OACCUs – The partners met for the first time in Stockholm

OACCUs (101056984), OAC Connect Us, is a project funded by the EU4 Health Programme and implemented by a consortium composed by 14 Partners: UMA, RV and MotiMera (Sweden), OAC and ESV (Germany), UPATRAS and CreThiDev (Greece), CEIPES, UNIPA and LILT (Italy), UCA (Spain); UC, CHUC and LIGA (Portugal).

OACCUs means OAC Sees (C) Us and OAC Connects Us. Europe’s beating cancer plan aims not only to ensure that young cancer patients survive their disease, but also that they live long, fulfilling lives. OACCUs will be a vital part of the new EU4Health network for young cancer survivors.

In particular, the main objectives of OACCUs project are:

• Support the promotion of outdoor sports, physical activity, healthy lifestyle psycho education, psychological well-being in young cancer survivors, as an effective measure to increase quality of life and reduce the risk of developing cancer again in adulthood.

• Improving the skills of young cancer survivors, educators and all professionals involved in the health care system in promoting outdoor sports activities, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles to young cancer survivors and their families
• Facilitate and promote the practice of outdoor sports and activities among people in line with the EU4Health program approach: addressing cross-border health threats more effectively.

On the 21-24 of June 2022, Partners from participating countries met for the first time in Stockholm (Sweden) to present their organisations and expertise; moreover, they started discussing about the implementation of the project and next actions.

Specifically, OACCUs project pursues the idea of training young cancer survivors, their families and friends as ambassadors and coaches in each participating country and developing and sustaining a network of youth cancer survivors.

The purpose of OACCUs is create a future oriented healthy lifestyle through outdoor sports and exercise, psychoeducation, healthy nutrition, healthy environment, which is achieved through interaction and exchange with peers, with people with a similar disease history, with their friends, with health care organizations (universities, organizations for young cancer survivors, NGOs) of the participating project countries.

The OACCUs main outputs will be a lively and sustainable youth network; training of numerous Ambassadors and Coaches as facilitators to support and further develop the network; provision of the OACCUs app to engage and connect youth participants.

Furthermore, during the four-day meeting, the partners strengthened their collaboration by participating in outdoor physical activities together. The kick-off meeting was also a great occasion to talk about the first steps of the project and define the methodology of the field research cycle (WP2).

The consortium is also working on the visual identity of the project and on the development of communication and dissemination strategy.

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