KAA Gent Foundation achieves remarkable results with ”Elk Talent Telt” project

KAA Gent Foundation achieves remarkable results with ”Elk Talent Telt” project

The KAA Gent Foundation presents some impressive figures on the sport and social cooperation between 15 Ghent football clubs. In the last 3 years, ”Elk Talent Telt” provided more opportunities for young footballers, additional training sessions for trainers and managers, and a more healthy football environment in the city of Ghent.

Elk Talent Telt (Every Talent Counts) is a sport and social collaboration between the 15 Ghent football clubs on the youth development. The project is deliverd by the KAA Gent Foundation and financially supported by the City of Ghent, KAA Gent, Telenet, De Gentenaar, Printville and Silvertie.

Every Talent Counts participants for 2017/18

Unique model

KAA Gent, the City of Ghent and the KAA Gent Foundation started the project in 2014 to establish a sustainable cooperation on sport development and social impact of football in and around the city of Ghent. Together with 15 local football clubs they developed a unique model with the aim to increase the quality and accessibility of youth football in Ghent.

Through close cooperation, Ghent clubs are evolving towards a more open football club model, where neighbourhood involvement, parental involvement and the well-being of children and young people are increasingly important.

Simultaneously with the delivery of the project ‘Elk Talent telt’, the City of Ghent increased the capacity of the local Ghent football clubs through the construction of 8 artificial pitches, which made it possible for the clubs to develop more activities and create more opportunities for girl’s football, walking football and G-football (football for people with disabilities) in Ghent.

‘Sport van de Stad’ Gent and chairman of the KAA Ghent Foundation Resul Tapmaz said:

“The cooperation between the football clubs in Ghent is something to be proud off. Ghent is unique in this area in Flanders. We can safely say that the KAA Gent Foundation and the grassroot clubs have pioneered in the accessibility of youth football, parental participation and administrative transparency.”

Patrick Lips, KAA Gent’s Communication Director and Vice Chairman of the KAA Gent Foundation, also commented:

“Elk Talent Telt is also important for KAA Gent. With the move to the Ghelamco Arena, KAA Gent has announced that the grassroot clubs in Ghent will profit from the growth and success of KAA Gent. In 2017-18 we have invested € 232,000 in this project, of which a cash contribution of € 71,875 was distributed among 12 local Ghent football clubs through the ‘Elk Talent Telt Support Fund.”

Every Talent Counts 2017-18 in numbers

• 15 local football clubs
• 15 clubs used the UiTPas with reduced rate
• 3183 youth players in the Elk Talent Telt partnership
• 84 club visits were taken by the Elk Talent Telt employees
• 2 walking football clubs are active within the Ghent Elk Talent Telt partner clubs
• 6 girls’ activities will be set up by the Elk Talent Telt partner clubs by 2020
• 11 referees are trained at the KAA Gent Referee Academy
• 30 trainers followed the Elk Talent Telt basic training
• 15 demo training sessions were organised at the Elk Talent Telt partner clubs
• € 71,875 from KAA Gent’s support fund was divided among 12 Elk Talent Telt clubs
• 3183 jerseys were distributed by KAA Gent to the youth players
• 6 training sessions for club employees were organised
• 15 training sessions for trainers were organised

Elk Talent Telt Support Fund

12 Ghent football clubs received a total amount of € 71,875 from KAA Ghent for their youth activities. The clubs were judged by a jury with representatives of KAA Gent, the City of Ghent and KAA Gent Foundation on the quality of delivery, management culture, parental involvement, social impact, fair play and participation of their youth players, youth trainers, club employees and club directors in the Elk Talent Telt initiatives.

The fund is managed by the KAA Gent Foundation. The funds obtained must be invested by the clubs in their youth activities. KAA Gent hopes to contribute to a healthy football climate in Ghent, both on sport development and social impact.

The video below summarised the results of the Elk Talent Telt project.