**Community Partner:** Etiler Nursing Home

**Social Issue:** Community Cohesion - Social exclusion of elderly

**Ambassadors:** Yellow the Canary, Onuralp Bitim, Mikael Jantunen

**Main Life Skills:** Self-confidence, Cooperation, Physical Health and Mobility, Creativity, Trust

**About the Program:**

Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul’s One Team project, in collaboration with Etiler Nursing Home, a distinguished Istanbul care center providing accommodation, healthcare, psychological support, and social activities for seniors without family care, addresses social exclusion for 8–12 residents aged 65 and older. This 10-week program, hosted at the nursing home and Fenerbahçe’s Ülker Sports and Event Hall, features weekly two-hour sessions led by two basketball coaches, a psychologist, a strength coach, a physiotherapist, and volunteers from Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul. The project will promote social interaction, self-confidence, and physical health through a blend of basketball-themed activities, discussions, and creative sessions, offering incentives like certificates, Fenerbahçe jerseys, Beko-branded gifts, and a celebratory closing event.

The program’s weekly plan is designed to progressively build life skills through engaging, tailored activities that blend physical, social, and creative elements. It begins with sessions focused on trust and introductions, using basic on-court basketball movements to create a welcoming atmosphere, enhanced by appearances from Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul players and Yellow the Canary. As the program advances, participants engage in passing games and simple team-based activities to foster positive communication and cooperation, emphasizing team spirit and collaboration in small groups. Physical health is prioritized through physiotherapist-led light exercises, posture work, and stretching, alongside low-intensity resistance and coordination training guided by the strength coach to improve mobility, strength, and balance. Creativity is sparked through a special basketball-themed art session, encouraging self-expression. Healthy lifestyle discussions, including nutrition and sustained movement, promote long-term wellness.

The program will culminate in a celebratory session with coordination-focused games, certificate presentations, a group photo, and tickets to a Fenerbahçe Beko home game, ensuring participants feel a sense of community.