EFDN Interview- Harm Oppers from PSV Foundation

EFDN Interview- Harm Oppers from PSV Foundation

Today, we continue with our EFDN Interview series, which aims to provide CSR-professionals with insights into the work carried out by our members during this difficult time. The second EFDN Interview features Harm Oppers from PSV Foundation.

Harm Oppers has been working for the PSV Foundation since 2014. As a Sportcoach of the PSV Foundation, he has worked in different areas of community work of the club from Eindhoven. He started in programmes such as Eurofit, PSV United and was involved with charity programmes including, a Fan of the match and PSV related wishes for fans.

Nowadays, Harm Oppers is involved with Walking Sports activities and Amputee Football. In 2019 PSV Foundation adopted the Dutch Nation Amputee Team. Harm Oppers is now involved with this programme.

EFDN: What is a typical day in your role like?

On a working day, I focus on the special sports. Especially on Walking Sports (PSV Oldtars) for the elderly and amputee football.

EFDN: What do you love the most about working for the club/foundation?

To make people happy in a direct or indirect way.

EFDN: How are you handling the current situation?

Accept the situation. We can not train on the pitch now, but we can keep in virtual contact and move with each other. I have started a new programme for Walking Sports; Virtual Walking Sports canteen. For amputee football, the players have a home training schedule and we also meet in the virtual canteen. In the virtual canteen, there is lots of talking and humour about everything. It helps each other in good times and bad times.

EFDN: What are the main target areas of your foundation?

Everyone in society is important, everyone counts. We as PSV Foundation realise this in the Eindhoven region.

EFDN: What is the foundation’s most successful programme? Can you please explain in more detail what the project is about, including the projects main aims and objectives and the impact this programme has had, within the community?

I think we have some successful programmes; Lifestyle programme, PSV United and the PSV Oldstars (walking football/walking Sports).

PSV Oldstars we started in 2013 with 30 elderly people to play walking football. Now in 2020, we have a whole vision of the responsible movement. As a result, we reach hundreds of elderly people every week in various walking sports, football, hockey and korfball. But we also offer training for Walking Sports trainers.

EFDN: What kind of initiatives are you currently delivering to help to overcome the COVID 19 crisis?

I launched the Virtual Walking Sports canteen in the Netherlands. Contact with each other is very important for the elderly. Every week we now drink coffee together from our own living room and afterwards, we start exercising together. I prepare the exercises with Rene Wormhoudt (staff member from the Dutch National Team). I also invite a special guest to the virtual canteen every week.

EFDN: What makes the role of clubs and their foundation’s so important during this crisis?

The club is in people’s hearts. What we do gives people hope and confidence.

EFDN: How do you stay safe, healthy and fit? Do you have any tips or advice?

Stay home! How can you keep fit? Visit www.psv.nl/westantogether.

EFDN: EFDN believes that Football is #More than Football. Why do you think your foundation is #morethanfootball?

We change lives.

EFDN: To whom would you like to #passiton too, and why?

Nuno Costa, Benfica – Walking Sports in Portugal or Mateusz Widłak (President at EAFF) – Amputee Football.

If you want to know more about Harm Oppers and his work at PSV Foundation, you can visit his Linkedin profile.