New Balance Foundation & Beyond Sport Announce New Sport Together Fund Grantees
October 6, 2023
With its dedication to supporting vibrant community organizations and sustaining youth, Beyond Sport is proud to announce the New Balance Foundation as our newest Sport Together Fund Supporter.
Around the world, 108 million+ people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and climate disasters. The Sport Together Fund delivered by Beyond Sport provides grants and capacity-building support to non-profit organizations, sports clubs and collectives who are assisting communities facing humanitarian crises. The Fund also supports the transit and host communities where people are rebuilding their lives.
In partnership with the Foundation, today we’re pleased to share our three new Fund Grantee Partners. Working across France, Germany and the Netherlands, all are supporting positive youth development, promoting health and wellness and helping children and young people with refugee experiences rebuild their lives. Diverse in approach the organizations are all using sport with intention to promote inclusion and healthy communities:
- Fútbol Más France: Operating globally, the non-profit promotes social inclusion and the wellbeing of vulnerable populations – particularly children and young people – through play and football. In Paris, the organization supports local refugee and migrant communities through sport-based initiatives that address trauma, self-confidence and social-emotional skills.
More specifically, the non-profit is working with youth aged 5-14 from migrant and refugee families who are living in emergency shelters following their displacement from countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Ukraine, Russia and Cameroon. Futbol Mas France will be using the grant to bolster and continue its social-sport sessions aimed at developing young refugees and migrants’ health, wellbeing and resilience.
- SPORTS for MORE eV: Based in Germany, the sports club promotes a society with equal opportunities for all children and young people. It combines boxing with youth/social work to drive integration, health and educational equality. The club has been serving refugees aged 8-20 and those from neighboring migrant communities since 2017, with a focus on promoting integration, physical and mental health, respect, social skills and tolerance. Most of the displaced youth it serves come from Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Russian Federation. Sports for More eV will use the grant funding to run boxing sessions for its participants, as well as health and empowerment workshops.
- Sportief Besteed Groep (SBG): SBG is active in different municipalities within the province South Holland in the Netherlands. With a strong belief in the social power of sport, it creates activities that challenge and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to take an active role in society. The young migrants and refugees it serves live in emergency shelters and range from age 16 to 22 and have been displaced from countries such as Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Afghanistan. The organization delivers several projects for refugee communities living in the Netherlands and is working to help reduce health inequalities across the country. SBG will use the grant to support its ongoing football and multi-sport activities to promote social integration and a healthy, active lifestyle.
“We know sport can be impactful for your body and mind, but when focused on the outcomes and intention, it can transcend beyond physical health and impact gender, education, race and much more. One of these areas is supporting displaced peoples globally,” said Fred Turner, Executive Director of Beyond Sport.
“Sport can engage and provide pathways to those who don’t have a home or safe space. That’s why we created the Sport Together Fund, which provides support to the organizations on the ground providing those vital needs. We’re excited to partner with New Balance Foundation in order to impact more young people with refugee and migrant experiences,” he continued.
As part of the partnership, Beyond Sport joined New Balance’s EMEA Brand Summit event on September 26, where 100 New Balance employees helped pack 1000 backpacks for young people with refugee and migrant experiences. We have since distributed the bags – packed with New Balance goodies and personal notes – to seven sport-based organizations across France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. A huge thank you to the New Balance Foundation and New Balance employees for a day of positivity, impact and giving back to our communities!
The Foundation 92 charity in Salford, England was one of the recipients who distributed the bags to organizations in their community, one of which stated: "
