We are now prioritizing facilities and activities for Oslo’s children.

Debate
This is a debate post. Opinions in the text are the author’s expense.

Ending up outside, being sidelined, really hurts when you’re young. But this is everyday life for many in Oslo and elsewhere in the country. Children who grew up in poor urban areas, participated less in organized activities than children living elsewhere. Many of them are not allowed to participate in organized sports because it’s too expensive.

Some local environmental facilities

That’s why the government is prioritizing now more money for so-called local neighborhood facilities in areas with challenging major living conditions. This means more sand volleyball courts, street basketball facilities, sports parks and rock climbing facilities. And everything should be free and open to everyone.

Large quantity distributed every year Norsk Tipping Advantage to all cities in the country. In Oslo, NOK 102.3 million was distributed to various facilities. This accounts for more than 99 percent of the total number of applications, and nearly everyone who has signed up will be awarded funding in the same year.

Oslo is priority

Due to weak plant cover and large population, Oslo has been prioritized. And we will continue to do so. Government now make a schema which provides an additional 30 percent subsidy for local environmental facilities in areas with challenging living conditions.

Now the City of Oslo and sports teams in the capital need to know their visiting hours so we are receiving lots of applications next year. In the fall, the Ministry of Culture and Gender Equality has planned a major consultation round on the construction scheme. Then we rely on good input from Oslo’s sports district, municipality and clubs in the city.

Bad advice should not prevent children and young people from being active. We have to work together to achieve it, and then sports facilities in the local community is one of the most important things we can focus on.