Bonito to represent Sweden at “A Ball for All” in Thessaloniki

From April 29 to May 3, Thessaloniki will host what is set to become one of the largest gatherings in European sport for inclusion to date. Under the banner "A Ball for All", organizations from 30 European countries will come together to share practices, ideas, and ambitions for a more accessible game.

The event, organized by GRiiiS (Global Research Institute for Inclusion, Innovation and Sport) as part of the Erasmus+ Sport programme, builds on an initiative already recognized by the European Commission as "Inspiring Change" at the Be Inclusive Sport Awards. At its core, A Ball for All highlights the growing movement to make football accessible to people with visual impairments – and, more broadly, to anyone historically excluded from the game.

Bonito's inclusion in the event reflects our continued work within the football for good landscape, and the experience we've built in creating projects where football becomes a tool for social change. We are so honored to be part of this landmark gathering – to be in the same room as organizations from 30 countries, all united around making the game more open, is something we don't take lightly. The work Elias Mastoras has done with the Ball for All movement absolutely epitomizes the inspiring power of the beautiful game, and being invited to contribute to that conversation means a great deal to us.

Our representative in Thessaloniki: Charlotte Ovefelt

On the ground in Thessaloniki, Bonito will be represented by Charlotte Ovefelt – a practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of grassroots inclusion and system-level change in Swedish sport. We are so delighted to be represented by such a pioneer in the Swedish sports for good world, and couldn't think of a better person to carry this forward on our behalf.

Through her involvement in the team Solstrålarna (The Sunbeams) from Älvsjö AIK, Charlotte has helped create a space where football is reimagined around the needs of children and young people with disabilities. Sessions are built not around performance, but around participation – adapting activities so that each individual can engage on their own terms. The result is a community where the emphasis is on joy, trust, and the simple but powerful act of being part of a team.

Alongside this, her work with Parasport Stockholm focuses on widening access to organized sport across the region. This includes supporting clubs and families, developing inclusive structures, and ensuring that opportunities in sport are not defined by ability, but by access. It's work that requires both proximity – being present on the ground – and persistence in shaping the systems around it.

Charlotte's work – both with Solstrålarna and Parasport Stockholm – is something we feel deserves much more than a paragraph. We'll be dedicating a full piece to her story and Solstrålarna in the near future, so stay tuned.

As A Ball for All convenes in Thessaloniki, the focus will not only be on sharing knowledge, but on strengthening a network – one that continues to push football toward something more open, more inclusive, and ultimately, more reflective of the communities that love it.

For us at Bonito, being part of that conversation is truly an honor. We look so much forward to receiving updates from Charlotte that we can share with the whole Bonito community.