Youth, Sport, Action! is an initiative of the British Council which is giving young people from the UK and ten other countries a unique chance to work together on projects of common interest.
Each project has its own individual set of objectives decided by the participating groups and relevant to their countries and communities. All the projects celebrate universal sporting values such as equal opportunity, inclusiveness, participation, team spirit and fair play. The overall aim of Youth Sport Action! is to enable young people in the participating countries to understand and share these values, to give them confidence to put these into practice in their communities, and to extend their personal horizons through international contacts.

MAIN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

			Youth, Sport, Action! teambuilding and promotion event for young people from all participating countries in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia – April 2007.
			Projects - a variety of bilateral and trilateral projects with individual and common objectives
			Outward youth exchange visits by UK groups to their overseas partners (between April and July 2007)
			Inward youth exchange visits by overseas groups to their UK partners (August 2007)
			Celebration event in Manchester, at which all groups will share their achievements and experiences and present these to an invited audience. (September 2007)
			A film training programme for a team of young people (one from each partner organisation) resulting in production of a promotional DVD in September 2007.
			A training event (February 2007)
			A common evaluation methodology.

ABOUT THE PROJECTS

			Adventure Triathlon for Nature Protection – “Mjaft!” Movement (Albania), “Za Zemiata” Environmental Association (Bulgaria), Go Away and Learn (Rotherham UK) Young people worked to show how outdoor education and sports can actively help preserve their natural heritage, in particular National Parks. The project aimed to encourage young people to access areas of natural beauty and to promote this approach to the authorities in each country
			Sea of Friends – Education Centre for Youth (Azerbaijan), Israel Youth Award (Israel), Bolton Youth Service (UK) The project’s focus was to look at ways to use water sports as a means of overcoming barriers of language, culture and religion, as well as using water sporting events as a tool for raising awareness on environmental issues
			Youth Participation – Youth Information Agency (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Sefton Youth Service (UK) The project aimed to enable young people to gain self-confidence & broaden experience; specifically to develop lobbying skills which will empower them to articulate youth interests in local communities and to raise awareness of decision makers and wider public youth needs in the area of sport.
			Sport as Art – Youth Secretariat (Greece), Brouhaha International (Liverpool UK) The two groups worked on themes of equality, respecting the different, personal excellence, the meaning of participation and sports and materialise them by using contemporary art forms. Through photography, digital arts and multimedia the young people expressed their aspirations for the future and position the Olympic ideals as a means towards improving individuals and societies.
			Values Quest and Values Quest 2 – Blue Sky Network (Macedonia), Sefton Youth Service (UK) The aim was to develop and accredit young people’s competences through sport based activity. In Macedonia this will involved organising both national and local activities through the Blue Sky network’s local clubs.
			Be Your Own Hero! – “Oricum” (Romania) and Salford Youth Service (UK) The project aimed to engage young people to participate in sport activities, organised in their own neighbourhood, and so to counter negative views of sport and general lack of interest (in Romania) by showing young people that sport can be fun and entertaining. The project also strived to use sport as a social inclusion and educational method
			It’s Your Turn – “Hajde Da” (Serbia), Knowsley Youth and Play Service (UK) The project adapted already existing games for children and youth with disabilities, and also developed new games, sport tools, etc. Invented and/or adopted games were evaluated by young people with disabilities and showcased in a community event. The final product waseducational material containing innovative sports, tools and/or inclusive non-competitive games
			Promoting Olympic Ideals – Community Volunteers Foundation (Turkey), Oldham Youth Service (UK) The project aimed to change the common view of sporting events as merely superiority competitions, and to draw young people’s attention to the unifying role of the Olympic ideals. The project reached a wider youth community through art works created by young people, in an interactive festival of exhibitions, performances and workshops. After the festival, the artwork produced in Turkey were brought to the UK in order to be shared with a community of a different culture.

For more information contact Elizabeta Jovanovska.