The International Olympic Committee (IOC), through its newly launched Olympism365 Innovation Centre, has recognised five community projects that contribute to advancing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in innovative ways. Through a new annual initiative called the Ignite365 Awards, each organisation will receive an initial grant of $10,000 to further their projects. In addition, they will benefit from training designed to meet their specific needs, as well as opportunities for participation and networking.
The Ignite365 Awards are the first initiative of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub, a collaboration between the IOC, Beyond Sport and Women Win , which will invest USD 1.2 million in different innovative community projects over the next nine months.
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More than 200 applications from 86 countries were considered for the awards, and the final winners were chosen by a review committee comprised of experts in sport for development, social enterprise, technology and youth leadership. In addition to the grant, each winner will also join the Olympism365 Innovation Centre‘s growing network of partners, contributing to its impact and benefiting from knowledge-sharing opportunities.
WINNERS
Fenikks is a project that has set up plastic waste collection points in 56 disadvantaged neighbourhoods in seven regions of Argentina, transforming this waste into shin guards for football players. So far, the project has donated 3,000 pairs of shin guards and plans to start making football boots from plastic waste.
Grass Skirts is dedicated to using sport to drive social change in Papua New Guinea by promoting gender equality. Through Gymbox, cargo containers are reused as sustainable mobile fitness facilities and community areas, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced gender-based violence. Its Strong Leadership programme aims to transform attitudes towards gender equality, especially among young people.
Never Stop Playing Sports was originally launched in 2020 to support participating athletes in Japan affected by COVID-19. It has been working to support and advise on menstrual health and sports performance, as well as conducting community outreach.
Touch2see is a French company committed to helping visually impaired people follow live sporting events. Using a touch-sensitive tablet, it enhances the experience of attending a live sporting event. It can currently be used for football, rugby and basketball.
WeSwim works to increase swimming opportunities for people with disabilities in Britain, offering the chance to get active and connect with others.
