According to the Ministry of youth and sports of Ukraine, only 15% of the population of Ukraine regularly engages in physical activity or sports. However, this figure is much lower when it comes to people with disabilities. The main reason is the lack of sports spaces adapted to their needs. Therefore, philanthropists have teamed up with the state to provide grants to communities to create adaptive clubs.
Charity foundation " MHP-Hromada " together with the state institution "All-Ukrainian Center for physical health of the population "sport for all" within the framework of the project "active parks" of the program of the president of Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of youth and sports of Ukraine launches a grant competition "Time to act, The Expendables". This is a grant initiative for communities that can receive up to 400 thousand UAH to create an adaptive Club "The Expendables" in their village or town .
"Since the beginning of 2024, we have already launched 20 adaptive clubs throughout Ukraine. There, people with disabilities, including veterans, can play sports, receive professional advice from coaches and thus actively reintegrate into civilian life. For people with disabilities, sports are a window of entry to a high – quality, conscious and motivated life. We must ensure this, so we continue and expand this initiative together with our partners," said Matvey Bedny, Head of the Ministry of youth and sports of Ukraine.
Participants of the project can be public associations (go, CF), local self-government bodies, municipal enterprises, institutions, organizations, and healthcare institutions.
"For our charity foundation, which has been developing small towns and villages for 9 years, this project is about faith in the strength of communities and their support on the way to introducing inclusive practices so that everyone has access to sports. We see how the consciousness of communities is changing, and the proactive position of local residents is growing. Therefore, we are willing to join the project, allocating 200 thousand UAH for the professional and well – developed idea of each of the winners," added Tatiana Volochay, director of the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation.
During the presentation of the launch of the program, an open training session of veterans was held in one of the Adaptive clubs "The Expendables" in the Kiev region. The event was also attended by veterans who found a resource for their recovery in physical education and sports, in particular National Guardsman Vladimir Tovkis (Invictus Games participant; survived a shot in the head; shoots arrows with teeth) and TRO Fighter Oleg Andrienko (coordinator of the project "active parks" with an amputated limb in the Kiev region).
They became project coordinators in their towns in Kyiv region and prove by their own example that rehabilitation is possible and necessary through sports.every time we do exercises or achieve new results, our body produces "joy hormones" (endorphins, dopamine and), and they in turn Block stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol). Therefore, Sports reduce anxiety, aggressiveness, and help to overcome trauma. And the involvement of children or local residents in the process encourages social activity.
"It is especially important to develop physical culture during the war. First, physical education helps Ukrainians recover psychologically, distract themselves from the events that are taking place. And this is necessary not only for ourselves, but also to be strong for our loved ones and for our country," said Andriy Rebrina, director of the state institution "All – Ukrainian Center for physical health of the population "sport for all".
The project's geography includes 13 regions of Ukraine. Adaptive clubs can be created in the following regions: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kiev, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Chernihiv regions and Kiev. Mandatory condition- co-financing from 200 thousand UAH.
In addition to the financial part of the competition, the organizers also provided for an educational component. During June, online consultations with tips and cases for forming and submitting a grant application will continue. And in August, for the winners of the competition (namely, for coaches of sports centers), the organizers will conduct training to improve their professional competencies and accounting support.
Applications can be submitted on the contest website until July 4. The winners are promised to be announced on July 30.
For Reference
The project "Time to act, The Expendables" is implemented by the charity foundation MHP - Hromada together with the state institution "All-Ukrainian Center for physical health of the population "sport for all" in within the framework of the project "active parks" of the program of the president of Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of youth and sports of Ukraine.
MHP–Hromada is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its activity in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities so that you want to live there. The geography of activity includes 13 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the foundation has systematically supported Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity hospitals, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who were left without homes and livelihoods due to the war.