The European Week of Sport encourages everybody to embrace an active lifestyle

The yearly European Week of Sport (EWoS) was initiated by the European Commission to promote sports and wellbeing all over Europe. The aim of the campaign week is to encourage citizens to be active and to bring awareness of how beneficial an active lifestyle is for everyone.  During the week millions of Europeans participate in tens of thousands of different sport events all over Europe.

I Finland the week highlights especially the importance of physical exercise of children and young people. School Action Day is one of the biggest sports events of school children and young people in Europe.  The target group of the event are pupils from the third to ninth grade in the capital area in Finland. The aim of the event is to offer possibilities to try new kinds of sports activities and to experience the joy of sports. Around 100 activity stops will be hosted by a wide range of sports associations.

– The level of physical inactivity is increasing in Europe. That is why public authorities and sports organizations must joint efforts to improve the situation. Espoo´s example can give inspiring ideas to other cities in the whole Europe, says Yves Le Lostecque, Head of the Sport Unit at the European Commission.  
 
Everyone is welcome to the openings ceremony and the event square 

Everyone is welcome to participate in the opening ceremony of the European Week of Sport at Leppävaara Sports Stadium Monday the 23^rd of September at 11.30 o´clock. The admission is free. Yves Le Lostecque, Head of the Sport Unit at the European Commission, State Secretary Tuomo Puumala, Ministry of Education and Culture and Inka Hopsu, Chair of Espoo City Council, bring their greetings to the event. In the program also music, dance, sport exercise and great atmosphere.  

European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics visits the event and will deliver the official opening speech at around one o´clock.

At the evets square you can get to know e.g. sports associations, sport governing bodies and other actors and participate in different activities. You can also meet three youtube celebrities: Pernilla Böckerman, Jaakko Parkkali and Pinkku Pinsku.

- Physical exercise is a key to longer and better life. Regardless of our age, condition or background, we all can find new ways to be active and take care of our well-being. That is why we in Espoo encourage everybody to excercise during the whole life, Harri Rinta-aho, Director of Education and Cultural Services in the City of Espoo says.   

How to make young people more active 

A European Commission seminar How to make young people more active? is arranged on Monday the 23^rd of September at 15-17.30 in Sello Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1 A,02600 Espoo.

The seminar is open to media. 
Please registrate in advance (obligatory) at the latest 18.9.2019 sportseu2019@minedu.fi 

In Finlad the European week of Sport is coordinated by Finnish national agency for Education. The School Action Day-event is produced in co-operation with the City of Espoo, the City of Helsinki, the City of Vantaa and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Co-operation partners in the event are also Erasmus+ program and Liikkuva koulu -program.  

More information: 

European Week of Sport 

Terhi Liintola 
Programme manager  
Finnish National Agency for Education 
EU Erasmus+ programme 
Tel +358 (0)295 338 504 & +358 (0)400 247 744 

School Action Day  

Martti Merra 
Director of Sports and Youth Services 
The City of Espoo 
Tel. + 358 (0)43 824 9586 
martti.merra@espoo.fi 

https://ec.europa.eu/sport/week/ 

https://www.espoo.fi/fi-FI/Kulttuuri_ja_liikunta/Liikunta/Euroopan_urheiluviikon_avajaiset_ja_Scho(163667)