Lotteri-og stiftelsestilsynet (Norwegian Lotteries Authority) has announced that 250 organisations have been awarded funds for diversity and inclusion measures in sport and physical activities.
Aiming to increase accessibility to amateur sport in Norway, the authority has committed NOK 100m (EUR 9.6m) to the scheme, which will create ‘lasting increased participation’.
Over 1000 applications were received, totalling requests for NOK 570m, but the authority has selected just 250 of those organisations.
“We received a lot of good applications,” commented Trygve Hermansen, Senior Adviser at the Lotteries and Foundations Authority.
“The recruitment committee which has prioritised the applications has had a difficult job with many good applications.”
NLA has set out four key target areas to increase participation in sport across, with two key criteria that must be met as a result of the funding.
The groups targeted via the scheme include children and young people aged 6-19 in low-income families; girls from a minority background aged 6-19 and girls aged 6-19 in sports where girls are particularly underrepresented.
Additional demographics of interest were people who have disabilities, regardless of age; and current and future young leaders up to the age of 26 who are people with minority backgrounds, are women or with disabilities.
As a result of the scheme, the NLA noted that it wants to see a reduction in the barrier to entry amongst all of the target groups as well as a contribution to increasing the awareness of the importance of diversity and creating lasting value through systemic changes towards more diverse and inclusive participation in sport.
The authority stated: “We have a goal of getting this money paid early in 2023, and there will be more information here on our website as soon as we have it.”
Whilst funds for the 2022 round have been allocated, with around three-quarters of applicants missing out, the NLA noted that there will be another NOK 100m committed next year too.
