ISCA Europe Top Leader meeting

Presidents and executive organizational leaders from 12 Sport for All organizations met in Copenhagen 6 March to discuss the futures challenges for the grass-roots sport sector.

“The Sport for All organizations in Europe will play the major role for the future development of sport, physical activity and health. That vast majority of Europeans doing sport and physical activities are doing it for health, recreational or social purposes. Therefore our sector is central to providing recreational services to the Europeans as well as developing active civil societies", says ISCA Europe chair Filippo Fossati.

The presidents discussed in details three key issues for the Sport for All sector; finance, volunteers in sport and sport facilities. The three issues are critical for the grass-root sport movement and the current financial downturn has put all three areas under pressure.

“The Sport for All organizations in Europe have different history and they have different structures, however the future will be the same”, as one of the presidents mentioned at the meeting, while referring to the importance of being innovative in providing new activities and programs responding to current trends and demands.

During 2010 the European Commission will publish studies on Grass-roots sport funding, Volunteers in sport and a new Eurobarometer on sport. ISCA Europe welcomes these efforts to provide data for a more evidence based policy making, both at national and the European level.

ISCA Europe will organize the next meeting for Presidents and executive organizational leaders in Brussels the last week of June. This meeting will focus on health, social inclusion and sustainable development.

ISCA Europe Steering group

ISCA Europe is consist of sport for all organization across Europe and is open to organizations with specific interest in the grass-roots sport sector.

ISCA Europe is governed by a Steering Group of :

Chair of ISCA Europe

Mr Fillippo Fossati,

president of the Italian Sport for All Association

www.uisp.it

Steering group member:

Mr Benny Andreasen,

board member of Danish Gymnastics and Sport Association.

www.dgi.dk

Mr Jean-Claude Besnard,

board member of Union Francaise des Oeuvres Laiques et d'Education Physique

www.ufolep.org