By Roxana Chiriac
The project I’d like to see in my city
An innovative initiative introduced by Sean Blair, the convenor of the MOVE Congress 2014 from Pro Meet UK, was the Open Space workshop. What is that, you may wonder?
“Open Space workshop means having a coffee with a friend, where you declare what you want to talk about” and the participants can “use the law of two feet” and leave the discussion if they are not interested.
The “coffee drinkers” were speakers, moderators and participants who had discussions in smaller groups and addressed the possibilities of several issues agreed upon prior to the discussion, by finishing the following sentence: “The project I would like to see carried out in my city or by my organisation is…”
It was an interactive and relaxing session and the participants could move around and “visit” several topics of interest.
“Mama Said Knock You Out”
No, LL Cool J wasn’t present at the MOVE Congress 2014, but Marvin Radford from ISCA used his lyrics combined with boxing movements to energise the packed crowd that was present for the Erasmus+ Fundraising Session.
It is good to have an idea and to want to change lives and behaviours through sport, but how would you get the money for it?
Michal Rynkowski from the EU Sport Unit introduced the Erasmus+ programme and explained how it differed from the previous Preparatory Actions funding streams previously offered by the European Commission.
Philippe De Witte, from EU Sport Link Belgium, presented the Dos and Don’ts of Erasmus+ Sport project proposals, advice about seeking partnerships and insights into the European Commission’s procedures when it comes to the applications.
“You need the entire team to be part of the project, therefore, you need to assess the capability and commitment of the team and organisation,” he said, as getting funding for your projects is not an easy task, and only the well prepared can make it through the jungle of applications.
On the practical side, Rachel Payne guided the participants through the practicalities of such proposals, presenting the forms and additional documentation in detail.
Friday afternoon was something else
By Roxana Chiriac The project I’d like to see in my city An innovative initiative introduced by Sean Blair, the convenor of the MOVE Congress 2014 from Pro Meet UK, was the Open Space workshop. What is that, you may wonder? “Open Space workshop means having a coffee with a friend, where you declare what you want to talk about” and the participants can “use the law of two feet” and leave the discussion if they are not interested. The “coffee drinkers” were speakers, moderators
MOVE Congress 2014 Open Market
By Jana Stehlikova The Open Market took place outside the MOVE Congress venues in the so-called Matattoio, a former cattle shed, and offered several physical activities and poster presentations. The participants could try playing some Dodgeball as well as some Tchoukball, Traditional Table Games, Balance Exercise, Stopping Movement Training, and “Propriocettive” Activities. As the weather […]
MOVE Congress 2014 Open Market
By Jana Stehlikova The Open Market took place outside the MOVE Congress venues in the so-called Matattoio, a former cattle shed, and offered several physical activities and poster presentations. The participants could try playing some Dodgeball as well as some Tchoukball, Traditional Table Games, Balance Exercise, Stopping Movement Training, and “Propriocettive” Activities. As the weather was perfect for such activities, a lot of people participated during the morning coffee breaks, taking a little break and stretching the body. They also had the opportunity
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 4: Active ageing
The fourth and final workshop of the MOVE Congress 2014, Active Ageing, delivered its promise of offering tools and advice to deliver effective physical activity initiatives for seniors. Miriam Schreck from Deutscher Turner-Bund (DTB) in Germany emphasised that fitting in with elderly people’s routines is both an important consideration and potential challenge for sports programme providers. When looking at sports facilities and clubs, providing qualified instructors, easy access to amenities, disabled access and an accepting environment are also essential: “The elderly have
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 3: Innovative approaches to mobilisation
By Jana Stehlikova At Workshop 3 dedicated to Innovative Approaches to Mobilisation, Kerry McDonald presented StreetGames, a sports charity that focuses on giving physical activity and volunteering opportunities to young people in disadvantaged communities across the UK through its Doorstep Sports initiative. His organisation’s effervescent take on physical activity was reflected in both the title of his presentation “Let’s Get Fizzical” and his message about mobilising hard-to-reach youth: “It is not only about the physical activity, what we offer must be funny
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 2: What are the barriers cities have that inhibit physical activity?
By Alexander Elverlund Piara Powar, Director of FARE Network, UK The first speaker of the workshop focusing on cities' roles in encouraging social inclusion through sport and physical activity, Piara Powar, talked about ways in which minorities relate to sport. FARE is not only working with racism but also barriers related to gender and sexuality. In this session he primarily addressed ethnic minorities, stating that less than 10 % of the EU population consists of ethnic minorities. These minorities are based in
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 1: How can school children become more active?
By Roxana Chiriac Niamh Murphy, from Waterford Institute of Technology, Health Behaviour Research Department, Ireland led the keenly anticipated workshop on programmes that have been successful in getting school children active in cities around the world. The first experienced speaker to tackle the important issue was William Bird, the CEO of Intelligent Health UK, who presented his project, “Beat the Street”. This innovative walking and cycling competition for school children has made the city of Reading in the UK more active than
Putting theory into practice
By Roxana Chiriac After two successful days with fruitful talks and knowledge sharing from experts in several fields of interest for MOVE Congress 2014, Friday was the day to put the theory into practice. To start the day, an introduction was given during the plenary session, let by two prominent figures in Italian grassroots sport, Filippo Fossati, from Italian Parliament and ISCA Europe Chair, and Nicola Porro, from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, who introduced the topic of Open
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 4: Active ageing
By Rachel Payne The fourth and final workshop of the MOVE Congress 2014, Active Ageing, delivered its promise of offering tools and advice to deliver effective physical activity initiatives for seniors. Miriam Schreck from Deutscher Turner-Bund (DTB) in Germany emphasised that fitting in with elderly people’s routines is both an important consideration and potential challenge for […]
Notes and quotes from MOVE Congress 2014 Workshop 3: Innovative approaches to mobilisation
By Jana Stehlikova At Workshop 3 dedicated to Innovative Approaches to Mobilisation, Kerry McDonald presented StreetGames, a sports charity that focuses on giving physical activity and volunteering opportunities to young people in disadvantaged communities across the UK through its Doorstep Sports initiative. His organisation’s effervescent take on physical activity was reflected in both the title […]