Football clubs propose to lonely people to join them as volunteers

Voetbal Vlaanderen, the federation of amateur football clubs in Flanders, ​ is launching an awareness campaign to bridge the gap between the growing loneliness in Flanders and the acute shortage of volunteers in football clubs. The project is being launched in collaboration with a senior citizen network.

Nearly four in ten Flemish people feel lonely. At the same time, more than nine in ten football clubs in Flanders indicate that they are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. With a new awareness campaign, Voetbal Vlaanderen is calling on clubs to open their doors to neighbours who have difficulty making social connections.

"Loneliness is a collective responsibility. Social connections make people happy. Our clubs can help with that. They are often the beating heart of their community," says Nand De Klerck on behalf of Voetbal Vlaanderen. Interested parties can enter their postal code via an online platform and discover which organizations and football clubs in their area are open to volunteering.

More than 100 football clubs across Flanders have now registered. Today, some 56,000 volunteers are active in Flemish youth and amateur football.

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