Athletics House for Everyone 

In the TALO Project, low-threshold recreational activities are being developed within athletics clubs to promote the inclusion, well-being, and integration of children, young people, and families with immigrant backgrounds.

The operating models are piloted in six locations: Helsinki, Espoo, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Turku, and Vantaa. The project is a three-year development initiative co-funded by the European Union, and it is implemented from September 2024 to August 2027. The total project budget is approximately one million euros.

Project Objectives More information

What do we do?

  • We create accessible, low-threshold opportunities for participation in sports and recreational activities.
  • We develop networks and service pathways across different operating environments to increase the inclusion of people with immigrant backgrounds in sports club activities.
  • We raise awareness among sports club personnel and volunteers about the specific characteristics of multicultural sport and physical activity through training and education.
  • We build networks to support the delivery of multicultural sport and physical activity at both regional and national levels.

Target Group of the Project

  • The target group of the TALO Project consists of children, young people, and families with immigrant backgrounds.
  • The project’s activities are also directed at professionals who provide support, assistance, services, and care to children and young people with immigrant backgrounds and their parents, as well as to the project’s pilot clubs.

Project Objectives

The main objective is to develop national and local operational and cooperation models for engaging children, young people, and families with immigrant backgrounds, enhancing their well-being, and supporting their integration into Finnish society through athletics club activities.

Partial objectives:

  1. To develop networks and service pathways that support inclusion in grassroots sports club activities.
  2. To co-create, together with professionals from various sectors and children, young people, and families with immigrant backgrounds, inclusive operating models and pilot initiatives in the pilot clubs. The purpose is for the pilot clubs to test different approaches and activities that encourage children, young people, and families with immigrant backgrounds to become acquainted with sports club activities and recreational sports alongside native Finnish participants.
  3. To pilot a training and development process for club personnel and volunteers, enabling them to implement inclusive activities that take multicultural characteristics and needs into account in cooperation with the target group.

Project workers in the Pilot Clubs

  • Espoon Tapiot, Anni Halko, anni.halko@sul.fi, +358504783681
  • Helsingin Kisa-Veikot, Essi Davies, essi.davies@sul.fi, +358504762376
  • Jyväskylän Kenttäurheilijat, Katri Niemistö, katri.niemisto@sul.fi, +358504794653
  • Lappeenrannan Urheilu-Miehet, Mimosa Wirkkala, mimosa.wirkkala@sul.fi, +358442504878
  • Turun Urheiluliitto, Tuukka Mäkinen, tuukka.makinen@sul.fi, +358405359677
  • Vantaan Salamat, Juulia Salomaa, juulia.salomaa@sul.fi, +358504970781

Contact us

Sanni Soilampi

Projektipäällikkö, TALO-hanke

+358 41 5057 639

Materials

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