Inclusion for Healthy Generations

Background Despite the EU policies in the field of sport and healthy lifestyle education, even if the societal role of sport is not anymore underestimated nowadays, we have concluded that in the partner countries involved in this project, sport is not yet used on a structural level as a tool for social inclusion. The needs analysis we conducted on national level shows that many people are not yet engaged in any sports activity and do not have sufficient knowledge about healthy food and nutritious meals. Objectives Our overall objectives were to foster a healthy lifestyle through engagement in sport and thus raise awareness of its key role both in healthy lifestyle education and empowering inclusion among the young people from Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Romania. The role of sport could be seen as a tool for social integration, fighting intolerance and promoting the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the citizens, namely providing the skills needed for the preparation of healthy and nutritious meals. Implementation IHG consisted of 3 international meetings aimed to set up a base for creating networking among the stakeholders, promotional campaigns including sharing of good practices, implementation of activities aimed to promote inclusion through the synergy in the field of sport and healthy lifestyle education. IHG included information events that were targeted at the local community, namely promoting sports, physical activity, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to all. Achievements The IHG project was in line with the general Commission's priorities in the field of sports and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for the citizens. As a result, we organized 72 local events in 4 countries in collaboration with a total of 12 associative partners. Each event had an average of 15 participants. As an added value we have established an effective network of partners(both international and local) who continue collaborating with each other even after the lifespan of the project.