The Walking Football League is a continuation of the European Legends Walking Football programme. The European Legends programme was a Walking Football and Walking Sport initiative that was coordinated by EFDN and co-funded by the European Union through Erasmus Sport+ and its partners. European Legends consisted of 14 organisations from 7 different countries who participated in a comprehensive initiative of Walking Football sessions. European Legends kicked off in January 2016 and was delivered over a 24-month period.
The programme promoted the aims of the Health Enhancing Physical Activities (HEPA) Guidelines, put forth by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission, Sport Unit (2008), underlining the European values of sport. Additionally, it increased the awareness of the role of sport in promoting health-enhancing physical activities, social inclusion and equal opportunities.
Through the effective cooperation between all 14 organisations, the European Legends programme consisted of the implementation of Walking Football training sessions at each organisation, national European Legends Sport events, seminars in seven European countries and a final international Walking Football festival.
WALKING FOOTBALL
This new Walking Football and Walking Sport methodology reaches people of 50 years and older that until recently where out of reach for grassroots sport clubs and sport based community organisations. While this method is very successful in England and the Netherlands, the Walking Football and Walking Sport methodology are unknown in other parts of Europe. Therefore, the project did not only get the direct participants active again but also produced a Walking Football and Walking Sport practitioner’s guide that sport clubs, community organisations and sport governing bodies from all parts of Europe can use to implement this methodology in their own region and inspire thousands of others.
PROJECT PARTNERS
- Fulham FC Foundation
- KAA Gent
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Club Brugge
- NEC Nijmegen
- Vitesse Arnhem
- PSV
- Feyenoord Rotterdam
- VFL Wolfsburg
- SV Werder Bremen
- Anorthosis Famagusta
- Valerenga Fotball
- SL Benfica
OBJECTIVES
The programme met the objective of increased participation in sport, physical activity and voluntary activity in its target group of individuals ages 50+. Until recently, this target group remained largely out of reach for grassroots sport clubs and sport based community organisations. However, Walking Football and Walking Sport methodologies have proven to be an effective way to target this challenging-to-reach population.
The second objective of the European Legends programme was to produce a Walking Football and Walking Sport Practitioner’s Guide, that would enable sport clubs, community organisations and sport governing bodies from all parts of Europe to implement the methodology in their respective regions and inspire thousands of others to get involved in Walking Sport.
The European Legends Practitioner’s Guide is available for download.
FUNDING PARTNER
