“Measuring to improve our support schemes”

As the first region for sport in France, the Pays de la Loire takes a very dynamic approach to promoting sport for all. There are an increasing number of things to think about (health crisis, new governance, support for clubs, professionals and people doing sport), as we discussed with Roselyne Bienvenu, Regional Councillor and sports delegate.

Roselyne BIENVENU

Regional Councillor and sports delegate

The Pays de la Loire Region supports the development of sport for all. What are the aims of the “Sport and Handicap” Plan?

RB: With its “Sport and Handicap” plan, the Pays de la Loire Region has been running a proactive approach in favour of athletes with a disability. The scheme envisages two types of aid:

• The refund of part or all of a competition licence when the athlete has to subscribe to a second licence in order to take part in championships leading to an official title.
• Granting subsidies for buying specific, adapted sports equipment for clubs affiliated to an accredited sport federation and to departmental sport committees, in the context of a call for “Sport and Handicap” projects.

This scheme aims to encourage greater consideration to be given to people with a disability and the democratisation of all sport, to reinforce existing facilities by adapting equipment or techniques in sections, clubs and committees, to stimulate the development of new disability and adapted sport structures and, lastly, to increase the number of members.

What projects are eligible? Do you have any examples of projects which have been supported?

RB: Investment in equipment (specific for a discipline, wheelchairs, hoists and lifts, bikes, canoes and so on) and the purchase of teaching aids (balls, blocks, bibs etc.) are eligible for this call for projects.

With its renewed associative project, the applicant structure must show how the regional aid will be used to develop participation in disability or adapted sport. The Region can cover 60% of the investment, with a limit of 12,000 €.

We recently co-funded the purchase of 14 wheelchairs by the Loire Atlantique’s departmental handball committee, to develop new wheelchair handball sections. We also helped the Roche Vendée table tennis club with funds to buy special equipment to develop activities in the adapted sport section. A map showing aid granted since 2016 is available on the site www.ligeo.paysdelaloire.fr.

You want to measure the scheme’s impact on beneficiaries (clubs, members, participants) with the help of our Think Tank. What do you see as the use of this scheme?

RB: After several years of implementation, we need to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the regional “Sport and Handicap” plan.

Sport and Citizenship’s impact measurement will enable us to measure the effects of regional funding on developing participation in disability and adapted sport in the Pays de la Loire. Depending on the results, the scheme could evolve in order to give more support to this participation.

The development of para-sport is increasingly important, as the recent appointment of a delegate to the French Paralympic and Sport Committee (CPSF) in the Pays de la Loire shows. This representative will be associated with designing our regional sports project (PST), in the framework of the new sport governance currently being installed.