FONTES webinar explores how sport can turn participation into belonging
“Sport, Faith and Belonging” brought research, lived experience and practical approaches together to examine what meaningful social inclusion through sport requires.
The FONTES project hosted its online webinar “Sport, Faith and Belonging” on 5 October 2026, bringing together experts, practitioners, project partners and community organisations to discuss how sport can contribute to social integration in multicultural and multi-faith settings.
The event opened with the presentation of the FONTES research findings, which mapped practices and experiences at the intersection of sport, integration and community work. The discussion highlighted recurring challenges, including the lack of institutionalised methodologies, limited training for coaches and volunteers, short-term funding, gender and intersectional barriers, weak impact measurement and the need for stronger multilingual and digital resources.
Across the webinar, a consistent message emerged: sport does not create inclusion automatically. Access is only the starting point. Meaningful inclusion depends on relationship-building, continuity, adaptation to local realities and intentional work by coaches, volunteers and organisations.
The first panel focused on inclusion in practice. Dimitra Lygoura, representing Olympiacos SFP, stressed the importance of looking beyond whether an activity is formally open to everyone and asking whether people can actually participate, feel respected and want to return. Ignacio Taló Valls shared experiences from Brafa on how free football activities can restore confidence, dignity and a sense of family, while Younis Jamal highlighted the importance of genuine youth participation and co-design.
The second panel explored the role of community and faith-based networks. Leonardo Aresi described parish sport spaces as a form of social infrastructure that can offer newcomers a place to belong before they are fully integrated. Luigi Aruta highlighted the trust, spaces and volunteer networks that faith-based organisations can mobilise, while emphasising that participation must remain open to everyone. Javier Almagro shared practical experience from work with the Burmese migrant community on the Thai-Myanmar border, including approaches designed to reduce barriers to women’s participation in sport.
The webinar brought together perspectives connected to the FONTES partnership across Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Germany, while also drawing on wider international experience. These contributions will inform the next phase of the project, including the development of training resources, testing activities and future multicultural sport events.
FONTES will continue to translate research and dialogue into practical tools for coaches, volunteers and organisations seeking to use sport as a pathway to inclusion, trust and stronger community connections.
“Belonging goes beyond being invited to participate. It is built through trust, continuity and the experience of being welcomed back.”
About FONTES
FONTES – FOstering New TEchniques for Social integration through Sport is an Erasmus+ Sport Cooperation Partnership. The 30-month project brings together seven partners from Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Germany and explores how sport, grassroots organisations and faith-based networks can contribute to social integration, intercultural dialogue and a stronger sense of belonging.
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