P.L.A.Y! – Peer education, Leadership, Action, Youth - promoting grassroots sport for educational success and social inclusion

The general objective of P.L.A.Y. was to promote educational service through grassroots sports, aiming at supporting children/youngsters with low school outcomes, valorizing volunteering, peer education and mentoring among them. The overall objective of the project was achieved by • organising 384 educational sport sessions for 655 at-risk children and young with 41 local partner sport clubs and/or schools, • where 109 volunteers instructed the children by value-based methods, which aimed at • motivating the children, giving them transferable skills and improving their performance both in sport and at school.• and organising workshops, dissemination and community events to further develop, promote and and disseminate the project. • 52 sports trainers and coaches were involved in project activities (and 100 more in answering the survey). They followed the training of the volunteers and some participated and shared their experiences at the Camp and the Final Event. • Around 250 parents and relatives of young athletes were involved in the project activities.The implementation of the project was divided into 3 phases: analyses phase in 2017, test volunteering pilot 2018, and adjustments and assessment phase in 2019. During the analysis phase in 2017 partners mapped good practices and experiences among partner organizations and analyzed relevant data in school integration, social inclusion and participation in sports activities of vulnerable groups. During the test pilot phase in 2018 GEA, MSV Basket, DRPDNM, FIMU and PERE TARRES trained, promoted, and supported a Youth Active Group of volunteers who carried out local activities, which were elaborated and developed by youngsters themselves. GEA hosted an International Sport camp and seminar for dissemination, peer learning, networking and exchange of experiences between volunteers with the participation of 30 volunteers and 13 staff members in the camp and 47 persons in the seminar. During the 2019, after mid-term assessment and evaluation meeting in London, the second volunteering pilot was organised with adjustments and a wider array of methods shared during the first pilot. Outcomes from previous phases were assessed, edited and published and the reports of the volunteering pilots produced and published.Pere Tarres hosted the project Final Event in Barcelona with 120 participants from 17 countries, which in its policy panels, networking events and dissemination of project results and methods focused on project’s sustainability, adaptability and repeatability at local and European level.In all 33 professionals employed by 6 partners were involved in the project team. The partnership management and coordination of the project was implemented by FIMU through 5 face to face partner meetings, 27 steering group skype meetings, around 20 skype meetings between FIMU and 1-2 partners and constant (daily) contact through email and whatsup channels. Each partner was in charge of coordinating one of the project work packages.Implementation of operational activities and the managing of project finances were monitored through the project steering group, the project evaluation process, internal interim reporting at the end of 2017 and 2018, and an external Finnish monitoring group. Also University of Jyväskylä lended support in monitoring the quality of the project. The quality of financial management and reporting was ensured using an external EU-consultant.The project impact was most noticeable on the volunteers who benefited from the training, responsibility and commitment and gained professional opportunities through engagement in the project. Co-operation was begun and the methods were disseminated to other grass roots sports organisations by partners during 2018-2019. The methods of the project also aroused interest nationally and internationally in regional sport federations, in educational sector and in Final Event