British organisation Ourmala has been granted a slice of a €600,000 (£512,733, US$636,226) European Commission fund to help integrate refugees into society through sport.
London-based Ourmala has received €57,242 (£48,916, US$60,698) in funding for its Ashtanga Yoga Good Health Project.
The organisation delivers therapeutic yoga, nutritional lunches and English classes to refugees and asylum-seekers.
Ourmala’s project was one of 11 schemes chosen for funding by the European Commission. Fifty-three applications from 15 EU countries were received.
Also receiving money were: Centro Universitario Sportivo Palermo; Directorate of Physical Education, Hellenic Republic; Streetfootballworld; Royal Europa 90 Kraainem Football Club; Oltalom Sport Association; Sports Management Bulgaria; Sunflower Farm; Aquila basket Trento 2013; Caritas Wien; Democracy in Sport Association.
The projects will run in 2017 to “test and identify practices” that can best integrate refugees following a large influx to Europe over the past 18 months.
Tibor Navracsics, commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: “I am very pleased that the EU is supporting concrete actions enabling refugees to participate in sport and physical activity.
“Sport can be a great way to convey EU values and will help to better integrate refugees into European societies. Through these projects we hope to draw many lessons, which we can use to set up even more ambitious actions in future.”
