Trekkify, an Italian sport association and member of ENOS, is implementing an Erasmus+ Sport project aimed to promote outdoor sports and healthy leisure activities through the use of greenways (abandoned railways and other pathways) in rural and urban areas.
The Sigway- Sport in Greenways project integrates the concept of a circular economy by revitalizing unused infrastructure, such as abandoned railways, and converting them into greenways for sustainable outdoor sports. By encouraging eco-friendly tourism and outdoor activities, Sigway supports local communities and businesses, aligning with broader sustainability goals.
Given the project’s focus on the role of volunteers in circular economy initiatives in rural/urban areas, SIGWAY was showcased as a best practice during the second exchange held in Lecco in the framework of the STANDOUT project led by ENOS.
The Partnership of the SIGWAY project focused on three main pillars:
- Research on sports existing offer in Greenways.
- Developing a Sports Activities Programme & Sport Training of Trainers: drawing on the expertise of partners and the Training of Trainers held in Slovakia, the Consortium created a Sports Activities Program for Greenways tailored to the project’s target audience. Each partner then piloted the program with a different target group.
- Designing a strategy: Project partners collaborated with key stakeholders and municipalities at the national level, organizing focus groups and a dissemination event to explore and propose ways to boost the local economy and revitalize abandoned areas through sports initiatives.
SIGWAY aims to:
- Identify the possibilities and potential of the current sports offer on the greenways in the partner countries.
- Increase the popularity of greenways through the design of a sports offer adapted to different target groups (young people, seniors, women).
- Strengthen the role of greenways as a crucial asset for Sport & Physical Activity through specific strategies and guidelines.
In the framework of the project, the following results have been produced:
- Research on the current network of sport greenways in each country.
- Handbook: 7 cases of successful sport activities in greenways.
- Interactive Map of Potential Greenways.
- Sports Programmes adapted to different target groups.
- Strategy & guidelines on how to recover and transform unused GW’s and abandoned railways into actively used sport infrastructure.
- Promotional video.
You can find all the project results available on the project’s website.
If you’re passionate about outdoor sports, environmental sustainability, and the circular economy, you can show your support by signing the sustainability agreement!