Villages on Move Go

Everyone exercising across national borders!

Associations and clubs cannot function without volunteers. Often these local sports activists are local enthusiasts, ""fire souls"" who only support actions through their volunteer work (see Robinson & Green 2011: Introduction to community development). But, more and more it is a difficult search for enthusiastic and committed people. We can support this statement from previous Villages of the Move projects (VOMB and VOMNet). The projects indicated that grassroots sports clubs mostly depend on individual sports activists. They need more support and ways of sharing work so that the resilience of sports clubs and health-enhancing physical activity are ensured. However, volunteers collide too much with a mountain of paper and in small villages (and municipalities) the activities of the voluntary sports clubs are at risk: the activities depend on individual activists.

'Villages on the Move Go' wants to promote the resilience and social sustainability of small and especially voluntary sports clubs in rural areas. This with the aim of strengthening the social sustainability of local sports clubs and setting up a network where clubs and associations can learn from each other. Additionally, together with the partners involved, we are focusing on one of the main objectives of the EU sports policy, which is to promote awareness and activity in HEPA, health-enhancing physical activity.

However, offering exercise activities is not possible without a good governing body. Grassroots sports organizations also have to take into account specificities when tackling the issue of good governance, namely their reliance on volunteers (in collaboration with limited paid staff) and their focus on participation. (Principles of good governance in sport, EU Work Plan for Sport 2013). "Developing the European Dimension of Sport" (European Commission, 2010), clearly underlines the importance of making sport available to all citizens as a recreational activity or through clubs and associations. The overall aim of the "Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the promotion of HEPA in all sectors" (European Commission, 2013) is to contribute to a healthier and more productive society through more HEPA in the EU.

In order to stimulate a lasting effect, it is therefore extremely important to take care of the "fire souls" of the associations and clubs. This can be done by, among other things, determining new methods and tools for resilience. By talking to the 'fire souls' and setting up hackathons in the participating associations and/or sports clubs of the various partners, the VOMGO project wants to formulate guidelines and recommendations, which we would like to bundle in a 'toolkit'. They can be consulted via the website as inspiration and 'hands on tools'.

Sport is and will remain one of the most popular and connecting activities in our societies. Sports make up a very large share within the voluntary sector. Precisely because, in addition to improving physical and mental well-being, exercise also plays an important role for social cohesion. This can only be done by offering opportunities for encounters and exchanges between people of different genders, capacities and nationalities or from different cultures. Culture of ""living together"" is enhanced through sport (Sport for all: a bridge to equality, integration and social inclusion 2016). It is therefore of the utmost importance to continue to promote this social integration of the various target groups through sport.

« Villages on Move Go "" takes on this challenge!

Tools and inspiration will be provided for promoters of small-scale physical activities in the participating countries, especially in the rural, remote and isolated areas of Europe, to ensure the quality and sustainability of their future HEPA promotion activities for different target groups.