Kick-off Meeting in Thessaloniki

Kick-off Meeting in Thessaloniki Marks the Official Start of the Inclusive Play Project

The Inclusive Play Erasmus+ Sport project officially began with its kick-off meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, bringing together project partners from Greece, France, Austria, Serbia, Slovenia, and Poland. This first transnational meeting marked an important milestone for the consortium, as partners gathered to align their shared vision, define the project’s strategic direction, and establish the foundation for the work that will follow in the coming months.

During the meeting, the consortium focused on reviewing the overall objectives of the project, discussing the planned work packages, clarifying partner responsibilities, and setting the first operational steps. The meeting also provided an important opportunity for all participating organisations to exchange their expertise, share initial ideas, and strengthen cooperation across the partnership.

Inclusive Play was developed with a clear purpose: to support coaches, physical education teachers, trainers, sports clubs, and educational institutions in creating more inclusive sport and play environments for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. While sport can play a powerful role in personal development, social inclusion, confidence, and wellbeing, many professionals still lack the practical training and tools needed to adapt activities effectively for every child. The project aims to help bridge this gap through the development of accessible, practical, and evidence-based educational resources.

A key focus of the kick-off meeting was the development of the project’s future outputs, including training materials, educational modules, practical tools, and open-access resources that will be made available to sport and education professionals across Europe. Partners discussed how these resources can be designed to respond to real needs in the field, while remaining practical, inclusive, and easy to apply in everyday coaching and teaching environments.

The international nature of the consortium represents one of the project’s greatest strengths. Each partner organisation brings valuable experience from its own national context, ranging from sport education and coaching to social inclusion, pedagogical development, pilot implementation, dissemination, and project coordination. By combining this knowledge, Inclusive Play aims to create resources that are not only high-quality, but also relevant across different European environments.

The meeting in Thessaloniki therefore marked more than just the formal launch of the project. It represented the beginning of a shared European effort to make sport more accessible, inclusive, and supportive for every child, regardless of ability, learning needs, or background.

The Inclusive Play consortium looks forward to the next stages of the project and to sharing future updates as the planned activities, training materials, and project results begin to take shape.