The Most Important in Brief

YSR's mission is to change individual’s lives and to create better opportunities through sports. Together, we co-create a place where all people can pursue their passion, work on their goals and be together. Our vision is that sport can unite people from all backgrounds; we envision the development of a more tolerant and inclusive society by harnessing the power of sport. Every day YSR offers more than 20 different sports activities to approximately 400 people. Our model is unique with over 120 of our past and current coaches coming from a refugee background.

1. Purpose

   Yoga and Sport with Refugees (YSR) has been operational since 2017. At first responding to the emergency situation in Greece, and our community’s need for a healthy safe space; we now have four locations in two countries, demonstrating our adaptability and scalability. YSR is an established focal point on the ground, enshrined in the NGO tapestries of Greece and France. We are a reliable place for our students to not only practice sport and work on their physical and mental well-being, but to also find community and additional support through partner organisations.

2. The Most Important in Brief

   YSR's mission is to change individual’s lives and to create better opportunities through sports. Together, we co-create a place where all people can pursue their passion, work on their goals and be together. Our vision is that sport can unite people from all backgrounds; we envision the development of a more tolerant and inclusive society by harnessing the power of sport. Every day YSR offers more than 20 different sports activities to approximately 400 people. Our model is unique with over 120 of our past and current coaches coming from a refugee background.

3. Goals

   Community building, empowerment and skills-building, advocacy, mental and physical well-being, integration and inclusion.

4. Principles

   We prioritise grassroots decision-making and a refugee-led approach. Our organisation consists of a dedicated team of coordinators, directors, interns, and coaches, with a strong emphasis on female leadership and community-centred decision-making. We provide employment opportunities for coordinators and teaching opportunities for refugees, aiming to empower and support their future personal and professional success. Our organisation values inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that the voices and perspectives of the refugee community are represented at all levels of our organisation. Moreover to ensure inclusivity, YSR is developing internal training for inclusive sports instruction, emphasising LGBTQ+ individuals. Our team receives external training to adopt a trauma-informed approach, acknowledging the experiences of our coaches and students. This ensures our coaches can create welcoming environments, promoting diversity and acceptance.

5. Measures

   YSR has always been a holistic community-driven organisation. This approach has allowed us to create a safe and inclusive environment for the approximately 4000 students who enter our gym spaces each month. According to our most recent impact assessment around 64% of students have reported improved mental and physical health after joining the YSR community. Similarly, 66% of students reported feeling a heightened sense of community, attributing it to their participation in the diverse sports events and activities offered by YSR. We are determined to continue our work, particularly when it comes to skills-building. One of our main achievements in the past year has been the creation and expansion of our Coach Support Programme, an capacity building initiative aimed at professionalising our coaches skill set. In addition to providing our coaches with training specific to their sport we also aim to develop their pedagogical skills, teaching style and empower them to assume leadership roles within the YSR community to promote greater organisational visibility, advocacy and integration. We are also particularly enthusiastic about empowering women to take on coaching positions with YSR. Sohalia Shojayie, who joined us in 2019 as a karate and women’s instructor, later becoming our first female refugee coordinator in Athens encapsulates this goal, stating: “It is my personal mission to involve more women in sports and to give them the confidence to reach their goals. It is my goal in life to empower women through sports and to defend their rights.”

6. Financing

   We are fully aware of the fact that we can not rely on a single supporter for the project to be successful in the long run. That is why we have formulated multiple ways to make our project sustainable. We will diversify our sources of funding in the year. However we are also aware that in the field we are working in we will always be partly relying on foundations like yours to receive funding. We are fully privately funded, with major support coming from foundations, organisations and campaigns. Monthly assistance from Three Peas, Shower Power and Let’s Keep the Ball Flying covers our gym rent in Athens and Lesvos rent alongside our part of our coach support program. Foundations like Hoch Hinaus, Beyond Sport, The Mediterranean Women Fund (MWF), Montcada Solidaria and For Refugees have also consistently funded us. Hoch Hinaus is financing our director salaries for 2023, while we have built a partnership with Beyond Sport where they aid our coach support program. Montcada Solidaria also provides us with general funding, MWF supports our women-focused projects and For Refugees provides emergency grants for equipment purchase and van repairs.

Area of Impact

• Europe
• Ile-de-France, France
• Greece