Football without barriers: DTEK Grids and Shakhtar Social opened an inclusive kid football group in Brovary as part of the “Come on, Let's Play!” project

An inclusive football group for children was launched in Brovary based on the Shakhtar football school. Now children aged 7 to 12 may train there for free.

"Come on, Let’s Play!" is a unique project. It started as a local initiative in 2018. Today, almost 6,000 children from 42 settlements are involved and trained at 73 football grounds. DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids, which is part of the DTEK Grids operating holding, supports this project in the Kyiv region.

“DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids extended the initiative launched by DTEK four years ago together with FC Shakhtar and the Shakhtar Social Non-Profit Foundation. Today, for the first time, we are opening an inclusive football team as part of the "Come on, Let’s Play!" project in Brovary. The main value of this project is that it involves children in sports and, among other things, contributes to the socialization of children with disabilities,” says Vitalii Shaida, General Director for DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids.

Vitalii Shaida underlined that DTEK is a reliable and responsible company that is transforming its business in accordance with DTEK's New Strategy 2030, based on ESG principles and business responsibility for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Global Compact. The company employs nearly three thousand people with disabilities. In turn, DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids is introducing digital and inclusive services for customers to make the services as accessible as possible. This is a communication button for people with hearing impairments on the site of a distribution system operator, and ramps in customer service centers, etc.

“One of the important areas of our work is the support and development of talented youth. In partnership with Shakhtar Social, we are implementing the “Come on, Let’s Play!” project, thanks to which we create a barrier-free environment that helps to realize the right of every child to equal opportunities, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. More than 300 children have been attending the “Come on, Let’s Play!” inclusive groups. Now such a group is available for young Brovary athletes. DTEK fully supports the values of the project - team spirit, respect for the rules and other participants, a sense of mutual assistance and discipline,” says Elena Semich, DTEK HR, Social Development and Ecology Director.  

DTEK and the Shakhtar Social Non-Profit Foundation provided young athletes with everything they need to train. A qualified coaching staff, who undergo special training in the principles of inclusion, work with children. 17 children have already signed up for the section. On the opening day, Marlos, the FC Shakhtar football player, conducted the first training session of young athletes. In the final, young players received gifts and took part in an autograph session with a football club star.

"Come on, Let’s Play!" is the most massive social project aimed at the development of amateur mass sports and a healthy lifestyle in Ukraine. I am happy to be involved, and I want to thank the organizers - the Shakhtar Social Non-Profit Foundation, FC Shakhtar and DTEK. They help children with disabilities overcome barriers and involve them into sports,” says Mr Marlos, FC Shakhtar footballer.

DTEK, together with other businesses, signed the “Business without Barriers” declaration, which is an initiative of First Lady Elena Zelenskaya to introduce and spread the principles of barrier-freeness in Ukraine. The company implements these principles both within the company and for customers and communities where the company operates. Another football section for children with disabilities within the framework of the “Come On, Let's Play!” project has become one of such initiatives.

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DTEK is represented by DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids in the Kyiv region, part of the operating holding of DTEK Grids, a business for the electricity distribution and the power grids operation. As a socially responsible business, the company invests in the development and improvement of the quality of life of the community. In 2020, the company's investments amounted to UAH 342 million. These funds were used to develop the energy infrastructure and an ecosystem of modern customer service, including the provision of barrier-free services for all customers of the company.