusion, and participants’ fundamental rights (in 6 languages).

sentrysport.org/training-tool

GAP Women (coming soon)

The main aim of this training tool is to encourage and equip organised sport clubs and federations to take action to reduce the gender gap in sport.

gapwomen.ufec.cat/online-course

Discover all of our courses learn.isca.org

European Grassroots Esports (coming soon)

This course will shed light on what esports is (and what it is not), how to set up an esports club in a grassroots sport organisation, and how to build a supportive and active esports community.

esports.isca.org/online-course

FUTURE MOVE

Sport for Development and SDG curriculum tested in Denmark

Within the framework of the Future MOVE project, ISCA and Gerlev Sports Academy joined forces to launch a new curriculum for Sport for Development and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a Danish and international context, which is being tested by 540 Danish students at Gerlev. The curriculum includes situation analyses, learning objectives, activities, strategies and teaching methods, and is now available as a training tool on the project’s website.

Future MOVE is a sustainability-focused project supported by the Danish Civil Society in Development Fund (CISU) to develop a Danish conceptual framework and curriculum for Sport for Development projects. Physical activity is incorporated into the curriculum to enhance the connection between the discussed themes and the students’ bodies. The sequence of topics, starting with the culture of togetherness, aims to set a framework

Key facts

• Project period: 8 December 2021-7 June 2024

• Co-funded by: Civil Society Fund and the Civic Engagement Fund (Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

• Grant amount: €134,000

for communal living at the school, followed by discussions on the body, sex and sexuality, and gender perceptions.

The ultimate goal is to cultivate in students a sense of curiosity, openness, mutual respect, and understanding, empowering them to engage in discussions about vulnerable and challenging topics. Through this holistic approach, Gerlev seeks to graduate individuals equipped with the courage to navigate societal complexities and contribute positively to the world beyond the academy. By integrating SDGs into their pedagogical approach, Gerlev aims to expand students’ knowledge while providing concrete examples of how to work towards specific SDGs.

Students can delve into several interesting subjects that connect with various SDGs, and there are more to come:

• The Culture of Togetherness

• Body and Culture

• Sex and Sexuality

• Gender

• Inner Development

• Sustainable Gardening

sustainability.isca.org/future-move

PHOTO: Gerlev Sports Academy

MOVE FOR FUN

Outstanding initiatives and role models in physical activity and health

Move For Fun is an international programme funded by Novo Nordisk and implemented in collaboration with ISCA and DGI, together with partner organisations in Argentina (Valores y Deporte), Poland (V4Sport) and the United Kingdom (Youth Sport Trust) that piloted the programme between 2020 and 2023.

Every child should be able to enjoy the benefits of physical activity, establishing a solid base for a life filled with energy, happiness and good health. Extensive research has consistently shown that regular physical activity improves a child’s physical, mental and social wellbeing and enhances their ability to learn and think. Maintaining an active lifestyle from an early age into adulthood is widely recognised to be crucial in improving brain health and weight management, reducing the risk of disease, and strengthening bones and muscles.

Despite this, physical inactivity among children and adolescents is soaring. Too many children live in

Download the Move For Fun playbook

communities that lack safe spaces for walking and cycling, have limited access to public open spaces, and face financial barriers for participating in exercise or sports programmes. Children living in vulnerable communities and neighbourhoods face additional challenges in achieving enjoyable, sociable and accessible physical activity. Move For Fun is a response that seeks to address some of these health inequities.

MOVE FOR FUN PLAYBOOK

In collaboration with Novo Nordisk (Cities Changing Diabetes) and DGI, ISCA launched a playbook that sets out the principles underpinning the Move For Fun

approach and profiles the three case studies from Argentina, Poland and the United Kingdom, where the successful DGI initiative Jump4Fun was piloted as Move For Fun. We hope it inspires anyone looking to introduce more physical activity, better health and well-being into the lives of children everywhere.

'Enabling a healthy start in life through physical activity: A playbook to help get you started with implementing a Move For Fun programme for children in vulnerable settings' is now available online.

moveforfun.com

PHOTO: DGI

CAMPAIGN NowWeMOVE

A global celebration of MOVEment

Did you know that NowWeMOVE campaign events take place on at least four continents each year? What started as a vision to get a fifth of Europe’s population more active has grown to include annual worldwide celebrations of No Elevators Day, MOVE Week (global and Latin America), European School Sport Day and the MOVEment Pills promotional tool, which will have its own dedicated Erasmus+ project run by our member UISP in 2024!

CAMPAIGN

No Elevators Day

PHOTO: Jadran Cilic / Zdrav život - KINEZIS

NowWeMOVE’s National Coordinators organised 340 events in 25 countries, involving almost 63,000 participants, to celebrate the 9th edition of No Elevators Day – and that’s not counting all the action on social and traditional media! As the central coordinator of the day, ISCA also climbed to new heights to kick off the celebrations, climbing one of the most impressive staircases in Copenhagen: Our Saviour's Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke).

No Elevators Day attracted the most participants in Spain: 50,000! In Bulgaria, 6000 people attended 60 events, followed by Latvia with around 2000 people joining the celebration. The Association Healthy Life - Kinesis (Udruga Zdrav život – Kinezis) organised a No Elevators Day event in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time, with 1150 locals running up the most famous stairs in Mostar and attracting attention on social media platforms and local news websites. This new dynamic race will now become a regular event held on the last Wednesday of April (to coincide with No Elevators Day), with the simple goal to promote the use of stairs in everyday life.

FEELING THE BUZZ ON SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA

Thanks to local news articles and television coverage in Spain, Bulgaria and other countries, the #UseTheStairs message reached millions of people. Social media channels saw lots of stairs action, too! Posts and stories from hospitals and universities in Switzerland reached not only their social media followers, but also thousands of their patients who could join the No Elevators Day at their facilities. ISCA member Deutscher Turner-Bund (DTB), which turned 175 this year and currently has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram, shared their support for No Elevators Day as well, helping reach more people in Germany.

Social media buzzed with action from individuals and organisations in Serbia, Hungary, Albania (focusing on No Elevators Day #WithoutWaste), Portugal, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey, where users could enjoy creative content on channels such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube (shorts). Along with the messages from the organisations in the physical activity and sport sector businesses and governmental institutions, several state

and health organisations in Latvia and Estonia, NGOs from Austria and Hungary, an architectural bureau from Portugal and kindergartens in Bulgaria also joined the campaign.

Thanks to all participants for spreading the message and enjoying this day full of MOVEment together with us! Save the date for the next No Elevators Day: 24 April 2024. We will also continue our campaign to promote stair climbing for “brain breaks” all year round. Be part of the event on social media by using the hashtags #NoElevatorsDay and #UseTheStairs.

TECH DRONE MEDIA: WHY I COLLABORATED ON THE EVENT FOR FREE

When you climb to the pointy spire of a 90-metre church to film a video, it’s a bit tricky to capture the best angles when you’re in the middle of the action. That’s why ISCA approached Henrik Olsen from TECH DRONE MEDIA in Copenhagen to film our climb on No Elevators Day from the air – with a drone!

Not only did he say yes to the task, he also offered his services for free! We couldn’t be more grateful for his support on the day and we had so much fun working with him. Henrik shares why he was so excited to have the opportunity to be part of ISCA’s No Elevators Day.

“ISCA wanted to celebrate No Elevators Day with an event that, of course, needed to take place in one of the most spectacular places in Copenhagen, Our Saviour’s Church, using the stairs. I decided to offer my services for free, as many of us, including me, could use more exercise in our daily lives.”

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES IN 2023

Albania, Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.

no-elevators-day.nowwemove.com

Check out the video from the No Elevators Day event where the ISCA team climbed the stairs of Our Saviour’s Church

MOVE Week Latin America MAKING MOVEMENT A HABIT

The 11th edition of MOVE Week Latin America – known as Semana MOVE in Portuguese and Semana Mueve in Spanish – was centered around the theme ‘Make movement a habit’. As with previous editions, Sesc São Paulo (SP) coordinated the week overall from Brazil, gaining support from 352 organisations across the continent and institutional backing from UNESCO to showcase an array of free events from 23 September to 1 October 2023.

More than 1750 captivating activities were offered by Movers over six distinct categories: MOVE Zen, MOVE Gym, MOVE Sports, MOVE Water, MOVE Company, and MOVE Child. These included opportunities to try out Sesc and their partners’ facilities and activities tailored to the participants’ interests, with the aim of encouraging people in the community to use these services more regularly. The 2023 campaign was crafted with a focus on highlighting fun programmes for everyone and including different groups of people in the MOVE Week activities.

Sesc SP also organised a special activity called ‘caravan’, featuring the basketball coach, former NBA and European league player and public speaker Mahmoud Abdoul Raulf. The event reached approximately 3000 individuals across six cities in São Paulo.

Thirteen countries enthusiastically participated in MOVE Week Latin America, including Bolivia, Chile and Guatemala, which were new to the event in 2023. The participating countries shared the common goal of devising strategies to embed active habits into more individuals’ daily lives. Despite working within different national contexts, the Movers aimed to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the World Health Organisation (WHO) by nurturing both the physical and mental wellbeing of their activities’ participants.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES IN 2023:

Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

semanamove.com

semanamuevela.com

MOVE Week Latin America 2023 in numbers

• 13 countries

• 1757 activities

• 352 organisations

• 145,000+ participants

PHOTOS: SESC

MOVE WEEK 2023

A united effort towards an active and fulfilling lifestyle!

For the 12th year in succession, MOVE Week – ISCA’s annual week-long celebration of movement dedicated to promoting physical activity and sports – offered an opportunity for people around the globe to embrace the joy of movement, explore exciting activities, and experience the transformative power of an active lifestyle. Our MOVE Agents and National Coordinators from 27 countries put together a wide range of free sport and physical activity options which attracted almost half a million individuals!

The preparation for MOVE Week 2023 at ISCA began in February, a few months before the start of the actual event, with a series of visuals published across the NowWeMOVE channels promoting the MOVEment Pills toolkit created by ISCA. We continued with the series of short videos in the #MOVEmentPills series to inspire the citizens to #FindYourMOVE and engage in any physical activity they find enjoyable.

Among the reels created for the campaign, we featured a yoga #BrainBreak from the rooftop of our office, a celebration of active transport for Bike to Work Day, and functional training at Kalvebod Bølge, a waterfront spot in the heart of Copenhagen that offers free equipment for a range of various activities. As MOVE Week is all about discovering new opportunities to #BeActive, the ISCA team tried kayak polo for the first time during MOVE Week 2023 –and recorded it, of course!

We made a new series of MOVEment Pills branded videos based on the content created by and with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers who joined us for 2023. We also made sure to explain what MOVE Week is and how to participate in it – check out the reel on our Instagram page!

The new National Coordinator from Bosnia and Herzegovina "Zdrav život - KINEZIS", who joined NowWeMOVE campaign this year, managed to not only organise diverse and free activities for everyone in the country, but also launched a social media campaign inspiring the public to get moving and explore new opportunities to #BeActive. One of the reels created by them was shared directly on NowWeMOVE Instagram page.

We rounded up the MOVE Week campaign on our event website with the inspiring story of Ukraine's remarkable participation in this year's edition of MOVE Week, which taught us a profound lesson in determination and hope. UkraineActive recently joined our global community, making a significant impact in a short time. MOVE Week provided a much-needed opportunity for Ukrainians to break away from their current context. We are looking forward to see even more countries organise MOVE Week events in 2025!

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES IN 2023:

Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

moveweek.eu

MOVE Week 2023 in numbers

• 27 countries

• 3597 events registered

• 465,272 participants

PHOTO: Ivana Krezić / Zdrav život - KINEZIS

EUROPEAN SCHOOL SPORT DAY

Finds the joy in sport and physical activity

The 9th European School Sport Day (ESSD), led by ISCA member the Hungarian School Sport Federation (HSSF), put the emphasis on finding joy in sport and physical activity, with the aim of encouraging children to adopt positive attitudes towards regular physical activity and integrate more movement into their everyday lives.

Schools have great potential to contribute to healthy lifestyles among children, and school time activities can have a huge influence on students’ approaches to physical activity and sport. For these reasons, ESSD 2023 zoomed in on what a school can offer outside of the formal, academic curriculum to give students more opportunities to be active during the day.

We have come a long way since the first edition of European School Sport Day in 2015. Over the past decade of the founding partners and National Coordinators working together on its coordination, this group of dedicated organisations has inspired not only schools and teachers, but also children and local community members

Key facts

• Project title: European School Sport Day – Joy in Sport and Physical Activity (ESSD2023)

• Project period: 1 January-31 December 2023

• Co-funded by: Erasmus+ Not-for-profit European Sport Events

• Grant amount: €300,000

• Project partners: Hungarian School Sport Federation (lead), ISCA (Denmark), European Physical Education Association (EUPEA, Luxembourg), BG Be Active Association (Bulgaria), Deporte Para La Educacion Y La Salud (DES, Spain), Fundacja V4Sport (Poland)

to think outside of the box and find creative ways to engage in physical activity.

On 29 September and in connection with the European Week of Sport, in which ESSD is a flagship event, 2,662,215 students from 11,251 schools in 41 countries celebrated #ESSD2023 worldwide. The overall participation in the event climbed by 10% (2,574,681 to 2,662,215) after a 17% recovery in 2021 during the pandemic.

All of the National Coordinators, schools and students involved deserve a huge round of applause for adding more colour to the ESSD network with their presence, efforts and dedication, which has allowed ESSD to set foot on three continents so far!

Looking ahead to 2024, the 10th anniversary of European School Sport Day will shine the spotlight on ‘Education through Movement’ to familiarise teachers with classroombased physical activity and encourage them to try out this teaching method, which could become the basis for integrating active learning methods into their daily work in the long term.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES IN 2023

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Palestinian National Authority, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

essd.eu

PHOTOS: Bosnian, Portuguese and Turkish ESSD national

MOST ACTIVITIES EVER HELD IN DENMARK

United Danmarks Motionsuge and European Week of Sport campaigns share resounding success

Danmarks Motionsuge (Danish Exercise Week) is a nationwide celebration of physical activity and wellbeing is held every October in support of the #BeActive European Week of Sport. ISCA is the National Coordinating Body for the European Week of Sport in Denmark (#EWOSDK). The 2023 campaign saw a record-breaking number of more than 7,000 activities held across the country. Ranging from traditional activities like golf and hiking in groups to more unconventional ones such as curling, capoeira, CrossFit, fencing, foot volleyball, and folk dancing, the week proved yet again to be a catalyst for fostering active lifestyles and building vibrant communities. In its third collaboration with t#EWOSDK, Danmarks Motionsuge continued to promote a culture of movement and inclusivity throughout Denmark.

The European Week of Sport, which started on 23 September 2023 with the opening in Valencia, for the 9th consecutive year united millions of Europeans through a variety of free sports activities. Denmark's citizens were especially lucky as Danmarks Motionsuge, organised with #EWOSDK for the third time, extended the opportunity to join sport-for-all events until 15 October. The previous editions of #EWOSDK in tandem with Danmarks Motionsuge inspired thousands of Danes to #BeActive. This year, the European Week of Sport Denmark and Danmarks Motionsuge did it again – with resounding success!

Danmarks Motionsuge provided activities for all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels, including the majestic rolling journey during the Friday Night Skate event or the UV tennis event for kids that illuminated the courts with neon lines and glowing tennis balls. Supporters of the week included Girl Power Organisation with its Sport, DJ Dance and Art Festival, and Realdania, which held a special event for Kulturnatten (or Culture Night) in collaboration with ISCA.

DGI Byen, a well-known sports facility in the heart of Copenhagen, hosted ten diverse, free classes designed for busy people. The week commenced with a lively "Workshop in breathing" at Øksnehallen, involving 60 employees from different organisations in the area, all against the backdrop of this historic venue. Danmarks Motionsuge leader Ricco Victor gave a brief introduction to the week to the participants before the workshop started.

Regional broadcaster TV2 regions played a vital role in spotlighting Danmarks Motionsuge, showcasing stories of people engaging in physical activities across the nation, from promoting workplace wellbeing to emphasising exercise's role in schools and communities. The Danmarks Motionsuge was well-covered in local media and social media, and was mentioned or supported by politicians, municipalities and other significant stakeholders. In fact, events were registered in 92 out of 98 municipalities, although schools from ALL municipalities participated in the Skolernes Motionsdag (School Sport Day) – ensuring that the #BeActive campaign reached every corner of the country.

europeanweekofsport.dk danmarksmotionsuge.dk

European Week of Sport Denmark 2023 in numbers

7792 events registered 675,646 participants

MEMBERS AND PARTNERS Projects led by our

CRC SPORT

CRC Sport (Developing the Capacity of Sport Organisations to protect Children’s Rights) aims to understand the potential of sport activities and how they are delivered towards children in a way that promotes, protects and safeguards the rights of children.

Coordinator: Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (UNICAS), Italy • January 2024 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000

SPORT GVP

Sport GVP (Preventing Gender Violence in and through Sport) puts forward a comprehensive programme that entails multifaceted actions to raise awareness about, prevent and tackle gender-based violence in and through sport.

Coordinator: EDEX – Educational Excellence Corporation Limited, Cyprus • January 2024 –December 2025 • Grant €250,000

ACTIVE AGEING FOR FALLS PREVENTION

This project focuses on the promotion of all activities encouraging sport and physical activity among seniors, including traditional sport and games and intergenerational sport; on equal opportunities in sport; and on building capacity of organisations to work transnationally and across sectors.

Coordinator: Sports Union of Slovenia • January 2024 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000

ASSA – ACTIVE SISTER SCHOOLS ALLIANCE

This project wants to establish the first Active Sister Schools Alliance among primary schools in Denmark, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine to create an engaging and interactive learning experience, and by fostering a sense of community among children.

Coordinator: V4Sport, Poland • January 2024 –December 2025 • Grant €400,000

INTERNATIONAL ERASMUS GAMES 2025

This project aims at encouraging volunteering and healthy lifestyles by offering tools to student organisations, connecting the Erasmus Generations through the event, and promoting sport as a universal language that unites all.

Coordinator: Erasmus Student Network Italia, Italy

• January 2024 – August 2025 • Grant €300,000

MOVEMENT PILLS

‘Movement Pills: Sport as a natural remedy to enhance EU citizens’ health’ seeks to spread the “prevention is better than cure” message. The concept is built around the EU campaign to promote physical activity and active lifestyles focusing on the link between sport and health.

Coordinator: UISP APS, Italy • January 2024 –June 2026 • Grant €400,000

PASS: POLICY ADVOCACY FOR SPORT AND SOCIETY

The primary aim of the Beyond Horizons projects is to promote integration and physical activity through outdoor sports to young people at risk of social exclusion.

Coordinator: European Network of Outdoor Sports, France • January 2023 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000

SCHOOLS4HEALTH

A broad partner consortium advocates whole school approaches to healthy lifestyles and health literacy promotion and to address interrelated societal challenges like the impacts of COVID-19, social and health inequalities and environmental degradation.

Coordinator: EuroHealthNet, Belgium • September 2022 – August 2025 • Grant €1,372,050.66 • Website: schools4health.eu

GAP WOMEN

A campaign to eliminate the gender gap in sport, particularly among women aged 18-50 and groups at risk of social exclusion (immigrants, refugees, physically/intellectually disabled, mentally ill and victims of gender violence).

Coordinator: Unió de Federacions de Catalunya • June 2022 – May 2024 • Grant €400,000 • Website: gapwomen.ufec.cat

IDI4SPORT

An ambition to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in and through sport and to include the project in the framework of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Coordinator: France Education International • January 2023 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000

MOVING SCHOOLS CHALLENGER

A year-long challenge, led by NowWeMOVE National Coordinators, to teach the value of a healthy lifestyle to children through school-based physical activity.

Coordinator: Deporte para la Educacion y la Salud, Spain • January 2023 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000 • Website: www.movingschools.eu

HOORAY

An innovative approach that invites adolescents aged between 13 and 19 years to develop their own educational materials to promote physical activity for better mental health and wellbeing.

Coordinator: ENGSO Youth, Lithuania • January 2023 – June 2025 • Grant €400,000 • Website: engsoyouth.eu/hooray

FITBACK4LITERACY

A project aiming to facilitate the proper use of the FitBack platform for monitoring physical literacy and fitness among children and adolescents in Europe.

Coordinator: University of Ljubljana Faculty of Sport, Slovenia • January 2023 – December 2025

• Grant €400,000

BEYOND HORIZONS

The primary aim of the Beyond Horizons projects is to promote integration and physical activity through outdoor sports to young people at risk of social exclusion.

Coordinator: European Network of Outdoor Sports, France • January 2023 – December 2025 • Grant €400,000 • Website: outdoor-sportsnetwork.eu/new-project-beyond-horizons

MONITORA –MONITORING RACISM

Professional capacity building of CSOs, grassroots sport associations, national and local institutions to monitor, document and report discrimination and racism in grassroots sport in four EU countries.

Coordinator: Lunaria Associazione di Promozione Sociale • January 2023 –December 2024 • Grant €400,000 • Website: cronachediordinariorazzismo.org/monitora-eng

CITY! GREEN! GO!

A directory that provides sports and environmental organisations, local authorities and companies tools to combine sport and physical activity and environmental awareness promotion in cities.

Coordinator: Budapest Sport Service Provider Public Nonprofit Ltd., Hungary • January 2023 – December 2024 • Grant €120,000 • Website: citygreengo.eu

SPORT WITHOUT WASTE

A #WithoutWaste movement for leisure and sport that applies the placemaking methodology and tactical urbanism approach to the coordination of waste-free grassroots sport events.

Coordinator: BG Be Active, Bulgaria • June 2022 – May 2024 • Grant €400,000 • Website: sportwithoutwaste.org

V4V: VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT IN EUROPE

In 2022, a V4V project survey revealed that 36% of 2000 sports organisations across Europe noticed their volunteer numbers had decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic, underlining the need to attract people back to sport volunteering.

Coordinator: EOSE, France • January 2021 –December 2023 • Grant €399,010 • Website: projects.eose.org/project/v4v

SENTRY SPORT

A common methodology to help uncover, prevent and mitigate discrimination in sport settings, emphasising the role that grassroots sport can play in tackling discrimination and supporting victims.

Coordinator: UISP, Italy • January 2021 – June 2023 • Grant €392,585 • Website: sentrysport.org

SCULT POINT

An innovative and socially engaging, technology-based initiative to democratise coaching and sport mentoring (volunteering) by making it independent of a particular sports club or location in Europe.

Coordinator: SCULT Foundation, Estonia • January 2021 – December 2023 • Grant €399,335 • Website: scult.org/en/about/ scultpoint

20 partner projects running in 2023-2024

ISCA is partnering in a total of 20 projects that are coordinated by our members and partners. These projects are supported by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, Preparatory Actions and EU4Health.

ISCA’S ESC YOUTH OFFICERS IN ACTION

A life-changing year promoting healthy lifestyles

ISCA has a long history of hosting volunteers under the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme. Each year, these youth officers come to Copenhagen for 12 months of volunteering in the Project Management, Communication or Membership and Fundraising areas of the ISCA team. Our volunteers work in and across teams on, among other things, logistical aspects of project meetings, communication campaigns and grant application writing!

In the 23/24 timeframe for ISCA ESC volunteers, five individuals came on board to experience working in an international environment and gain knowledge of the field of physical activity and healthy lifestyle promotion.

The year was an exciting one for them. It began with No Elevators Day, which brought their creativity to new heights (see pp. 38-39). Then MOVE Week (see p. 41), where, in the lead-up, they showcased their favourite activities in new MOVEment Pills social media videos that are aimed at inspiring others to MOVE!

Later in the year, it was time for a special event – an unofficial ISCA alumni reunion. In Strasbourg, current and past youth officers met at the European Youth Event (EYE),

representing ISCA in the vibrant and diverse environment of youth advocacy, striving to make the future look brighter.

The youth officers are engaged in so many ISCA international projects, campaigns and events, like the MOVE Congress (see pp. 26-27), that it is impossible to fit all their contributions on these two pages. Their commitment and the ideas they bring mean the world to us and we are happy to provide them with the learning opportunities and support they need.

As they say, it's truly a life-changing year for them, so let's hear what the volunteers say about the experience…

Erasmus+ European Solidarity Corps (ESC) and Traineeships/Internships provide opportunities for young people to gain work experience, live abroad and enhance solidarity among young European citizens across borders, to provide informal learning and to make concrete contributions to society. ISCA has been an EVS/ESC host organisation since 2001 and has hosted 84 volunteers and trainees from more than 20 countries.

Our volunteering experience at ISCA

Immersing myself in a year at ISCA and being part of a team committed to ‘Moving People’ was nothing short of life-changing. ISCA is a space where individuals are encouraged to push their limits, leading to profound selfdiscovery. I’ve gained invaluable insights into the non-profit sector, worked on international projects, and took part in memorable events. Each experience was a chance to test my abilities, having a blast whilst doing so.

Joining ISCA has been a transformative experience for me in a professional and a personal way, allowing me to learn how to work in a supportive international environment for a good cause. I managed to incorporate regular sports activities into my life, following the examples from our projects and partners, and felt its incredible effect on my mental health.

I am grateful for the continuous trust and respect from my colleagues, who included us not only in all working processes and events, but also in shared leisure activities.

Volunteering at ISCA was one of the most enriching experiences I've ever had. Stepping into an international environment in Copenhagen allowed me to learn a lot about myself – my strengths, my weaknesses, and how much I can grow when I step out of my comfort zone. Seeing the positive impact of our work was incredibly fulfilling, but what truly resonates with me is how the values we promote in our work continue to echo in my daily life.

Volunteering at ISCA really is one of the best choices I have made. It fosters your personal and professional growth, whilst allowing you to have so much fun. At ISCA I have found a multicultural, open-minded and flexible environment that has allowed me to thrive and has made my experience here truly unique. Every day I have felt challenged, supported and accepted – it is an experience I’ll never forget.

MORALES

I am really grateful for my year volunteering at ISCA. It has shown me what a healthy, respectful, encouraging and kind work environment is. It has set a high standard for me at both a professional and personal level. I have had the opportunity to learn so much from my experience and expert colleagues. It has also served as a year for personal growth in areas that I was not expecting and it has given me a brighter perspective of my future.

FLAMINIA MARCHETTI

JULIA LISEWSKA

VERONIKA MIKHAYLENKO

MANAL NAJAH

RAFAEL

ISCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2021-2023

President  MOGENS KIRKEBY DGI, Denmark

Executive Committee Member

PATRICE RODER Union Française des Oeuvres Laïques d'Education Physique (UFOLEP), France

Vice President, ISCA Latin America Chair

MARIA LUIZA SOUZA DIAS Serviço Social do Comércio (SESC), Brazil

Executive Committee Member

DANIELA CONTI UISP, Italy

Vice President HELEN VOST Youth Sport Trust International, UK

Executive Committee Member

JAKUB KALINOWSKI V4Sport Foundation, Poland

Honorary Committee Member

RUGGERO ALCANTERINI Federazione Italiana Sport per Tutti (FIST), Italy

Executive Committee Member

LILIANA ORTIZ DE LA CRUZ Fundacion pro Deporte y Recreation para todos, Colombia

Executive Committee Member (substitute) BRANCO VUJOVIC Association Sport for All Serbia

Executive Committee Member

MICHAEL TIEMANN Deutscher Turner-bund (German Gymnastics Federation), Germany

ISCA Asia Chair SIU YIN CHEUNG Gymnastics Association of Hong Kong, China

ISCA North America Chair DR. JAYNE GREENBERG US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), United States

ISCA Africa Chair ASHRAF MAHMOUD Egyptian Sports Culture Association, Egypt

ISCA STAFF

JACOB SCHOUENBORG Secretary General js@isca-web.org

LAURA-MARIA TIIDLA Development Officer lmt@isca-web.org

CAROLE PONCHON Project Coordinator cp@isca-web.org

IRINA COREACHINA Project Coordinator ic@isca-web.org

RAFAEL MORALES GOMEZ-ALVAREZ Youth Officer rm@isca-web.org

SASKA BENEDICIC TOMAT Head of Projects sbt@isca-web.org

KRISTINE ONARHEIM Visual Communications Specialist ko@isca-web.org

KATERINA SALTA Project Coordinator ks@isca-web.orgvv

MANAL NAJAH Youth Officer mn@isca-web.org

DILIARA GATIIATULLINA Youth Officer dg@isca-web.org

RACHEL PAYNE Communications Manager rpa@isca-web.org

MARIA MALYSHKINA Social Media Specialist mm@isca-web.org

ANITA KIRALY Communications Officer ak@isca-web.org

JULIA LISEWSKA Youth Officer jl@isca-web.org

AIZADA BURKHANIDINOVA Youth Officer azb@isca-web.org

HILAL ERKOCA Project Coordinator he@isca-web.org

LIINA SEPP People and Event Specialist ls@isca-web.org

VERONIKA MIKHAYLENKO Youth Officer vmi@isca-web.org

CRISTIANE FIORIN-FUGLSANG Latin America Consultant cff@isca-web.org

ELENA GARCIA MORALES Finance Manager egm@isca-web.org

VALERIA MANANNIKOVA Finance Controller vma@isca-web.org

ALEXANDER APPLEYARD-KEELING Fundraising and Membership Officer aak@isca-web.org

FLAMINIA MARCHETTI Youth Officer fm@isca-web.org

ANDERS BECH THARSGAARD Senior Consultant abt@isca-web.org

FINANCES

ISCA EXPENDITURES

Others (Depreciation, etc)

Projects funded by EU4Health programme (1,910,231 €)

Erasmus + Sport projects (EU) (853,216 €)

Erasmus + Sport partners' projects (EU) (312,242 €)

Sportanddev platform (123,796 €)

Other projects with financial support (192,505 €)

DGI (181,208 €)

Ministry of Culture Denmark (136,067 €)

Bilateral membership agreements (134,228 €)

European Solidarity Corps (EU) (58,155 €)

MOVE Congress (52,000 €)

Membership fees (38,000 €)

Other income (1000 €)

2023 total income (estimated) € 3,992,649

ISCA IS ITS MEMBERS, ITS MEMBERS ARE ISCA

Why become part of ISCA’s community of Members, MOVE Agents and Movers?

• Have a stronger voice locally, nationally and internationally through affiliation with ISCA’s international political statements and advocacy for grassroots sport

• Have the opportunity to participate in various ISCA-led projects

• Have the opportunity to receive specialised and personalised consultations from ISCA’s expert staff

• Access sector-oriented online learning courses that provide practical advice and answer key questions based on real-life experiences

• Participate in webinars and events on trending topics with thought leaders and experts

• Have the opportunity to present and learn from innovative projects and ideas during the MOVE Congress

• Learn from best practice examples in campaign and event management, social inclusion, sport for development, inspirational examples of other sport programmes, advocacy, diplomacy, education through sport

• Gain access to ISCA’s extensive network of members and partners, “The Moving People Community”, where ideas, know-how and knowledge are shared on a peer-to-peer basis.

Jump to the back cover of this report to find the membership level that suits you. Find more information at isca.org

BECOME A MEMBER

MOVER MOVE AGENT FULL MEMBER PREMIUM MEMBER

INVOLVED

INFORMED

Movers get regular access to information about new trends and opportunities and expert know-how from ISCA’s network. Sign up for free!

MOVE Agents have the chance to be involved in ISCA’s most successful initiative, NowWeMOVE, get a MOVE Agent Badge and access to ISCA’s learning and development accelerator.

ENGAGED

ISCA members are involved in funded projects, networks, advocacy and cooperation. Members receive a Members’ Badge and the right to be appointed as NowWeMOVE coordinators.

CUSTOMISED

The Premium Member package offers all the benefits of the first three tiers, plus access to customised support, opportunities to scale up initiatives through ISCA’s MOVE Transfer programme, expert know-how and mentoring from our broader network.

ISCA’s membership offer is currently evolving and you can see more details and options at