ASPIRE – Activity, Sport, Play for the Inclusion of Refugees in Europe – was an international project, co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and led by ENGSO. The project focuses on social inclusion of people who are at risk of exclusion, especially refugees.
The project addressed how sports clubs could best support the inclusion of migrants and refugees building on the wide popularity of sports and other forms of physical activity. To achieved this aim, a specialised training module, that guides sports organisations was created.
Sport is often claimed to help address social problems, such as the effects of social exclusion. Participation in sport, physical activity and play can be a means of promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. It can also ease the transition process, alleviate trauma and support the psychological and social wellbeing of individuals in marginalised, traumatised, or other at-risk groups.
The ASPIRE training manual enables you to create opportunities for the participation of refugees in sport and in community life through sport. The implementation of its training modules occurred through National Training Sessions in 9 European Countries – Austria, Belgium – Flanders, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Serbia, Spain, Sweden.
Research background
From January to June 2017, our research partner, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) has undertaken research through needs assessment, a rapid literature review and identification of best practices in order to ensure our project activities are evidence-based and to gain a better understanding of the context and needs of refugees and sports organisations. The research has resulted in the:
Introduction – How to use the manual
This manual has been written for people who wish to make their sport or their sports setting more inclusive to people from other backgrounds.
Throughout this manual, you will find practical tips and exercises, blended with the facts and the theory, to make your efforts as effective as possible.
Chapter 1 – Migration
This section of the training module will provide you with enough background knowledge about migration, and especially the movement of refugees, to understand the challenges facing both host communities, and the refugees, themselves. It will also try to offer information on a topic frequently subject to exaggeration and misinformation.
Chapter 2 – Intercultural dialogue
This section of the manual will provide you with information on the issues around interculturalism, so you can become more sensitive to them. It will also help you reflect on your own level of openness towards new cultures. It will equip those of you working in the sports sphere with practical exercises to help in the delivery of your daily work with multinational groups, offering tools to handle diversity within sports clubs and settings.
Chapter 3 - Considering personal challenges of refugees
The main aim of this chapter is to make clear some of the principles of psychosocial support, which is an approach designed to promote the resilience of individuals, groups and communities in crisis. Specifically, this section shows how the psychosocial approach can be adopted and adapted by coaches to help the wellbeing and inclusion of refugees in sport.
This part of the manual will also explain why sport is an appropriate setting to provide such support.
Chapter 4 – Accessible sports organisations
There are two main aims to this chapter. Firstly, to provide an introduction to how to make your organisation more accessible and, second, to provide you with a tool to evaluate where you stand now and to make positive change in the future. You will gain knowledge about what an accessible sports organisations looks like and receive practical guidance on how to make your organisation more accessible.
Practical guide
This brief Guide focuses on some of the key aspects of the preparation and delivery of an ASPIRE Training Session.
Final Conclusions
The ASPIRE Final Conclusions summarise the key takeaways of the ASPIRE project and its outputs and activities, such as the Scientific Report, Training Module and Final Conference.
Appendix
Learn more about our project partners and the most commonly used terms throughout the training manual.
This online course is a result of a collaborative partnership between nine European organisations.
