Grassroots projects from eight different countries have been awarded funding that will help get young people active in the outdoors. The IT'S GREAT OUT THERE COALITION (IGOT) is providing €32,000 of support to initiatives in Montenegro, France, Slovenia, the UK, Spain, Germany, Finland and Portugal.
Launched in 2017 by the IGOT, #itsgreatoutthere grants support grassroots projects by non-profit organisations that are designed to introduce young people to outdoor activities, especially those from disadvantaged or more diverse backgrounds. By the end of 2023, the coalition had supported 50 initiatives through the grants programme, directly involving almost 8,000 individuals.
Every organisation supported by a grant follows IGOT's OUTDOOR ACTIVITY DAYS (OAD) model. OAD are targeted physical activity interventions in nature, designed to get citizens active, sustainably, inclusively and responsibly, aligned to the latest World Health Organization guidelines on physical activity. Between them, the projects that have been awarded #itsgreatoutthere grants in 2024 will deliver 1,195 OAD.
IGOT received a record number of over 140 applications for the latest round of #itsgreatoutthere grants. The submissions were assessed against a range of criteria and a shortlist was sent to coalition members, who voted for their preferred options. The eight successful projects will involve a variety of activities, from camping and climbing, to backwoods skills development and stand up paddleboarding.
The Chill Foundation is a non-profit that inspires young people through boardsports and builds a more equitable outdoor community. Chill Germany´s project expands the organisation's winter programmes, focused on snowboarding, to include summer activities with skateboarding, surfskating, and stand-up paddleboarding.
The eight projects which have received grants for 2024 are:
- Young people packrafting and ski touring in Montenegro, by Nature Lovers, Montenegro
- 'Climb towards your goals!', by Association APART, France
- Outdoor climbing and nature camp for youth, by Radovljica Mountaineering Society, Slovenia
- Step Out Mentoring goes camping, by Step Out Mentoring, United Kingdom
- Nature Explorers: Outdoor adventure programme for orphaned children, by Weare1 Association, Spain
- Empowering Youth Through Outdoor Adventures: Skateboarding and SUP, by Chill Foundation gUG (Haftungsbeschränkt), Germany
- The Sleep Outdoors Night 2024, by Mikkelin Latu, Finland
- Rediscovering the Magic Hill of N.Sra.da Encarnação - active children at the natural heart of Leiria, by Ludotempo - Associação de Promoção do Brincar, Portugal.
Margo de Lange, secretary general of the It's Great Out There Coalition, said, "We were really encouraged to receive so many applications this year. While this did highlight the scale of the challenge that we all face in getting Europe more active outdoors, it also demonstrated that awareness is growing all over Europe about the #itsgreatoutthere campaign and our proven Outdoor Activity Days model.
MAIN PIC: 'Climb towards your goals!'
Organisation: Association APART
Country: France
Founded in 1993, APART is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting social and professional integration in the Seine-Saint-Denis area. This project, delivered by APART in collaboration with the French Federation of Mountain and Climbing (FFME), aims to introduce climbing as a sport to a group of 10 young individuals from Seine-Saint-Denis, a region in Île-de-France characterised by high levels of long-term unemployment and economic deprivation.
The initiative encompasses indoor and outdoor climbing sessions, including rock climbing in designated areas, with the ultimate goal of preparing participants for professional roles as climbing supervisors through the CQP AESA certification course. The programme will involve multiple sessions at climbing gyms, outdoor rock climbing activities and a three-day mountain trip to further develop participants' climbing skills and experiences.
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