Spaces for Sport receives an award from the International Olympic Committee

GANSBAAI, South Africa - May 2, 2013 - PRLog -- Leán Terblanche accepted the Sports facilities and public spaces Grant at the 15th International Olympic Committee Conference on Sport for All on behalf of the Gansbaai Spaces for Sports site in Lima, Peru, from 24 – 27 April 2013. Leán shared the story and vision of the Spaces for Sport foundation.

The Gansbaai Sports Centre was built in 2007 in partnership with Barclays/Absa, the Overstrand Municipality, the Premier League, Grootbos Foundation and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. The multi-purpose sports facility is situated right in the middle of the Black, White and Coloured communities.

Gansbaai is traditionally a fisherman’s village where poverty and unemployment is rife, schools are under-resourced and racial segregation is prevalent. Because of this, many of the children are socially excluded within poor communities without adequate access to further education, employment, housing and health care. What is unique about this site is that it is situated in the middle of three culturally diverse communities, with a pathway from each community leading directly to the sports field – making it equally accessible to all people as a “neutral” space not belonging to any specific community, and serving as the perfect catalyst for social and racial integration.

The Football Foundation of South Africa uses football, netball, hockey and athletics programmes at the site to address the various social issues. With partner organizations, the Foundation delivers accredited and non-accredited youth and adult education programmes that address environmental awareness, HIV/AIDS, health, computer literacy, life skills training, career and entrepreneurial development. The Foundation makes use of training sessions, tournaments, excursions, activities and curriculums to run programmes for about 500 girls and boys, six days per week.

The centre caters for eight different sports codes to accommodate different sporting needs and has a mobile gym, clubhouse, showers and changing room facilities. This is an ideal example of a sports facility going beyond its basic role, and creating opportunities for more young people not just to play sports, but to interact and build bridges with others.

To find out more about the Grootbos Foundation please visit: http://www.grootbos.com/en/the-grootbos-foundation/