World Day of Families- Footballs Impact

World Day of Families- Footballs Impact

Every year on 15^th of May,  the International Day of Families is being celebrated. The day raises awareness for the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.

The World Day of Families focuses each year on a specific motto, this year being “Families, education and well-being.”

Not only does the day highlight the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children, but it also focuses on discussing the importance of ‘knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’ (SDG4, target 4.7).

Also EFDN would like to see the International Day of Families as an occasion to celebrate the importance of families to people, societies and cultures around the world.

Especially, since sport, and football, can play an important role in promoting childhood education and learning opportunities for children and youth. Many of our EFDN members are carrying out Community and Social Responsibility Programmes addressing these issues on a daily basis.

Therefore, we would like to introduce a variety of programmes, which our Network members deliver in the field of “Families, education and well-being”, thereby showing how football is being utilised to support families in the community.

How do Football Clubs have an impact on families, education and well-being?

• KidFun – Education for Values – SLBenfica

KidFun – Education for Values – is a project to support schools and families in the education of children, while developing their social skills and motivating them to discover and improve the fundamental values of conduct and life in society. The main objective of the programme is to prevent at early stages discrimination, school dropout, radicalisation and deviant behaviour by raising awareness on the importance of values. Hereby, the programme supports the entire families by delivering the educational programme.

Sport and football assumes an important role in this project, preparing children for a deeper understanding of the values and its implications in their everyday life and towards the success they dream for their future.

• Valerenga Inclusion Project – Valerenga Fotball

The Norwegian football club has established a programme that follows the purpose of addressing the social issues of poverty and social inclusion.  ‘Valerenga Inclusion’ offers children from impoverished households and their parents, at no cost, the opportunity to have the same after- school activities as other children through; subsidized participation in sports, network café for women with focus on health, vacation opportunities, cultural activities and funding for families.

• Aid for Children in Mexico – VfL Wolfsburg

“Wolfsburg United works together with Terre des Homme and the local partner organisation Juconi in Puebla, Mexico, to support neglected and working children. A key focus of the programme is offering preventive activities to children, who work on the street. In order to have the best impact possible, the programme works together with the entire family. Family therapies are an important component of the approach, providing children and parents with the necessary skills to deal with conflicts taking place within the family without resorting to violence and the running away of the children.

• Albert Family Day – Ferencvaros TC

Ferencvaros TC organises each year at the end of August the “Fradi Family Day”. During the day, the 19 division of Ferncvarosi Torna Club present themselves. During the course of the event, many activities take place, which are meant for the entire family, bringing them closer together and offering shared enjoyment.

• Ferien mit Herz – Werder Bremen

Ferien mit Herz is a project of Werder Bremen and partners, which gives each year a number of families the opportunity to spend a holiday on a German island. Thereby, the club does not only make a nice holiday possible for a couple of families but the club also raises awareness for the values of families and the importance of spending time together.