Social inclusion and volunteering in sports clubs in Europe - SIVSCE

The project is a collaborative partnership co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Leadership (Coordinator): Prof. Bjarne Ibsen, Karsten Østerlund, The Centre for Sport, Health and Civil Society, University of Southern Denmark
Responsibility for Switzerland: Prof. Dr. Siegfried Nagel & PD Dr. Torsten Schlesinger, Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern
Collaborator: M.Sc. Jenny Adler Zwahlen, Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern
Funding: With the support of the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union (grant altogether: € 490’000)
Duration: 01.2015 - 12.2017
Participating partners (10 countries):

• Denmark (University of Southern Denmark)
• Germany (German Sport University & Leadership Academy of the German Olympic Sports Confederation)
• The Netherlands (Mulier Institute)
• England (University of Sheffield)
• Spain (University of Valencia)
• Poland (Josef Pilsudski University of Physical Education)
• Hungary (University of Debrechen)
• Belgium (KU Leuven)
• Norway (Norwegian School of Sport Sciences)
• Switzerland (University of Bern)

Background and aim of the project

There is only a limited amount of knowledge on the political conditions for and structural characteristics of sports clubs that promote social inclusion and volunteering in sport. Most of the existing knowledge is, furthermore, context-specific tied to individual member states within the European Union.

This project seeks to provide comparable knowledge across ten EU member states, convert it into concrete suggestions for action, and disseminate this knowledge to politicians and sports professionals in Europe. The main aim is to promote social inclusion and volunteering in sports clubs in Europe.

Relevance of the project

In continuation of the central role of sports clubs in many European countries and the social benefits generated by them, the EU aims to promote health-enhancing physical activity, social inclusion and volunteering through increased participation in sports clubs. In this connection, it is mentioned as a specific goal in the EU White Paper on Sport to generate equal opportunities for participation.

This goal is faced with the challenge that sports clubs and sports policies across the EU member states represent a large diversity. This creates dissimilar conditions for sports clubs to meet the goals with regard to promoting social inclusion and volunteering. It is highly likely that the large differences in sports club policies can help explain the diversity also found between EU member states in the patterns of social inclusion and volunteering.

Currently there’s a lack of knowledge concerning more evidence-based policies in the area of social inclusion and volunteering in sport. No systematic, cross-national studies with a focus on the political conditions for and structural characteristics of sports clubs that promote social inclusion and volunteering in sport has so far been conducted. This project aims to fill this knowledge gap and to inform EU member state policies in this area.

Methodology

The project design is separated into three main phases which include seven specific work-packages (WP):

Description of the work-packages:

WP 1: A collection of sports policies in all of the participating countries

WP 2: An online sports club survey conducted in each of the participating countries

WP 3: An online member survey conducted in 30 sports clubs within each of the participating countries

WP 4: Overall analysis of the results of the three studies conducted in WP1, WP2 and WP3, with the aim to elucidate the organisational, political and cultural factors that promote and inhibit social inclusion and volunteering in sports clubs

WP 5: Three examples of best practice are collected from each of the participating countries in relation to social inclusion and volunteering in sports clubs

WP 6: Elaboration of a handbook with suggestions for sports policies, club management and the like, which can promote social inclusion and volunteering in sports clubs

WP 7: A broad dissemination of findings and suggestions