Start of the new season of "Time to Act, Unstoppable": up to UAH 400,000 for creating an adaptive space for veterans

The charitable foundation "MHP-Hromadi" has announced the start of a new season of the "Time to Act, Unstoppable" competition, UNN reports.

The start of a new season means new opportunities for communities, veterans and people with disabilities

Wounded defenders and people with disabilities often face a lack of adapted sports spaces needed for physical and mental recovery. In 2024, thanks to the social competition  "Time to Act. Unstoppable" created 15 such spaces in various communities of Ukraine. To expand access to adaptive sports, it is planned to support 20 more adaptive clubs this year. Communities can receive up to 400,000 hryvnias for the opening and operation of these clubs.

The purpose of the competition is rehabilitation and reintegration through sports

"Time to Act, Unstoppable" is implemented in 13 regions of Ukraine. On the terms of co-financing, the project received grant support from the State Institution "All-Ukrainian Center for Physical Health of the Population "Sport for All", with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine within the framework of the President of Ukraine's program "Active Parks", the Fedor Shpyg Foundation and the Charitable Foundation "MHP-Hromadi" within the framework of the veteran reintegration program "MHP Next to You". 

The presentation of the new season took place in the format of a veteran training

During the presentation of the new season of the social competition "Time to Act, Unstoppable", veterans underwent training in three adaptive programs - depending on the level of physical fitness. This emphasizes the individual approach and comprehensive support provided by the initiative. 

Matviy Bidny, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine:

"We believe that sport is more than just physical activity. It is a powerful tool for recovery, reintegration and strength of spirit. It is in adaptive clubs that a veteran can not only train, but also feel like part of a team, part of life. This initiative is also a concrete step towards creating a truly barrier-free space in Ukraine. A space where there are no barriers - neither physical nor social - for those who return from the war, for people with disabilities, for everyone who needs support.".

Andriy Rebrina, Director of the State Institution "Sport for All":

"15 clubs that won last year's "Time to Act. Unstoppable" competition are already functioning. They have become centers for veterans and their families, where they can get support, communicate with fellow soldiers and lead an active lifestyle. That is why the competition is being continued and this year we are ready to join our partners in co-financing another 20 adaptive sports clubs "Unstoppable". We must create as many conditions as possible for veterans and people with disabilities to engage in physical activity, to strengthen their body and spirit, and to effectively integrate into civilian life after returning from combat zones."

Pavlo Moroz, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at MHP:

"We systematically implement social initiatives in 136 territorial communities of Ukraine, support servicemen, veterans and their families within the framework of the "MHP Next to You" program. In the course of our work, we realized that adaptive sport is not only physical activity, but also an effective tool for rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans and people with disabilities. This idea formed the basis of the grant competition "Time to Act, Unstoppable", thanks to which adaptive sports clubs are appearing in communities. Here, servicemen and veterans can play sports for free, recover physically and mentally, and also be among like-minded people."

Oleksandr Pakholyuk, Director of the Charitable Foundation "MHP-Hromadi":

"Thanks to the competition "Time to Act. Unstoppable", sport is becoming accessible to veterans and people with disabilities. We pay special attention to the training of coaches: in cooperation with leading universities of physical culture, we organize training programs so that specialists can master modern methods of working with veterans and people with disabilities. This makes it possible to provide quality support on the path to recovery and return to civilian life. For example, in Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, an adaptive space is being created by a veteran who not only personally went through the path of rehabilitation after being wounded, but also works as a professional coach."

Maria Lemberg, Director of the Fedor Shpyg Charitable Foundation

"The return of servicemen always happens with the return to the family, to the family, circle of relatives and the community where they live. The only thing that can demonstrate the gratitude of society is access to services and infrastructure that a veteran can use in their community. The value of gratitude is nullified if it is expressed exclusively in words and on holidays. Very concrete actions in partnership with communities, businesses and the public sector create a material dimension of this gratitude: veteran spaces, rehabilitation centers, adaptive centers, convenient services. All of us in the rear have very little time to prepare the necessary infrastructure for the return of servicemen and support for veterans and their families. The availability and accessibility of such adaptive spaces can become an additional impetus for the development of the veteran community of Ukraine."

How to get grant support

Applications for participation in the "Time to Act, Unstoppable" project can be submitted until May 12, 2025. Participants can be public associations (NGOs, BFs), local self-government bodies, municipal enterprises, institutions, organizations, healthcare facilities, as well as business entities (legal entities and individual entrepreneurs). 

On June 26, 2025, 20 winners of the competition will be announced, for whom free training of coaches will be organized to improve their professional competencies. Both experienced coaches and veterans themselves can become participants in the training.

Which regions can participate

Applicants from 13 regions of Ukraine can apply: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and the city of Kyiv. The project will last 6 months, until December 2025.

How the winners will be chosen

The winners of the "Time to Act, Unstoppable" competition will be determined according to several criteria: the quality of the project, the availability of space for the club and the candidacy of the coach, who has the appropriate education and experience. The proactivity of the community and its ability to unite to achieve common goals are also important, so that the project can continue to exist even after the end of grant funding.

For whom adaptive clubs will be free

Each of the 20 "Time to Act, Unstoppable" clubs will receive funding in the amount of up to UAH 600,000, of which UAH 200,000 will be provided by the state and a charitable foundation, and another UAH 200,000 by the community. These funds will be used for the club's current needs, including the repair of the premises and the purchase of sports equipment,  payment for the work of the adaptive space coach.

Applications for the competition can be submitted until May 12, 2025 on the competition website. The preliminary date for announcing the winners is June 26.