FootballWorks – Speakers at the 22nd EFDN #MoreThanFootball Conference

FootballWorks – Speakers at the 22nd EFDN #MoreThanFootball Conference

Gerko Brink, National Project Manager, and Jules Rasoelbaks, Case Manager, from the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), along with Philipp Reißner, Project Manager at EFDN, and Jed Haney, Pathways Projects Manager from the Saints Foundation (Southampton FC), will be featured speakers at the 22nd EFDN #MoreThanFootball Conference in Leuven, Belgium, on the 20th of November, where they will share their insights on sport-driven social change in prisons.

FootballWorks highlights the transformative role of football in driving social change. At the core of the presentation Gerko, Jules, Philipp, and Jed dedicate changemaking using sport to impact lives. Their work in rehabilitation, social reintegration, and community engagement demonstrates the power of football to create second chances, foster personal growth, and support social inclusion.

Gerko Brink

National Project Manager, Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency

Gerko has been a devoted professional at the Dutch Department of Correctional Institutions since the age of 20, amassing over 15 years of experience working directly with inmates. His primary focus is leveraging sports networks to help inmates reintegrate into society by finding work, especially through the sports associations’ vast networks. For Gerko, his work has become more than just a profession; it’s a personal mission that blends seamlessly with his hobbies.

Title of the Presentation: ‘Inside’ – The Birth of the Erasmus+ Study ‘Football Works’

Key Points:

1. Employment guidance for reintegration.
2. Enhancing societal safety.
3. Addressing a challenging target group.

Jules Rasoelbaks

Case Manager, Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency

Jules joined the “Work Through Sport” project in 2018 and has been actively involved in the “Inside” project at the Dordrecht prison since 2021. Jules is a passionate advocate for rehabilitation and dreams of creating his own institution focused on innovative approaches to support this target group.

For the past six years, he has been a key participant in the annual international Football Works tournament, often taking on the role of coach for teams composed of former inmates. One of his standout memories is leading a diverse team of staff and ex-prisoners in a memorable tournament in Serbia.

Title of the Presentation: Working as a Role Model Within an ‘Inside’ Project

Key Points:

1. Raising awareness about the impacts of incarceration.
2. Utilizing lived experiences for rehabilitation.
3. Providing new opportunities for inmates.

Philipp Reißner

Project Manager, EFDN

With a background rooted in global experiences, Philipp is a sports management professional from Germany who has experiences in multiple countries worldwide. At EFDN, where he has been for a year and a half, Philipp manages several impactful projects including Football Works, SportEYE, the Sport Transparency Index, SAVES, and NBS EduWORLD. For Philipp, each tournament or event is a testament to the immediate and tangible impact that sport can have on participants, reinforcing his commitment to the mission of EFDN.

Title of the Presentations: Football Works: Football for Reintegration & SAVES: Safeguarding in Football

Key Points:

1. The 3-step methodology of Football Works.
2. Demonstrating positive outcomes of the project.
3. Perspectives from both sides – as a participant and facilitator.

Presentation Overview – SAVES:
The Erasmus+ project SAVES (Safeguarding Advancement in European Sport) aims to enhance safeguarding standards in European sports. The presentation will provide an introduction to the project, outline best practices for safeguarding, and discuss how organizations can improve their own safeguarding provisions. The session will include an interactive segment to test general knowledge about safeguarding in sports.

Key Points:

1. Introduction to the SAVES initiative.
2. Understanding safeguarding principles.
3. Elevating safeguarding standards across organizations.

Jed Haney

Pathways Projects Manager, Saints Foundation (Southampton FC)

Title of the Presentation: Using the Power of Southampton FC to Support Participants in HMP Winchester Pre- and Post-Release

Key Points:

1. Overview of the Saints Restart programme.
2. Addressing challenges and sharing learnings.
3. Leveraging the influence of a Premier League club within a prison setting.

Register for the conference here.