Work has started on the delivery of the European Paralympic Committee’s latest development activity – ParaManager – following the first gathering of partners in Vienna, Austria.
ParaManager, the latest Erasmus+ supported project, aims to transform the management of Para sport in Europe.
Representatives from the National Paralympic Committees of Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Serbia and Slovakia, who are all partners on the project, gathered in the Austrian capital to discuss deliverables, activities and timelines.
ParaManager is designed to have a sustainable impact across Europe with the materials developed available to sport organisations and clubs, big or small, in EU Member States. It will build a comprehensive framework specific for Para sport and a capacity-building e-learning course – complete with a certificate of completion - as well as gather and promote good practice that already exists.
The overall goal of the project is to raise awareness about disability to those who work in managerial positions, building inclusion and improving knowledge and skills that will result in more people with disabilities having access to sport on a recreational and high-performance level.
Ivo Quendera, Project Manager for ParaManager, said: “We are fortunate to have the input of experts from seven National Paralympic Committees in Croatia, Poland, Greece, Slovakia, Portugal, Lithuania and Serbia who will play a crucial role in delivering ParaManager to a wide audience.
“Together, we are planning to make a big impact and difference across the region, from clubs providing activities in one sport to national and international organisations who would like to be more inclusive.
“There is a huge amount of knowledge and experience within the European Paralympic Committee Membership and we are keen to make that available to as many people as possible. Creating the right environment for inclusion of people with disabilities to become mainstream is a very important mission, and one that we and our partners accept with great energy and enthusiasm.”
ParaManager will include several ‘multiplier’ events, aimed to promote its aims and materials to as many relevant people and organisations as possible. This will include a slot on the Discovery Programme at this summer’s European Para Youth Games in Istanbul, Türkiye, taking place from 21-28 July.
The last Erasmus+ supported project by the European Paralympic Committee, the European Coach Developer Academy (ECDA), will also feature on the Discovery Programme to continue its reach and impact.
Deploying a ‘train the trainer’ approach, the ECDA developed a framework for the training of personnel who coach Para athletes or may wish to do so in the future.
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