Lending is the new owning — simplifying access to sports equipment for children and teenagers.
Today, half of Norway´s 15 year olds are considered inactive, simultaniously we see increasing differences in health related to socioeconomic status.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health’s report Kunnskapsgrunnlag fysisk aktivitet (Competence mapping — physical activity) from 2014, shows a significant benefit for society as a whole in increasing physical activity amongst the population. Increased activity in the younger population makes a healthier adult population.
Over many years the government has invested in local facilities for lending out sports and activity equipment especially targeting children and youth from low income households. Many of these are run by the municipality or a local charity. Most of them do not operate in a sustainable way.
This is the backdrop for establishing BUA (The Shed)
BUA makes it easier for young people to borrow sports and leisure equipment. The ambition is to unite existing and new lending facilities under one umbrella organisation. Our joint ambition is a national «library solution» where all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, will have the opportunity to participate in organised and unorganised activities with their peers on a regular basis.
Research conducted by the Directorate of Health shows that lending out equipment is a very efficient way of increasing activity. This is especially the case where access is easily available and communicated, where the equipment is of good quality and where the location is well known with regular opening hours. BUA is set up to provide services for local lending facilities, like a common brand for communication and visibility, marketing tools, administration services and online booking to name a few. Most importantly, BUA is developing a financial model making local facilities sustainable.
After seven months in full operation, BUA supports 20 BUA facilities and has established a good dialogue with district councils. Several local sports clubs and associations want to establish a lending service. We are constantly working on recruiting more lending services into BUA.
It takes time and effort to strengthen the service as well as increase awareness and knowledge of BUA, but we have already seen a significant increase in demand. As a result of BUA´s services, new establishments are becoming operational and successful quicker than ever. The sharing of best practises, enabled through the network, strengthens each and every one of the BUA facilities.
Day by day we are receiving further confirmation that the idea and vision behind BUA has merit and that our work is bringing results. By the end of 2018 we aim to reach more than 50.000 children through more than 100 BUA facilities all over the country.
Monika Vogt, CEO, BUA
