In April, a group of five team members from ACTIVE Austria travelled to Cyprus for a week-long job-shadowing experience hosted by Active Zone Outdoor (AZO). This mobility was part of our Erasmus+ Mobility of Sport Staff project BRIDGE – Building Resources for Inclusive Disability Guidance in Exercise.
Through this experience, we built our skills, exchanged knowledge, and learned how to make our sport events more inclusive, sustainable, and accessible to people with disabilities.
What We Did?
During our stay, we worked alongside the AZO team in Larnaca, shadowing them as they organise outdoor sport activities for people with disabilities. As part of the exchange, we also visited one of AZO’s local stakeholders, Riverland Biofarm, where we shared and discussed good practices around inclusive, sustainable outdoor activity. A highlight of the week was joining a climbing activity together with our hosts — a hands-on way to experience their approach to inclusive sport in practice.
Beyond the structured programme, the week gave us space to get to know the AZO team, build a genuine working relationship, and lay the groundwork for future collaboration.
Why It Matters
At ACTIVE Austria, we believe that sport should be for everyone. While we already work with migrants, young people, and individuals facing social or economic barriers, we’re committed to doing more to include people with disabilities in our activities.
Who Went?
Five of our staff and volunteers took part in this mobility. We prioritised a diverse and balanced group, including participants with fewer opportunities, and everyone came away with fresh insights to bring back to the team.
What Comes Next?
Now that we’re back, we’re reflecting on what we’ve learned and how to apply it in our daily work. We’ll be sharing key takeaways across our channels, and each participant will have the chance to present their experience and ideas for new inclusive and sustainable initiatives.
We’re also staying connected with our partners at AZO and looking to build on this collaboration through follow-up activities and shared projects.
💬 This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme and reflects our shared values of inclusion, sustainability, and learning through sport.
