The REACH partners came together in Tallinn, Estonia, for the project's final in-person consortium meeting, bringing partners together for an important moment of reflection, commitment and forward-looking discussion. With the Youth Engagement in Sport for All Charter at the heart of the meeting and a dedicated brainstorming session on the sustainability of REACH, the partners focused not only on the upcoming final activities of the project, but also on how its work can continue to create an impact beyond 2026.
Turning the Youth Engagement Charter into Action
One of the key moments of the meeting was the signing of the REACH Youth Engagement in Sport for All Charter.
The Charter provides Sport for All organisations with practical actions to strengthen the involvement of young people in leadership, decision-making, management and event planning. It translates the project's work on youth engagement into concrete commitments that organisations can take forward in their own structures.
In Tallinn, the partner organisations took an important step towards putting the Charter into practice. Each organisation selected at least three of the 15 actions included in the Charter that they committed to implementing within their organisation.
To mark this commitment, partners came together for a small signing ceremony. Following the signing, each partner organisation received a certificate recognising its commitment to the Charter and the actions it had selected.
The Reach Youth Engagement Charter will soon be available online. Organisations can then sign the charter through an online signing form.
What comes after REACH?
With the REACH project coming to an end in 2026, the partners dedicated a substantial part of the meeting to a key question: How can the work of REACH continue beyond the project?
The sustainability brainstorming was divided into three working groups, creating space for open exchange and discussion. The session was highly interactive and productive, with partners sharing ideas and exploring how the project's results, knowledge, tools and partnerships can continue to be used and developed after the formal end of the project.
Rather than seeing the end of the project as the end of the REACH journey, the discussion focused on how the REACH approach can continue to live on within partner organisations and the wider Sport for All movement.
The Youth Engagement Charter is an important part of this legacy. By selecting concrete actions to implement, partners are taking the first steps towards embedding youth engagement more firmly within their organisations.
The sustainability discussion also provided an opportunity to look at how the network created through REACH can continue to exchange knowledge, support one another and explore opportunities for future cooperation.
In the afternoon, the REACH partners visited the Tallinn Cultural and Sports Department at the Tallinn City Government, where they learned more about the city's approach to support an active lifestyle, sports and a vibrant sports community.
Tallinn was the European Capital of Sport in 2025, and the city used the title to develop a wide range of programmes and opportunities to encourage residents to be active. Its programme included 12 themed months, free sports days and activities targeting different groups across the city.
The partners heard about Tallinn's experiences in using sport to engage its communities and create more opportunities for people to participate in physical activity.
As REACH moves towards the end of its project lifetime, the REACH Final Conference in early December will provide an opportunity to bring the journey together, sharing the key learnings and best practices from the Community Actions, the Youth Engagement in Sport for All Charter and the wider work achieved throughout the project, while looking ahead to how the REACH legacy can continue beyond 2026.
The REACH Project is co-funded by the European Union. For more information, please visit: www.reach4youth.com / 
