ACCESS project concludes with energetic final conference

On 14 May, the ACCESS project held its final conference at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Funded by Erasmus+ since June 2022, ACCESS contributed to circularity in cities by developing sustainable practices in sport. After a welcome speech by ACR+ Secretary General Françoise Bonnet, the event proceeded with keynote speakers Frederik Ceulemans, Vice-Mayor of the City of Brussels, and Peter Fischer from the European Commission’s Sport Unit. Four project partners then presented different outputs from ACCESS before a panel discussion was formed by remaining partners. Amid the discussion, participants emphasised the sizeable impact of smaller sports clubs, especially for urban renewal and local engagement. In Dublin, Denmark, Porto, and Wales, partners described how communities of practice strengthened their communities both on and off the pitch, investing in infrastructure, fostering innovative financing schemes, and future-proofing for climate adaptation. Involving waste, mobility, energy, and architecture, sport organisations recounted successful initiatives boosting circularity across their value chains. Altogether, the conference underpinned the key lesson of ACCESS: that sport is not only a game but a game-changer.  

Read more: https://access-cc.eu