EFDN Welcomes Viking FK Stavanger to The Network!

EFDN Welcomes Viking FK Stavanger to The Network!

Viking FK Stavanger has joined the European Football For Development Network. One of the most successful clubs in Norwegian football, having won 8 Norwegian Eliteserien (Tippeliga) titles and 5 Norwegian Cup titles. Besides its impressive achievements on the pitch, Viking Fotball welcomes everyone as inclusion and fellowship is a fundamental element in their vision.

The club hopes to fulfill a partner role for EFDN in helping to broaden the impact of social activities in Norwegian Football as they have been delivering CSR programmes for a long period. They count on making new friends within the Network during conferences which will help them to get inspired to develop their existing social responsibility projects.

“As a big and traditional club in Norway we have an impact both locally and nationally with what we do.” Viking Football aims therefore to have reach out to as many people as possible. They do this under the following mission: ‘Together we create memories’. Which stands for:

With together we mean that football is a team sport. The team is put in the first place, before the individual. Together we are stronger, we help to build each other up, to encourage each other to grow which makes the process even more fun.

With creating we mean building characters. Viking aims to create resilient people, and a society and local communities with opportunities, which help to create great moments together.

With memories we mean happiness. Victories, goals, saves and progression both on and of the pitch. Small moments can be big. We wants to promote the joy of sports on every level, and use it as a tool for progress and development.

VIKING FK STAVANGER PROJECTS

Viking Streetfootball is a low threshold football team for people that have, or have had drug challenges. Three times a week the club offers a football session and lunch for 10-15 players. The team plays games against similar team throughout the country and participates once a year in an national tournament with 30 different street football teams. 

Through the programme the players train their daily routines and also gets inspired to stay free from drug abuse. If needed the staff and coaches around the team are helping the players in their dialog with the social institutions and health care.  

“Fotballøftet” is a programme where the foundation is helping other cooperating grassroot clubs to increase the quality of their football sessions. This is done through educating and guidance of the voluntary coaches in the grassroot clubs. Coaches of Viking’s academy visit these clubs every second week. Here they give and follow football sessions for the teams in the age group 6-9 years, and provide feedback to the coaches on how to create good football activities.  

Several times a year Viking also invites all coaches from all cooperating clubs to join for at football seminars and workshops. Viking FK Stavanger also travels around to the clubs to help out where possible. Apart from that Viking FK is in close cooperation with 29 grassroots clubs.

Hubert Rovers, CEO of EFDN: “I am delighted to welcome Viking FK Stavanger, one of Norway’s most beloved clubs, to our network. Through their programmes, they prioritise an inclusive, welcoming and supportive community and with special attention to vulnerable groups. These principles align perfectly with our mission at EFDN. Together, by sharing the knowledge and expertise of our Network, we aim to amplify this positive impact and contribute to the wellbeing of people.”