The Ukrainian Football Association and regional associations, with the support of the Cross-Cultural Projects Association and the CISU ("Civil Society in Development") from Denmark, within the framework of the donor program «Restoration and Resilience under Youth Leadership in Ukraine», created youth football hubs for the project «Open Football Festivals» in 18 regions of Ukraine.

Photo by UAF

Through the hubs, a network of young leaders who have undergone special training from the UAF directs efforts towards realizing their own volunteer football projects for children in their communities. They engage children who have not previously been involved in sports through their favorite game, providing psychological support to children affected by war, and also teach children about mine safety.

Photo by UAF

In November, young volunteers planned the following activities at the hubs:

7, 14, 22, 27.11 — Vinnytsia Oblast, Tultchin city, Tultchin District Children's Sports School for orphans: «Sweet Cup» for children, a mini football festival, visiting together with the children a friendly match between Kirnasi and Brest, visiting together with the children a football match between Tultchin and Vinnytsia.

8, 15, 22, 29.11 — Volyn Oblast, Horokhiv city, Horokhiv District Children's Sports School: events «Day of Fun Football», «You Are the Future Champion», «Fun Starts» with elements of football, «I Am Safe» involving juvenile police.

3, 10, 17, 24.11 — Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Synelnykove city, Synelnykove Lyceum No. 7: football training sessions.

7, 15, 20, 29.11 — Zhytomyr Oblast, Ovruch city, Ovruch District Children's Sports School; Mala Haycha village: viewing and analyzing matches of the Youth Football League with children, football training session and meeting with representatives of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, «Open Lesson of a Football Hub», Tournament on Football «Autumn Cup».

6, 13, 20, 27.11 — Zakarpattia Oblast, Derzen village, three training sessions and excursions to the football base for children from Yanoshi village, Badalovo village, Berehove city, training at the «Mukachevo» sports school for children from Berehove city.

5, 12, 19, 26.11 — Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Olecha village, Olecha Lyceum: Football Tournament in memory of M. Hrushevskyi, football event for children «Fun Games», an open football event for children with professional players from FC «Prykarpattia», football training sessions and psychological training.

5, 16, 22, 24.11 — Kyiv Oblast, Skvyra city, Skvyra District Children's Sports School: football training session with elements of mine safety, event «Football Hub: Football Monopoly», trip with children to the match «Kolos» - «Dynamo», football games and game analysis.

7, 14, 21, 28.11 — Kropyvnytskyi city, Lyceum «Victoria-P»: master class with professional players from the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL), joint training session with UEFA Playmakers project, trip with children to a UPL match «Poltava» - «LNZ», «Sweet Cup» for children.

2, 16, 20-23.11 — Lviv Oblast, Strilky village, Strilkiv Lyceum: trip with hub participants to a UPL match «Shakhtar» - «Dynamo», Football Tournament for children «Golden Autumn-2025», trip with hub participants to an international tournament in Poland.

8, 11, 15, 29.11 — Odesa Oblast, Usatove village, SK «Khadjibey», Usatove Lyceum, Marinivka village, Marinivka Gymnasium: open training session with football, Football Day at the Marinivka Gymnasium, visiting together with children the stadium of FC «Chornomorets», Family Football Day.

10, 14, 21, 28.11 — Poltava Oblast, Myrhorod city, Myrhorod District Children's Sports School, Myrhorod School No. 3, Plyvyane village, Miren village: football events of the hub «Start-Liga», «Happy Ball», «Start-Drive», «Football Quarter».

1, 8, 15, 22, 29.11 — Rivne Oblast, Gorodok village, Gorodok Lyceum: excursion to the stadium «Avangard» in Rivne city, visiting matches «Veres» - «Ruh», «Veres» - «Karpaty», football training session with a psychologist.

4, 11, 18, 25.11 — Ternopil Oblast, Boryslav city, School No. 1 on Shevchenko Street, 2-A, Sports Complex of the Boryslav Agricultural Technical College: football events «Fun Games», training sessions combined with meetings with a psychologist, «Safety» (training involving a police officer), «Sweet Cup» for children.

7, 14, 21, 28.11 — Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Dunaivtsi city, Kolos Stadium: training sessions in Golozubynets Lyceum, Mushkutynets Gymnasium, Zalyske Gymnasium, dedicated to the Day of Dignity and Freedom, Ivanovets Lyceum.

1, 7, 21, 29.11 — Cherkasy Oblast, Voznesenka village, Voznesenska School: visiting matches of the Premier League Ukraine LNZ - FC Karpaty (Lviv) with children, football training session with a psychologist, joint viewing of a film about football in a cinema with children, visiting matches of the Premier League Ukraine LNZ - FC Kudryvka with children.

2, 5, 17, 19.11 — Chernivtsi Oblast, Novodnistrovske city, Dibrova microdistrict, Novodnistrovske District Children's Sports School: viewing matches of the UPL championship (on projector) with children «Shakhtar» - «Dynamo», training sessions, friendly match, section practice, «Sweet Cup».

7, 14, 21, 28.11 — Chernihiv Oblast, Sosnytsia village, Sosnytsia Lyceum: training session with a police officer for participants of the youth football hub on actions in emergency situations, Day of Fun Football, fun starts with elements of football, football training session combined with a discussion about safe handling of explosive items.

11, 13, 17, 21, 27.11 — Kyiv city, Kiev-Pechersk Lyceum No. 171 «Leader», Lyceum No. 84, Gymnasium No. 5, Lyceum No. 216, NVK «Dominanta»: master class by a student football team, two football festivals for grades 5-9, two «Sweet Cups» with football for children.

Photo by UAF

The project of the Ukrainian Football Association «Open Football Festivals» is:

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of ZSU servicemen, IDPs' children, and war-affected children;
• unity and friendship among IDP children and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of safety in wartime conditions;
• philosophy of mass football — joy from playing rather than results at any cost;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• development of volunteering;
• activation of local communities through cross-sector networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, safety experts, parents, local authorities, benefactors, etc.).