multiplier events
HOORAY Project: Raising Youth’s Mental Health Awareness Across Europe Through Sport
As part of the Erasmus+ HOORAY project, four half-day multiplier events took place in four different European countries: Finland, Hungary, Portugal, and Croatia. These events united communities in order to promote youth mental health through physical activity. These events highlighted sport’s powerful role in building resilience, fostering inclusion, and encouraging emotional well-being.
🇭🇺 Hungary
📍 Budapest, Margaret Island | 📅 26 April 2025
Hosted by the Budapest Association for International Sports (BAIS) and SMASHER Gym, Hungary’s event blended physical activity with open discussion. Participants rotated through football, volleyball, and padel courts, while hearing from professionals and athletes about the intersection of sport and mental health. Engaging testimonies, networking sessions, and interactive reflections created a safe space for youth to explore their mental well-being.
🇫🇮 Finland
📍 URHEA, Helsinki | 📅 6 April 2025
Organized by Monaliiku in partnership with Girls Can! and SVK, Finland’s event empowered over 50 teenagers—many from migrant backgrounds—with sport-based activities and mental health workshops. Keynote speaker Ayisat Yusuf inspired youth with her personal story, while Kangoo Jumps, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and Shadow Boxing stations engaged participants in confidence-building play. Attendees received “pasSports” to track their activity and win prizes, encouraging ongoing physical engagement.
🇵🇹 Portugal
📍 Universidade Europeia, Lisbon | 📅 18 February 2025
Portugal’s multiplier event gathered sports coaches, educators, and young athletes for an impactful roundtable moderated by Rui Vieira. Discussions focused on real-life mental health challenges and the role of coaches in creating supportive environments. Participants were introduced to key HOORAY tools, including a practical guide for integrating mental health awareness into sports education and youth development programs.
🇭🇷 Croatia
📍 Elementary School of Vežica, Rijeka | 📅 27 September 2024
Croatia’s event, led by the Para Sports Association of the City of Rijeka, welcomed over 100 participants, including 76 children with and without disabilities. The highlight was a workshop by Paralympian Antonio Franko, who emphasized how sport can reduce stress and foster emotional resilience. The event also showcased key HOORAY deliverables and facilitated lively discussions on the importance of inclusive coaching and accessibility in sports.
📚 Presentations and Materials
During the workshop sessions across all events, participants engaged with the following core HOORAY project resources:
- HOORAY Project Overview: Introducing the project’s goals, research, and international collaboration.
- Project Deliverables: focusing on the research conducted in the first part of the project, highlighting how physical activity supports youth mental health.
- Guide for Supporting Mental Health Through Physical Activity: A practical guide presented and discussed for use by educators, coaches, and youth workers.
- Online Knowledge Hub: A platform which provides tools, resources, and best practices for promoting mental health through sport.
These four HOORAY multiplier events underscored the transformative potential of sport—not just for physical health, but for mental strength, social connection, and inclusive community building. Through shared experience, education, and movement, young people across Europe are discovering how sport can contribute to a lifelong well-being.