Support the social inclusion of displaced Ukrainian youth within local communities through sport and increase the receptiveness of the grassroots sport sector to welcome migrant and refugee youth in the Baltic-Polish region. The project will build the capacity of social inclusion through sport programmes in the region to offer higher quality opportunities for more disadvantaged youth. Youth will benefit their social, mental and physical well-being and build bridges within the local community and the sport instructors and educational staff will benefit from study visits and joint learning opportunities.
In the light of the Ukraine war and one of the biggest displacements of people in Europe, our society faced with the reality of welcoming millions of displaced people with the majority of them fleeing to nearby countries like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Baltic countries and Poland share a common understanding of the security threat and similar cultural background and this was also evident from the unprecedented support and mobilisation of the civil society sector. The motivation to help were there, but the expertise and capacity for a response is lacking in the grassroots sport sector as there hasn’t been much experience to work with displaced refugees and especially when faced with such high numbers. In the context of this application, key organisations from each country were identified who have experience with long-standing social inclusion through sport programmes that have worked with minorities of youth with fewer opportunities. The four implementing sport organisations are now better adapted to welcome their doors to displaced youngsters, are better equipped to deal with their traumatic past and offer better quality services that contribute to integrating them to the local communities.