This document presents the 5 pilot site case studies from SPHERE and details the evaluation process and outcomes from each case study. The five case studies piloted the SPHERE Guidelines and as they were developed to be adaptable to different settings and participant characteristics, the case studies provide examples of physical activity programmes from four country locations each with diverse contexts, programmes and participants. The case studies are:
- Everton in the Community “Football Therapy” - UK
- Hämeen Liikunta ja Urheilu – “Good Mind Sports” - Finland
- European Culture and Sport Organization – “Horses & Butterflies” - Italy
- Rijeka Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities – “Athletic Therapy” - Croatia
- European Culture and Sport Organization - Nazionale Italiana "Crazy for Football" - Italy
To assess the outcomes of these SPHERE pilot actions, pre and post programme data was collected from participants. Each case study used their country version of the Short Form - 36 (SF-36), providing a common measure among all test-sites.
Additionally, other measures were included in the evaluation protocol. Given the range of pilot settings, including clinical and community programmes, each partner chose the most appropriate evaluation tools for their setting and participants.
The document includes the description of each individual programme, including the implementation method, participants, measurements and testimonies from each programme that applied the SPHERE guidelines. Finally, an overall evaluation of the outcomes of all programmes is presented to assess the consistency of the effects among all the sites that implemented the SPHERE guidelines.
