On September 12th, the German Sport University Cologne’s Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies (IESF), coordinator of the EU-funded ALLSTARS – Good Practice for Active Lifestyles in Local Sport Policiesproject, hosted a national dissemination workshop titled “Die Stadt, der Sport und der Rand” – The City, Sport, and Marginalised Groups.
The event aimed to highlight municipal sports policies that promote “sport for all” and support the integration and participation of marginalised and often underrepresented segments of society.
The research team shared the results of their work to date and presented practical examples, which were subsequently discussed with participants. Insights from the broader European context enriched the workshop, particularly through our guest speaker Nathan Geurink from the Mulier Instituut, who provided an overview of the Dutch context.
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Nora Hespers, featuring Daniela Schneckenburger (Deutscher Städtetag), Pia Strohmeyer (RheinFlanke), Sonny Weishaupt (Landes Sportbund Niedersachsen e.V.), and Volker Anneken (Gold-Kraemer-Stiftung). The discussion painted a comprehensive picture of municipal sports policy and its stakeholders, focusing on both the challenges and the contributions of sports to the integration of marginalised communities.