#Morethanfootball All Across Europe
From 30th of March until 9th of April, the #Morethanfootball Action Week has been celebrating the work that the European Football community is delivering off the pitch in their local communities.
Across Europe, we had the great pleasure to experience a week devoted to showcasing, how the power of football can change lives for the better.
During the week-long campaign, organisations were hosting events aiming at demonstrating the social impact of community projects across the Football industry.
EFDN is proud to conclude that overall 84 organisations from 28 countries took part in the #Morethanfootball campaign. Involved have been the UEFA Foundation for Children, European football clubs, foundations, community trusts, Leagues and FA’s.
We would like to thank all these involved organisations for their efforts and commitment.
This year has been a great basis for future #Morethanfootball campaigns and following initiatives focusing on CSR and sustainability in football.
Below, we would like to highlight some inspiring activities and events delivered by our EFDN members that were hosted during the #Morethanfootball Action Week.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK FROM OUR NETWORK MEMBERS
During the Action Week, Werder Bremen took part in the “Young Coach Education Programme”. Young athletes with and without a disability were given the opportunity to receive coaching training to gain the skills to actively support the disability training groups of the football club. As part of the #Morethanfootball campaign, SV Werder Bremen also joined a Network meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at which the impact of football as a tool for social integration of refugees was thematised.
From 30th of March until 9th of April, a wide range of Football Clubs, Foundations and Community Trusts, such as Links Park Community Trust, Morton in the Community, Vitesse Arnhem, Bayer Leverkusen, Rangers Charity Foundation and Club Brugge saw the Action Week as a great opportunity to showcase the community engagement programmes they deliver on a daily basis. By showing videos, publishing reports and articles, the organisations highlighted in which way they are addressing societal issues as unemployment, lack of physical activity or social isolation.
Inter Campus, Club Brugge, Apollon Limassol, Panathinaikos F.C and Shakhtar Donetsk showed their commitment to the Action Week and therefore their belief in football as a tool for social development, in form of organising #Morethanfootball Activities at their home games, including LED boarding and #Morethanfootball banner.
KAA Gent participated during the Action Week in the ‘Day against Homophobia and Transphobia’. Next to that, supporters with disabilities were accompanied to the Ghelamco Arena. Additionally, the club organised a Fair-Play Workshop in the course of the Action Week.
Vitesse Arnhem and N.E.C Nijmegen kicked-off the Action Week with a Walking Football tournament and thereby promoted physical activity and social inclusion. Since Walking Football is getting more and more popular in Europe, also Feyenoord Rotterdam and VfL Wolfsburg used the Action Week to provide information on their Walking Football activities.
Ferencvarosí Torna Club launched during the #Morethanfootball Action Week the Fair Play Committee & Award. Both initiatives are based on the club’s motto: Morality, Strength and Unity.
Inter Campus teamed up with Inter Forever to run the Milan’s Marathon in a friendly competitive spirit.
Aberdeen F.C Community Trust introduced the European Football Community to Scotland’s Mental Health Football League by showing an moving video.
During the week-long campaign, far more activities were carried out then could be mentioned at this point. It can however be concluded that the #Morethanfootball Action Week was a campaign, which showed in many different ways the power of football to change people’s lives on a daily basis.
