ICMIF member LocalTapiola Life (Finland) has made a donation of EUR 50,000 to the Finnish Paralympic Committee’s fundraising programme which helps children and young people with special needs to take part in sports and hobby activities. The sum will be allocated to the Paralympic Committee’s “Valtti” programme, which provides support people who accompany children and young people with special needs to take part in sports/hobby activities.
“Studies show that sports started at a young age lay the foundation for lifelong physical activity. Investments in supporting recreational opportunities are also investments in the vibrant future of Finland as a whole. The Finnish Paralympic Committee does vital work in the field of sports and physical activity for those in need of special support. We are happy and proud to support equal opportunities for experiences of the joy of exercise,” says Juha Koponen, CEO of LähiTapiola.
Due to a dramatic fall in government funding, many important functions of the Finnish Paralympic Committee, which directly affect access to sport and physical activity for persons with disabilities, in particular children and young people with disabilities, have come under threat.
In March 2023, the Paralympic Committee launched the World’s Most Valuable T-shirt collection to bridge the budget gap. The t-shirt symbolises the opportunity for children and young people with disabilities to play sports and engage in hobbies. Individuals and companies that have donated to the collection will receive their names on a virtual t-shirt on the Paralympiarahasto.fi website, which will be filled with sponsors as donations accumulate.
One of the Paralympic Committee’s activities under threat is the Valtti programme, and it is this programme to which LähiTapiola has directed its support. Families with a child or young person in need of special support can apply for the programme in the spring, and once selected, they will be allocated their own support person who will accompany the child or young person to take part in sports activities.
The support people are mainly sports and rehabilitation students from the programme’s partner institutions around Finland. They get to know their supervisee and familiarise themselves with the sports and hobby offerings in their local area. Based on this information, they put together a trial exercise plan for the child they will work with, which includes the chance to try out different sports and forms of exercise.
“It takes a surprising amount of time and resources to find out which sports clubs and hobbies are suitable for a child who needs special support. It is quite understandable that in the rush of everyday life, families do not always have enough time for this work. That is why the Valtti programme has proven to be so effective. It has given many families the initial impetus to find a hobby. LähiTapiola’s support hits a truly impressive spot and we are immensely grateful for it,” says Riikka Juntunen, Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee.
Since 2016, the Valtti programme has sought hobbies for nearly 1300 children and young people. Of them, 45 percent have found a hobby directly through the programme and 60 percent have had an idea for a possible hobby in the future. The implementation of the Valtti programme costs the Paralympic Committee EUR 500 for an individual family, so LähiTapiola’s support enables 100 children or young people to find their preferred hobby with Valtti.
