Mielen NGO Tampere Finland and Rientola Settlement NGO

Organisation: Mielen NGO Tampere Finland and Rientola Settlement NGO

Programme name: Meaningful Joy of Sport

City: Tampere

Sport / Physical activity: Various Sport Groups for Rehabilitation (Gym, Walking Football, Bowling, Archery, Floorball)

Programme information, aims and objectives: The aim of the program is to strengthen active participation and involvement of the persons outside working life and in poor physical shape because of mental disorders by means of social sport activities.

Participants: Programme is aimed at long-term unemployed, rehabilitation supported persons and persons working part-time. Participants are both male and females. All the sport groups are free of charge for participants.

Sessions: The activities take place between 10am – 15am in weekdays (Mon-Fri). Different sport groups are held in different days so that it is possible for participants to participate for more than one sport group during the week. The duration of different sport groups is from 1 to 3 months and 1 or 2 times per week, but for example walking football you can go in for all year long. One session lasts app. 90 minutes. There all also some one-time excursions for more special sports like climbing, fatbiking and Sup boarding, etc. These excursions are usually day trips and implemented in nature locations.

Evaluation/Measurement of outcomes: The Program results and findings are evaluated by an external expert organisation: The Rehabilitation Foundation. Their aim is to serve as a Living Lab in rehabilitation, to introduce tangible reforms in the rehabilitation sector and to produce tools for reshaping our field in Finland. The program participants are interviewed several times during their participation by Rehabilitation Foundation experts. In focus is to monitor participants’ subjective improvement in social skills and physical condition.