ICSSPE Hosts Kick-Off Meeting of “Move, Play & Belong” Project

On 3–4 February 2026, ICSSPE hosted in Berlin the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ project "Move, Play & Belong: Inclusive Family Sports" (MPB), bringing together project partners for two days of exchange, coordination, and strategic planning.

 

The Move, Play & Belong project aims to increase sport participation and promote active lifestyles among socially at-risk families, including low-income households, foster families, and refugee families. By focusing on family-based and intergenerational approaches, the project seeks to remove barriers to participation and create inclusive, welcoming sport environments that support both physical activity and social inclusion.

 

During the meeting, partners discussed the overall project framework, objectives, timelines, and responsibilities. A key focus was placed on the development of the Move, Play & Belong Framework, an inclusive and adaptable model designed to encourage regular physical activity, strengthen intergenerational sport participation, and support education on healthy and active living. The project also aims to ensure long-term impact by working closely with local municipalities, sport organisations, and policymakers to integrate family-friendly sport initiatives into existing structures and programmes.

 

ICSSPE plays a central role in the project as the leader of Work Package 2 (WP2): Research & Needs Assessment. Within this work package, ICSSPE will coordinate surveys and interviews with socially at-risk families across partner countries to better understand their motivations, needs, and the barriers they face in accessing sport and physical activity. This will be complemented by desk-based research analysing existing policies, reports, and academic literature on family sport participation and social inclusion through sport, as well as the identification of successful best practices from different national contexts. The findings will directly inform the design of the Move, Play & Belong Framework.

 

The project is coordinated by the Latvian Sport Federation and brings together a diverse consortium of partners, including Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya (Spain), Estonian Sport for All Association (Estonia), European Culture and Sport Organization (Italy), KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre (Greece), and ICSSPE (Germany).

 

The kick-off meeting marked an important first step in the collaborative journey of the Move, Play & Belong project, laying the foundation for evidence-based, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to family sport participation across Europe.