New Erasmus+ project has started – Out4In

fairplay ventures into new territory! On November 28th and 29th, amidst the icy cold of Helsinki, we experienced our first in-person meeting as part of the groundbreaking EU+ project 'Outdoor for Inclusion (Out4In).' Michaela bravely made her way to the frosty capital to bring life to the vision of this project.

Our initiative is dedicated to outdoor sports and targets communities that have had limited access to activities such as hiking, nature walks, and sightseeing tours. The goal? To integrate these groups into outdoor activities. To achieve this, the project prepares outdoor educators, social workers, and those aspiring to be, for collaboration with diverse communities. They undergo training in outdoor activities to explore self-designed routes with women from migrant communities. Later, these routes will be published on apps and social media, inviting other NGOs to participate.

The meeting agenda ranged from deciding on the project logo, discussing relevant stakeholders, to defining our future collaboration. Among other things, a set of skills was established that will be imparted to the prospective trainers during the training in Zaragoza, scheduled for June 2024.

Despite winter Helsinki being draped in snow and icy cold, the project partners ventured out into the city in the evening. Together, they roamed the snow-covered streets and explored an urban route during their first joint walk. Even the new project coordinator at VIDC, Michaela, was not deterred by the frosty temperatures and explored some planned routes in Helsinki at -14 degrees Celsius—a truly fascinating, albeit bitterly cold, experience. This expedition through winter Helsinki was not only a tiny first step towards realizing our project but also an excursion into the icy beauty of the Finnish capital.

We look forward to the coming months and to some beautiful joint walks in the warm sunshine!