5TH ACTIVE FANS PROJECT MEETING IN BUDAPEST

Ferencvárosi TC hosted the 5th Active Fans project meeting in Budapest. The programme partners Vitesse Betrokken, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Rangers Charity Foundation, PSV Foundation, Feyenoord Rotterdam, KAA Gent and Valerenga Fotball joined the meeting to discuss the results of the second delivery phase and the next steps.

Active Fans aims to reach people (both men and women) over 35 who would like to get physically active again and supports them making lifestyle changes and improving their diets. This programme is funded by Erasmus+ Sport and coordinated by EFDN.

On the first day of the meeting, the participating clubs gave an update on their programme implementation. The staff members summarised facts & figures, showed best practices, explained the challenges that they faced during the second delivery phase, highlighted results and shared recommendations. Overall, the clubs estimated great results in both weight loss and social aspects. Participants have not only improved their physical well-being and are now more conscious of physical activity and eating habits but also found new friends and got involved in new sport groups and the charity work of the clubs.

EFDN presented the European Healthy Football League on the second day. The European Healthy Football League is an app-based competition encouraging football fans of all ages to make healthy lifestyle choices and compete against fans from other clubs. Together with their fans, the clubs strive to become the healthiest club in the city, country and Europe. The clubs involved in the Active Fans project are testing the App already and provided EFDN with feedback. Afterwards, the programme partners discussed changes in the methodology and the workbooks that are used by coaches and participants. Finally, the staff members from five different countries talked about communication, finance and monitoring & evaluation.

PARTICIPANTS LOST MORE THAN 3 KILOS

So far, the methodology can be assessed as successful. The statistics show that participants lost on average more than 3 kilos after 12 weeks of the programme and their hip circumference decreased on average 5.4 cm. This led to a lower BMI and less blood pressure. Furthermore, the responses to questionnaires indicate that participants are now living a healthier lifestyle and feel more confident. EFDN will publish more detailed results soon.