Rowing4confidence

LL-00032

Enhancing the inclusion of excluded and vulnerable children and developing safe behaviour in open water through rowing activities

Common territorial challenge (s) that will be tackled by the project

Local sports institutions often avoid engaging with children who have special needs due to a lack of psychological understanding and pedagogical skills for those with mental disabilities. The region lacks sports facilities specifically designed for adapted use. This exclusion extends to children in community foster homes, denying them access to physical activity services and further marginalizing this vulnerable group. To foster an inclusive society, making sports accessible to children with mental health challenges is crucial. A key challenge in fostering cooperation is promoting synergy between active lifestyles and other social services, preventing social exclusion and enhancing the capacity of organizations providing these essential services.

Project objective

Promoting social inclusion across borders for marginalized children in community-based foster homes and those excluded due to mental disabilities is the focus of integrated efforts. This involves addressing institutional fears and enhancing the capacity of sports institutions to provide rowing activities in Panevėžys, Liepaja, and Daugavpils.

Planned activities

Planned activities involve theory-based training for coaches in special education and psychology. Three collaborative two-day seminars will be conducted, followed by coaches undertaking practical traineeships at each project partner's location, encompassing diverse bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and seas. The activity will conclude with an agreement among the rowing schools in the three cities to sustain collaboration, continually update their special skills in working with disabled and foster children, exchange experiences, and participate in joint sporting events involving these groups at least once a year. In preparation for making rowing lessons accessible to the project's target groups – children with mental disorders and those in institutional foster care – a series of actions will be implemented. Specifically, boat docking with auxiliary facilities will be established in Panevėžys. Additionally, specialized rowing and safety equipment will be procured for Panevėžys, Liepaja, and Daugavpils. This new equipment will facilitate safer rowing training, fostering the development of physical capabilities in children. The inventory includes boats with increased stability, supplementary stabilizing equipment, life jackets, and rowing ergometers, which aid in learning rowing techniques on land and developing specific nuances in techniques. Later in the project, project partners' coaches, who have undergone training and psychological preparation, will engage at the local level with children from the target group. Additionally, two cross-border "Safe rowing weekends" will be organized in Liepaja and Daugavpils, catering to the international target group from all three areas. The activities will reach their culmination with a joint SUPboard/canoe regatta in Panevėžys, allowing the participating target group to showcase their newfound skills in a public setting.

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