- Date
- 17 Mar 2016
- Tags
- Children and Youth , Sport And Active Society
Open Sunday
BRINGING CHILDREN TOGETHER FOR SPORTS ACTIVITIES
Every Sunday afternoon from October to March, local gyms around Switzerland are open for children to come and practise physical activities.
| Location |
Switzerland |
| Organisation | The Big Issue |
| Start-end date |
2006 – ongoing |
| Target group age |
6-12 years old |
| Reach |
Approx. 7,000 children in 2012 |
| Partners |
National, cantonal and city-level support, private donations and volunteer work Save the Children, Laureus |
| Key facts |
In 2012, participants came from 44 project communities, 55% from urban settings and 45% from rural settings. Approximately 43%
of the participants are girls.
|
| For inspiration |
www.ideesport.ch/de/opensunday |
Download the file of the case study
SUMMARY
The Open Sunday programme allows children aged 6-12 to access local gyms every Sunday afternoon from October to March, and practise sport and physical activities. No membership, reservation or fee is required to participate; the programme is in fact open to anyone within this age group. A multitude of sports and activities are offered at these “sport meeting points”. A mixed team of professional programme managers, volunteers and junior coaches monitor and run the programme for the children.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Accessibility and flexibility
Available in 44 different communities across Switzerland, the programme is generally accessible to any child who wishes to participate.
Peer involvement and peer education
The key reason for the success lies in the concept of peer involvement and peer education. In 2012, around 2,500 junior coaches, girls and boys aged between 13 and 17 years old, monitored and ran the programme for children in the gyms. More than 200 courses per year are organised to prepare them for their leadership role.
SPORT FOR ALL OBJECTIVES
Promote sport and physical activity
The main goal of the programme is to offer a location and facilities to make it easier for children to practise sport and do some physical activity.
Improve public health and well-being
Children participating in the programme spend fewer hours at home in front of video games and more hours doing physical activities, therefore increasing their general health.
Provide equal access to sport
The programme aims at bringing children, especially those from poor neighbourhoods, together to practise sporting activities. The objectives range from improved health, to integration, to community development.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME COMMUNICATED?
The most important communication tools for the programme are word of mouth and printed documents, which are distributed and made available throughout the local communities.
HOW IS THE PROGRAMME EVALUATED?
The evaluation is made through quantitative monitoring and interviews with participants and team members.