The fifth edition of the European Athletics Young Leaders Forum in Amsterdam will strengthen a growing movement.
Whist many of the crowds this summer will be there for the European Athletics Championships, there is one group with a very different agenda. Up to 100 participants are expected at the European Athletics Young Leaders Forum held in the Vrije Universiteit (VU) through 5-10 July.
The Forum has been months in the making with two teams - one from European Athletics Head Office staff, and the other made up of young leaders - working on what they hope will be a stimulating programme.
The 5-day educational event aims to equip young people to design and deliver projects that benefit the grassroots of athletics and local communities. Participants will examine leadership, project management, sustainability, social inclusion, anti-doping, use of social media and the promotion of athletics. Although the themes may look familiar, the format definitely won't be.
Xicu Colomar, who is helping with the preparations says they will be using non-formal education methods.
'It's a forum for young people, delivered by young people, so there will be elements you won't see at a regular conference. The activities will be led by Young Leaders and we have some energizers planned too. You'll see singing, flash mobs, physical involvement with morning sports activities like yoga or running, and a lot of things that I can't tell you about yet.'
More traditional features include interventions by social change activist Luvuyo Mandela, the great grandson of South African icon Nelson Mandela, and Maria Kypriotov, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
As with Zurich in 2014, the Forum will coincide with the European Athletics Championships. Every evening the group will make their way to the Olympic Stadium where they will have the unique privilege of rubbing elbows with the stars as they sit in the athletes tribune.
'Each Member Federation has been invited to send one young person aged between 18 and 28 but some have asked for additional places,' says Colomar.
Participants have to be involved in the development of athletics in some way: either as a volunteer, coach, official, referee or working with the federation.
According to European Athletics CEO Christian Milz, the Forum is a key activity for developing the European Athletics Young Leaders Community.
'The aim is to provide skills for participants and to motivate them and strengthen their networks. The young people have to prepare a project presentation which will showcase something that they have been directly involved in and during the Forum they will learn about funding and marketing and our expectation is that their projects will be much stronger once they return home.'
Watch highlights from the previous edition of the Young Leaders Forum in Zurich 2014
A partnership approach
There are both local and international partners who will be instrumental to the delivery of the Forum.
The event is being organised in close cooperation with the Organising Committee of Amsterdam 2016. They have provided every participant with a bicycle which will be a really convenient and sustainable way of getting around the city.
In addition to the VU, finance group Nationale Nederlanden, consultancy firm AEF and the Jong Oranje network.
Nationale Nederlanden will run a personal and professional development masterclass, AEF will build practical skills in project management and Jong Oranje will cover communications strategy and social media.
There are also two international partners, UNESCO and ENGSO Youth, the youth arm of the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation. They will be tackling some of the bigger aims of the sport like increasing social impact and using sport to foster community integration. ENGSO Youth, in particular will examine how funding can be gained for small projects where they link to UN Social Development Goals.
Active Young Leaders welcome
There is excitement throughout European Athletics about the potential for Young Leaders to play a big role. Milz sees a real opportunity for Young Leaders to become more active.
'The projects the participants will take back to their Federations will make a difference and hopefully show them they can have an impact,' he said. 'The Young Leaders Community is growing all the time and I hope we will see more growth coming from this Forum. We are already looking ahead to Berlin 2018 when the next Forum will take place.
'With a focus on change around the organisation, now is a good time to involve young people in shaping the future and their influence will hopefully continue to make a positive difference for many years.'