FitForKids EU

The purpose of the FitforKids EU project is ultimately to establish a network of EU sport associations and other related NGO’s who wish to collaborate on increasing the participation of inactive, overweight and obese children in after-school organised physical activities.By setting up locally adapted versions of the original FitforKids concept in two new EU Member States (Portugal and Italy), the Partners have gained valuable insights in and knowledge of the plethora of challenges and their solutions occurring in the course of transnational implementation of a socially inclusive sports concept. The experiences and knowledge have been harvested and structured in the FitforKids EU Platform, making knowledge-sharing, networking and partnering among sports associations and other NGO’s easier and more attractive.The FitforKids EU Platform is an entry point and knowledge hub for sports associations, NGOs, volunteer organisations and EU citizens who wish to work on a research based, scientifically documented way with increasing sports and physical activity participation among the 16 million overweight and obese children in the EU.Project Coordinator, FitforKids, has developed an effective, attractive and cost-effective Childhood Obesity Intervention in the format of an after-school organized team sports offer, the “FitforKids Socially Inclusive Sports Concept”, designed to reduce weight, increase physical activity, and improve psychological health in low-income overweight children and their families.Other project partners are Aventura Marao Clube from Amarante, Portugal, L’Orma from Milan, Italy and Vol.To from Turin, Italy.The project partners had the aim to implement the FitforKids Socially Inclusive Sports Concept in their home countries.The implementation process was grounded on interactions on the Transnational Project Meetings where the partners reviewed the program, translated the material and gained a common understanding of what local adaptations were needed. The Partners underwent the same training as they would have to give their volunteers, and this was an important prerequisite for their understanding of the program and the level of quality found in their implementation on local levels.The FitforKids EU project has demonstrated that it is possible to take a research-based, scientifically documented childhood obesity program developed by a Danish Voluntary organization (NGO) offered for free to the participating families and with the use of volunteers and implement it in other EU countries.