Debate post This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
The government is allocating NOK 120 million to prevent outsiders in sport! The Labor Party and the Center Party prioritize the work of including children and young people in sport. For us, it is important to reduce the differences in society, and sport plays a very important role in that.
The funds are distributed via the Norwegian Sports Confederation to the sports councils in municipalities with more than 200 children in low-income families. Fredrikstad Sports and Activities Council is an important actor in Fredrikstad, which together with the sports teams and volunteers in the city contributes to ensuring that children and young people have safe and good meeting places where they can experience mastery and community.
This is good news with a sad backdrop. Fredrikstad is a city with many children who grow up in poverty. Around 18% of children in our city grow up in families with persistently low incomes. Therefore, one of our most important tasks is to ensure that finances do not become an obstacle to participating in sport. FRID now receives just over NOK 5.5 million for this work.
In Fredrikstad, we have adopted a local leisure declaration with two overarching goals:
- That all children and young people should have the opportunity to participate in leisure activities and to participate in play that is appropriate for the child’s age. Through play and activity, children and young people are included in a community and experience belonging and mastery.
- That children and young people should be involved and have influence over their play and the leisure activities in which they participate.
I am very happy that we in Fredrikstad have skilled and committed people in the sports council who are very interested in this work, not to mention all the people who volunteer in the sports teams. You all contribute to Fredrikstad being a safe and good place to grow up, and that everyone can be part of a social community. It is incredibly valuable.
