Finnish Olympic Committee Youth Committee Explores European Sport Advocacy with ENGSO Youth
The committee serves as a consultative body on a wide range of current topics, providing young people with meaningful opportunities to contribute to discussions and decision-making processes within the Finnish sport movement.
The Youth Committee is composed of 16 young people from different regions of Finland, representing diverse backgrounds and experiences in sport. Its members include former elite athletes, coaches, instructors, club volunteers, and young professionals working in sport organisations. The committee is facilitated by staff members of the Finnish Olympic Committee, including ENGSO Youth Committee Member Siiri Turunen.
Meeting online on a monthly basis, the committee also organises additional sessions dedicated to specific themes based on members’ interests and current priorities. The June meeting focused on international advocacy in sport and the role of young people in shaping sport policy beyond the national level.
As part of the session, Chloe Jordan, Policy and Projects Manager at ENGSO Youth, joined the committee to present the organisation’s work and its advocacy efforts within European sport policy. The presentation introduced committee members to ENGSO Youth’s mission of strengthening youth participation in sport governance and highlighted the organisation’s work in representing young people’s voices within European institutions and policy processes.
Chloe also shared examples of ENGSO Youth’s ongoing initiatives, including the EUYOUSPORT project, and explained how young people can become involved in the organisation through its projects, activities, and advocacy opportunities. The session offered valuable insight into how European cooperation can complement national efforts to increase youth participation in sport governance.
The presentation sparked engaging discussions among committee members, who showed great interest in European advocacy and the opportunities available for young people to contribute beyond their local and national contexts. Participants also had the opportunity to learn more about the realities of working in European youth and sport policy, the importance of building partnerships across Europe, and the impact that meaningful youth participation can have on shaping future sport policies.
The session further strengthened the collaboration between the Finnish Olympic Committee and ENGSO Youth within the framework of the EUYOUSPORT project. By connecting national youth structures with European advocacy, the initiative continues to support its overarching objective of empowering young people to become active contributors to sport governance at all levels.
ENGSO Youth would like to thank the Finnish Olympic Committee and the members of its Youth Committee for the invitation, the engaging discussions, and their continued commitment to ensuring that young people have a meaningful voice in shaping the future of sport.
