- Active Senior Seminar a great success!

  - MEPs push for Grassroots Sport

  - SPORTVISION2020 Campaign reaching out!

  - With $500.000 on the Line, Are You Game?

  - EUROFITNESS reaching out to Slovenia

  - ECF workshop at the MOVE2010 congress

  - Sport and Equal Opportunities

  - ISCA Executive Committee met in Reykjavik

  - BLUME GRAN CANARIA 50th Anniversary

  - The Beyond Sport Summit

Like hardly another topic “Aging” has moved into the focus of political and public interest. It’s not any longer necessary to explain the reasons. The dramatic demographic changes or the steadily increasing life expectancy has been mentioned and underlined with impressive figures. Can you imagine that half of the women, now 40 years old, will become 100 years old? (As the German Centre of Age Research forecasted!)

The SANTE Seminar Active Seniors, organized by ISCA and hosted by SALSC from Scotland attracted more than 50 project managers and political leaders from SANTE partners Associations, as organisations and individuals with interest and experience in health-enhancing physical activity for seniors, health professionals who deal with sport as a means to strengthen and maintain health.

A knowledge how to encourage and support senior population to take responsibility for their own health was shared during the Seminar and it secured a common understanding of the current situation on seniors in Europe, including statistics, barriers and opportunities for improving their physical activity level.

SANTE Seminar was excellent networking opportunities and a programme gave structured program and possibilities for bi- and trilateral in depth discussions.

Many sport organisations have just started to be engaged seriously with sport programs for older adults; they make the new picture of aging the basis for their concepts and strategies!

Follow the www.mysante.info to find more about the Seminar.

As the European Commission prepares to table its first ever EU sports programme in November, lawmakers are calling for initiatives to clearly prioritise funding for grassroots activities.

A handful of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) tabled a written declaration on increased EU support for grassroots sport today (6 September).

The document highlights the possible impact of the economic crisis on sports funding at this level, the contribution of physical activity to key policy areas and the educational role of sport.

MEPs hope to raise awareness of the matter among the EU's institutions and member states, stressing in particular the need for better funding of grassroots sport. Therefore, they call on the European Commission to prioritise grassroots sport as it drafts a communication and proposal for the first EU sports programme.

Read more >>>.

The campaign has already attracted significant political attention and we see the campaign vision as an important stepping stone in the formation of the European Union’s policy priorities with regard to the field of Sport and Physical Activity.
Therefore we encourage you to a multiplier of the campaign. You can implement one or more of the support measures below:

• Make your organization an official campaign promoter and get your logo posted on the campaign site.
  Send us an e-mail with your organization’s logo.
• Spread the message within your organisation’s structures and ask your members and contacts to support the e-Petition.
  Send a mass-mail to your contact and include the campaign in your newsletter (see attachment).
• Request campaign postcards for distribution at your events.
  Send us an e-mail with your address and the number of postcards that you would like to receive.

See all the petition supporters at: http://www.sportvision2020.eu .
For further requests, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Fund is a partnership between Architecture for Humanity and Nike Inc. In the past 18 months the program has funded innovative projects in Afghanistan (Skate), Brazil (Football/Soccer), Kenya (Basketball) and the United States (American Football).

We are seeking proposals for the final round of funding to support the construction of sports facilities offering programs that tackle social issues in the community. This Request for Proposal (RFP) process will award up to $500,000 in funds and is directed toward micro-interventions with a construction time line of 6 to 9 months. The majority of these grants will be $25,000 for building or upgrading facilities and completing existing projects. 10% of the funding will be earmarked for the professional design services and engineering.

At the discretion of the funding team a small number of selected proposals will be awarded additional funds based on need and scope of impact.

If you hate reading all that verbage, here is breakdown of available funds:

• Africa - 2 x $25,000
• the Americas - 2 x $25,000
• Asia - 2 x $25,000
• Europe - 2 x $25,000
• Oceania - 2 x $25,000

plus up to $250,000 in additional funding.

Read more >>>.

Result of close collaboration between two entities, Slovenia reaches a new concept of urban wellness. This is the concept EUROFITNESS. The Slovenian Sports Union and UBAE have reached an agreement in Ljubljana to manage the first urban wellness centre of this country.

The EUROFITNESS concept is based on the range of activities related to physical activity and health. Part of the proposal for a single fee that includes all the services offered. In the hours between 7 and 22 hours, Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 13 hours, users can enjoy all the activities and practice spaces available, all without any extra cost.

Read more >>>.

ECF and ADFC staff will hold a workhop on 22 October in Frankfurt to train town planners, doctors, teachers, and others how to best promote cycling with their target group. The event is part of the MOVE 2010 congress.

The aim is that LifeCycle results, including best practices, intervention development tools, website & contacts, are used and adapted by stakeholders working in similar environments or facing similar issues. LifeCycle workshops address target groups young and old. From kindergarten children and students of all ages, to families, parents, adults (both employed & unemployed), to seniors, the LifeCycle workshop helps you find good ways to approach them, and increase daily cycling.

Who should attend?

Experts working in public authorities, kindergarten and school headmasters, school teachers; town planners; general practitioners (doctors), health insurance experts; chambers of commerce, employers associations, organisations for the elderly, social services experts.

What can participants expect from the LifeCycle workshop? 
  • experience developing an intervention plan to promote cycling
  • ideas and motivations to develop your own intervention plan

  • knowledge about the LifeCycle approach (lifelong cycling) and the resources LifeCycle offers including the LifeCycle Intervention Manual, Best Practices Handbook, LifeCycle website, contacts, and more)
  • a better understanding of the potentials and obstacles in your specific field of work and with your target group
 

Register now >>>.

Gran Canaria, the island of the permanent spring, celebrates during the winter period the 50th International Sports Festival "BLUME - GRAN CANARIA" from 18th till 27th of November. Celebrate with us half a century „ BLUME - GRAN CANARIA “ with sports friends from all over the world.

Sportswomen and sportsmen from Europe and overseas meet in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria presenting the variety of the gymnastics in the biggest sport event of the Spanish Gymnastic Association surrounded by a marvellous atmosphere with the sun, beach and sea. The 50th International Sports Festival "BLUME - GRAN CANARIA" integrates outdoor and indoor performances with own programme at public stages and workshops to learn and exchange of experiences between the sports cultures.

The deadline for registrations is 1st November, 2010. For more details contact our office managers: Enrique Fischer and Cornelio Ortega, jtelo@blumegc.e.telefonica.net or take a look in www.blumegrancanaria.com.

Read more >>>.

Beyond Sport - www.beyondsport.org, the global philanthropic initiative, will be holding their annual Summit and Awards in Chicago on September 29-30, 2010.

Beyond Sport is a global organisation that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change across the world. The inaugural Summit in London in 2009 saw over 500 individuals, who were specially invited due to their ability to drive change, from more than 40 countries to attend the ground-breaking event. It was led by our chairman, the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with HRH Prince Faisal Al Hussein of Jordan, NBA All-star Dikembe Mutombo, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Read more >>>.