Global IRTS Partners Prepare for Final Phase at Wrocław Meeting
19/06/2025Ewa Kaczmarek, ISCA
The Global IRTS (Integration of Refugees Through Sport) project partners met in Wrocław, Poland, from 11–13 June 2025 for their final in-person meeting before the MOVE Congress in October. Hosted by the V4Sport Foundation, the gathering was the result of a decision made during the Moving People Moving Europe conference held in Slovenia in 2024. That meeting gave partners the chance to connect face-to-face—an experience that clearly showed how important real-time collaboration is, especially when working across regions, time zones, and with a diverse group of organisations.
The first two days focused on sharing updates from the regions. Leaders presented the current state of work, including progress made, ongoing challenges, and next steps. A key part of the agenda was the ongoing consensus-building process, which led to a draft version of the shared statement that will soon be released publicly. Discussions also revisited the Social Return on Investment (SROI) report, presented in a practical and accessible way to help partners consider assessing the social value of their IRTS initiatives.
On the third day, participants joined a study visit to Primary School No. 21 in Wrocław. V4Sport, the Polish partnerin the Global IRTS project, presented its SIMPAL project in action. The initiative uses simple, co-created movement games to help children—especially those from Polish and Ukrainian backgrounds—connect and integrate through play. Teachers shared how meaningful the programme has been in their classrooms and appreciated the chance to exchange experiences in an open, collaborative environment.
The meeting took place alongside the Moving People Moving Poland conference, which brought together teachers from across the country. Their presence added real value to the study visit and allowed for broader engagement with educators from various regions.
The meeting was very productive—a great deal of valuable work was accomplished in Wrocław, but much still lies ahead. The consensus statement is in its final stage, community-building efforts continue across regions and themes, and preparations are underway for the final consortium meeting and the Global IRTS Conference at MOVE Congress 2025 in Copenhagen this October.
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