Feyenoord Rotterdam – shortlisted for the ECA CSR Award

Feyenoord Rotterdam – shortlisted for the ECA CSR Award

Recently, the ECA presented the shortlisted projects for the ECA Awards 2017. One of the 9 clubs nominated for the ‘Best Community and Social Responsibility Programme’ is EFDN member club Feyenoord Rotterdam with the project “S.V. Gio”.

Until the #ECAAward Ceremony on 4th of September in Geneva, we are presenting the shortlisted projects to highlight the impact, the clubs and their foundations are having in their local communities. Until now, we already introduced the shortlisted project of EFDN member KAA Gent, Everton FC, Aberdeen FC and the project of GNK Dinamo.

Feyenoord Rotterdam – S.V. Gio

In the South of Rotterdam most children are falling behind in formal education. In particular subjects as math, reading and grammar are problematic for many children.  Multiple reasons have been identified, which are the root of this problem. Among poverty, unemployment, school dropouts and different cultural backgrounds are influencing the children’s performance in school.

In order to address the problem, the headcoach of Feyenoord Rotterdam, Giovanni van Bronckhorst , and his wife are engaging in initiative to create activities to give children a bigger chance to succeed in life, raising their aspiration. Both of them belief that for children it is important to experience success in life. Through sport and especially football they want to give them the possibility to increase their self-esteem, gain confidence and provide possibilities for additional education.

The main objectives

• Increase self-confidence by learning to set achievable goals and reaching them by making small steps
• Improve schoolgrades by coaching the children in small groups and providing all children with support and help in the subject they need
• Use sports to improve health and well-being, life skills, cooperation and increase motivation.

The programme of Feyenoord Rotterdam

Feyenoord Rotterdam is located in the south of Rotterdam. This part of the city is experiencing a number of problems. Through the programme S.V. GIO, the club focuses on raising aspirations of children, thereby improving their chances of succeeding in life. Each year, 500 children, follow the sports and education programme at S.V. Gio.

The 20 week programme, which is offered to the children consists of 20 lessons that take place at the De Kuip, the stadium of Feyenoord. The lessons are divided in two parts, one being focused on sports and one on formal education. The formal education lessons are in particular addressing three subjects; math, reading and spelling. The subjects are reading, mathematics and spelling. All lessons and teaching methods are related to Feyenoord Rotterdam. In line with this idea, the programme aims at keeping the programme participants as actively engaged.

This is being achieved among others by having math lessons in the stadium, as counting seat in the stadium and measuring the field. By setting small and achievable goals, the children shall experience the feeling of success. Additionally, to raise the children’s interest in sports, they are being introduced to different braches of sport as boxing, football, hockey, basketball, volleyball and athletes.

All children that are taking part in the programme are attending schools coming from primary and secondary schools, which are located in the south of Rotterdam, a focus is also set on refugee children.

At this moment, Feyenoord has two classrooms in their stadium and five teachers that are employed by the club to deliver the lessons.