The project has been led by Sampo Salmi, the club’s junior manager, and Matti Hirvonen, a member of the board and junior section.
“We are motivated by the opportunity to make a difference and do meaningful work with children and young people. HerTo acts as a kind of village club, bringing wellbeing to the local area through low-threshold recreational activities. And on the other hand, volunteering at the club is also simply great fun,” they say.
Strategy inspires development project
HerTo’s safer club activities project was launched in conjunction with the completion of the club’s new strategy Reilusti eteenpäin 2025–2030 (Fair and forward-thinking 2025–2030). The strategy defined the core values of the club as encouragement, closeness, reliability and working together, and the club started to envision how these values could be reflected in the club’s everyday activities. Although the club has long been seen as a fair and supportive community, it did not have clear and coherent policies in place.
“We wanted to think about how fairness, safety and encouragement are reflected in our daily life in a tangible way and what we can do better. When we noticed the City of Helsinki call for grants for safer club activities, the project plan quickly began to take shape,” Salmi and Hirvonen say.
The project plan was prepared by the junior manager and the club president together with the board and the junior section, and the planning work took the key players an estimated 20 hours. The results of the project will remain a permanent part of the club’s activities, and its principles have been integrated into the implementation of the strategy until 2030.
A safe hobby environment for all
The primary objective of the project is to ensure that everyone can play in HerTo in a safe environment, free from bullying, harassment, racism or other inappropriate behaviour. At the same time, the aim is to strengthen a cooperative, supportive and fair atmosphere both on and off the pitch.
A key aspect of the project has been the creation of permanent operating models. They are used to prevent inappropriate behaviour and provide clear procedures to deal with any problems that may arise.
Shared rules and policies for the whole club
As a result of the project, the club’s rules and guidelines have been updated to support a safe environment. The principles of safe club activities are enshrined in key documents such as guidebooks for coaches, team managers and spokespersons as well as team rules. They have been discussed at the coaches’ and team managers’ meetings and added to the club’s myClub system, where each member must read and approve them before joining.
The club has appointed harassment contact persons who can be contacted at a low threshold in situations involving inappropriate behaviour. The club also has clear procedures for dealing with inappropriate behaviour and problematic situations. There are sanctions for breaches of the rules, including exclusion from club activities in serious cases.
The new policies have reduced uncertainty in dealing with challenging situations and harmonised practices between teams. At the same time, the project has clarified the club’s shared values and strengthened the club’s identity as an open and fair community.
Zero tolerance for racism
Anti-racism principles are a key part of the project. The club emphasises the idea of ‘all different, all equal’, and the club subscribes to zero tolerance for racism.
The principles are embedded in the strategy, guides and team rules. The club will also develop a clear policy for situations where racism or discrimination occurs.
Making the voice of the players heard
In particular, the project aims to strengthen the participation of children and young people. Junior teams have started to organise player discussions to talk about team atmosphere, safety and the players’ experiences of the sport.
Players are encouraged to be open about their experiences and to participate in the development of a safe operational culture. Each team also has its own rules, which are discussed together and reviewed regularly.
Tips for promoting safer club activities and project planning
The reception of the HerTo project has been very positive. Active members of the club have found the tangible operating models particularly valuable in their everyday work.
“Often in club activities you hear the question ‘can’t we just focus on our core activities?’ We have not heard this phrase once, because this project will strengthen our core activity – playing football in a safe environment.”
Salmi and Hirvonen also encourage other clubs to do similar development work.
“A safe hobby environment should not just be a competitive advantage for one club, but a fundamental principle shared by all. Projects like this help in putting good principles into practice.”
Based on HerTo’s experience, the most important pieces of advice for other clubs are:
- Allow enough time for project planning.
- Engage the club’s leadership from the start.
- Communicate openly about the project’s objectives.
The project has increased interaction and communication within the club, and clear procedures may even make it easier to recruit volunteers.
“We hope that projects like this will make club activities in Helsinki even better and fairer.”
The City of Helsinki grant for promoting safer club activities is open for applications from 9 March to 5 April 2026.
