Miljøplakaten Gneist Arena: A Collective Response for Our Youth

For the very first time at Gneist Arena, multiple sports groups from GNEIST and their leaders stood together under one shared platform of social responsibility, united with a clear and urgent purpose: to strengthen community, prevent youth crime, encourage digital detox and say no to drugs—using sports as a vehicle for inclusion, integration, and a sense of belonging for everyone, regardless of what sport they play, their background, financial situation, or parents involvement.

Gneist Arena is a multi-purpose sports arena used by several different groups in the local community; SCHOOLS, SPORTS CLUBS, elderly and Idrett Bergen Sør; a sports and public-health organization in Bergen, Norway. It was founded by several local sports clubs (including Fana, Gneist, Bjarg, Smørås, and Kalandseid) to work together on community sports initiatives. Its main goal is to encourage physical activity among people who are not usually active in organized sports, such as children, youth, immigrants, or people with disabilities. The organization runs low-threshold and inclusive activities, often free or easily accessible, and collaborates with schools, clubs, and local partners. In addition, both elite sports schools, Metis and NTG-U, use Gneist Arena along with several local schools in the area.

The main sports club using the arena is IL Gneist; a large multi-sport club in Bergen, Norway, founded in 1945. The club has approximately 3,500–4,000 members, making it one of the larger community sports clubs in the city and among the larger community sports clubs in Norway. It offers seven different sports: football (soccer), handball, athletics (track and field), gymnastics, volleyball, orienteering, and climbing.

MILJØPLAKATEN GNEIST ARENA

Across HANDBALL, ATHLETICS, GYMNASTICS, ORIENTEERING, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, and several additional club activities, more than 40 different teams, SUPER ROLE MODELS and groups, together with their coaches, gathered for one collective training evening for children, families, and the wider community. The arena was filled with movement, laughter, and connection as young participants moved between sports stations, tried new disciplines, and shared the joy of physical activity alongside peers and role models.

The evening marked the official launch of NextGen Neighbor Network’s Miljøplakaten Gneist Arena, building upon the success and momentum created through Miljøplakaten Sandslihallen. That initiative previously caught the attention of Sparebanken Norge, whose renowned Heart Beat (HjerteBank) honored the project as one of nine selected for financial support through the bank’s inspiring Heartbeat Tour. Miriam Danielsen (Gneist Gymnastics), Lisbeth Sandtorv (Gneist Handball) and Arne Ingebrigtsen (Ytrebygda Basketball Club) decided the funding should be reinvested to expand the initiative — broadening the scope to include more sports, more children, and deeper collaboration across our local community amongst leaders, volunteers, parents, and coaches. After all, this is what the initiative is all about: standing UNITED for our youth to show that responsible adults collectively care!

A big highlight of the evening was the continued commitment of Sparebanken Norge. As a main sponsor to Gneist, represented by Ruth Rabbe, she attended the event to present a check to Gneist, recognizing the importance of belonging, sports, development, and opportunity for young people in the community.

At its core, NextGen Neighbor Network’s Miljøplakaten represents a cross-cultural and cross-sectoral collaboration between schools, culture, sports clubs, and volunteers within a designated local area. The initiative opens a healthy dialogue among responsible adults who work collectively to validate children for their social capital and strive to secure belonging for everyone. With direct communication lines and visual design of unity, the adults take pride in being volunteers!

Miljøplakaten initiatives have already been launched in Tertnes, Sandslihallen, Ørland, and Bodø, with additional communities preparing to follow in 2026. Yet the gathering at Gneist Arena marked a special moment: never before had so many club leaders across different sports united under one coordinated framework for social responsibility within the same arena.

The significance of the event also reflects broader national concerns. In their 2026 risk assessment, released on February 25th, Norwegian police authorities highlighted growing concern around youth crime — increasingly digital in nature — and urged communities to strengthen adult collaboration, open reliable dialogue, and increase presence around children and youth.

Miljøplakaten Gneist Arena provided a direct and tangible response to that call.

“I have spent the last two years actively working, funding, and branding the beautiful sports model of Norway, in the hope that both the government on a national level and businesses on a local level can embrace sport as an alarmingly important tool desperately needed for our youth. Gathering a collective and united front in each local area lays the groundwork for any new sponsorship to come on board and fund their local team and role models. Imagine how proud you would be as an employee going to work knowing children within your local area are wearing your logo on their chest,” said Louise Mohn, Founder of NextGen Neighbor Network

Throughout the evening, children moved freely between activities, trying out six different sports, meeting role models, and discovering new interests. Every participant left with a medal — a simple but meaningful reminder of participation, FUN, and belonging.

For adults, the evening created an equally important opportunity. Coaches, volunteers, parents, and club leaders connected across sports, strengthening relationships and reinforcing the importance of presence, collaborative and open communication.

The program also featured Super Role Models from participating sports, and some new NNN ambassadors from Gneist as well as from Lysekloster outside of Bergen. Star players from Fyllingen Lions such as Pol Olivier Canadell, who has trained young girls in Ytrebygda Basketball for the last two seasons, many of which also play handball and football in Gneist, demonstrated the influence of trusted role models within youth sport.

By the end of the evening, Gneist Arena became a living example of what can happen when communities unite across school, sports, culture, and the different generations to support the well-being of their youth.