The objective is to create low-threshold sporting and exercise activities close to residential areas, including open training groups or free-for-all tournaments. These activities have within a short time already proven to be successful in enabling people to establish new contacts, providing a communication medium and attracting children, young persons and families to take up sporting activities. Due to the brief preparatory period prior to commencement of the project, the establishment of contacts with local sports clubs and associations and/or the undertaking of relevant initial steps was only possible at the point of commencement of integrative activities.

The fundamental concept throughout has been the involvement of specific target groups in residential areas in existing community structures through a continuous series of activities, the intensification and stabilisation of these structures and thereby also the encouragement of friendly cooperation.

Focal points in the structuring and implementation of the project are:

• combination of social work and popular sports
  
• defusing of social conflicts and the cultivation of contact and an increase in acceptance between native residents and immigrants
  
• organisation and implementation of popular sporting events, in particular: midnight tournaments; football, basketball, volleyball and handball – as an essential integration catalyst
  
• creation of cross-generation activities
  
• involvement of existing groups and initiatives
  
• health promotion with the focus on a healthy diet, sports as a bridge smoothing the way for the overcoming of social integration problems, as an indicator for life in the new community and as the basis for effective integration support ranging from the acceptance of social welfare programmes to participation in open leisure and cultural activities
• help towards self-help
  
• organisation and coordination  of various local sporting and leisure activities run by the network

The socio-environmental approach is a core element of the project work: i.e. project activities are concentrated within the so-called “social hotspots”, in which numerous immigrant families with integration problems, other immigration groups and disadvantaged native residents live.

The focal point of integrative work is the cooperation with sports clubs and associations and the creation of project-internal training groups and groups attached to sports clubs. A further objective is the work undertaken together with the network “Integration and Migration” which is operated by the City of Halle and the confederation of migration organisations in the city of Halle in which the various institutions, associations, welfare associations, child and youth services and other groups work in close cooperation, complement one another and provide mutual support.

Low-threshold sports and exercise activities close to residential areas, open training groups or free-for-all tournaments and local leisure activities for holiday periods have all within a short time proven effectiveness as a contact and communication medium and have succeeded in attracting children, young persons and families to participate in sporting activities.

The measures and activities mentioned have already achieved such a high acceptance among the target groups, that permanent groups have been established which meet on a regular basis.

Children, young persons and men and women from a variety of cultural circles and social groups and also disadvantaged native residents

Funding was provided by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the State Administrative Office (Department of Integration and Resettlers).

The annual budget:

• Landesverwaltungsamt Dessau (10,254.68 Euro)
• Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (27,386.68 Euro)