The success story of the Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club’s Erasmus+ project

Training volunteers for orienteering

Awarded Institution: Veszprémi Honvéd Sportegyesület (Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club )
Project Title: Training volunteers to develop the recreational sports capacity of orienteering

---

 In 2025, the Excellence Award was presented for the first time in the sport sector of the Erasmus+ program, which launched in 2023. The award went to the Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club for their project titled “Training volunteers to develop the recreational sports capacity of orienteering.”

The Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club has played a defining role in the sports scene of Veszprém since 1964, achieving significant success in orienteering. As a non-profit organization, they support recreational and school sports, contributing to community health and fostering a love for nature. The club’s enthusiastic orienteering department recently travelled to Finland to learn from one of the world’s largest orienteering clubs: Espoon Suunta.

What new methods and perspectives did they bring back, and how are these being applied in Hungarian orienteering? We discussed these issues and more with Hajnalka Jankovics, the project coordinator.

What inspired the project and what sort of activities were implemented?

The main goal was to strengthen and develop the professional competencies of members and volunteer staff involved in orienteering as a recreational sport. Our club has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2027 Orienteering World Championships and the accompanying amateur competition. This is a unique opportunity to highlight orienteering as a mass sport, but it also requires a large number of trained volunteers - for organizing, execution, and promotion.

During the mobility, we gained insight into the daily operations of Espoon Suunta, one of the largest and most successful orienteering clubs in the world. We worked alongside them on various amateur events and sport promotion activities, and we attended many valuable trainings, presentations, and discussions. We also had the opportunity to observe the preparation and execution of Jukola/Venla, the world’s largest and most spectacular orienteering relay, which attracts tens of thousands of athletes. A particularly useful experience was our conversation with the coordinator responsible for managing 1,500 volunteers involved in the event.

What was the most memorable moment of the mobility?

I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was the Jukola race - a sports festival involving tens of thousands of participants. Watching thousands of headlamps pour into the forest at the sound of the starting pistol at dusk was an overwhelming and unforgettable sight!

What were the biggest benefits of the project for the participants?

For many, this was their first time participating in such an international project, which brought new perspectives, courage, and openness into their lives. Through the trainings and group activities, they became more confident in communication and more willing to take on various roles. They saw first-hand the passion Finns have for this sport, which was very inspiring.

The greatest benefit was the opportunity for personal and professional growth. Volunteers gained new skills in organization, communication, teamwork, and sports pedagogy, while also building international connections and gaining confidence for future tasks. Several participants have since taken on more active roles in the club - as coaches, organizers, or support staff - thanks to their experience in the project.

How did the project change the life of the club?

From the club's perspective, the greatest benefit was the strengthened volunteer base, which we can rely on for future programs. Additionally, our international network expanded, and we adopted best practices and engaged in shared learning, all contributing to the club’s professional development. The training materials and methodologies developed during the project have long-term value and provide a solid foundation for further progress.

Within the club, the value of volunteer involvement has been reinforced, and thanks to a more conscious approach, collaboration has become more structured. The trainings and shared experiences helped build a committed and well-prepared volunteer community that now plays an active role in organizing events and involving new generations - positively influencing other members of the club as well. Volunteer coordination has become more deliberate, and internal communication has improved.

International experiences and methods were directly integrated into daily work. We now approach program planning with a different mindset, placing greater emphasis on motivation and engagement. The Erasmus+ project also opened the club to international collaborations - it’s now much more natural for us to think and plan together with foreign partners.

As a long-term impact, the club’s operations have become more intentional and strategic. We continuously use the professional materials developed during the project, and the experience has led to a qualitative shift in our organizational mindset.

Which result are you most proud of?

There are many achievements we’re proud of. Through the project’s young participants, we saw a clear increase in commitment to volunteerism in the next generation. They now better understand the long-term value of such programs and how international networking can be a crucial element in both sporting careers and work experience. Moreover, we had the opportunity to present our project as a best practice in Brussels in December 2024, gaining international visibility. As a result, we’ve been invited by organizations in several countries to join consortia for larger projects.

One of the most valuable and lasting outcomes was the training program and methodology developed from it. Not only was it useful during the project, but we continue to actively use it for volunteer training, and it has attracted interest from other clubs. The material is practical, adaptable, and establishes a knowledge base we can build on. It perfectly reflects the project’s approach - not just collecting experiences, but creating useful, hands-on knowledge that enables growth for everyone involved.

Who else, beyond the core target group, could benefit from these results?

The project’s outcomes are valuable not only for volunteers but also for a broader audience. The training materials, methodologies, and practical insights can be relevant for other clubs, schools, sports organizations, and community groups facing similar challenges, such as recruiting, motivating, or training volunteers.

It could be especially useful for youth coaches, teachers, camp leaders, and event organizers who run recreational sports or outdoor education programs. The methodology of orienteering can be adapted in many ways - for example, in playful learning formats, school activities, or community events.

Other civil organizations and youth groups can also benefit from our experiences. The volunteer coordination model we applied, and the lessons learned from international cooperation are universally applicable.

The publicly available materials and the network built during the project offer opportunities for other organizations to draw inspiration, adapt the methods, and even lay the groundwork for new collaborations.

How will the project results be disseminated?

Dissemination was a priority throughout the entire project lifecycle. We wanted to ensure that the materials, knowledge, and experiences would reach a wider audience beyond the direct participants.

We used a variety of dissemination channels: we presented results at professional events, conferences, and orienteering gatherings, and we shared updates online via our club website and social media. Our digital methodological toolkit is available upon request and offers concrete guidance for volunteer training in orienteering. Through networking and exchanges at Erasmus+ events and sporting occasions, our insights reached other organizations as well. Even after the project’s conclusion, we continue to share our results: we’re incorporating the lessons into new trainings and applying the successful practices in other projects.

We didn’t treat dissemination as a mere requirement - we saw it as an opportunity to ensure the project’s impact would reach far and wide.

What does winning the Erasmus+ Nívódíj (Excellence Award) mean to you?

Winning the Excellence Award is a tremendous honour for the Orienteering Department of the Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club. This recognition validates the professional work, commitment, and community cooperation demonstrated during the project. We are proud that our Erasmus+ sports project was appreciated not only by the participants but also by professional evaluators. The award confirms we’re on the right track and provides extra motivation to plan and implement more high-quality projects in the future.

Photos: Veszprém Honvéd Sports Club

Introducing the 2025 Erasmus+ Nívódíj (Excellence Award) Award-winning projects!

Last modified: 03-07-2025