New app helps citizens in vulnerable positions to be more empowered and embrace new communities

Sønderborg Municipality has just completed a three-year development project Platform for Community. The result is the platform and app Aktive Avatars, which is inspired by the gaming world and is designed to engage and motivate adults with intellectual disabilities, young people and adults in addiction treatment, and children and young people with special challenges.

Interests as a driving force  

Before the start of the project, Sønderborg Municipality found that it was difficult to attract and retain citizens in vulnerable positions in group programs targeted at the citizen. Many were not part of a community and needed help to become self-sufficient when it came to everyday activities such as shopping and cooking. 
In the project, Sønderborg Municipality turned their group program model upside down by inviting citizens based on their interests. 

In addition to joining a group with like-minded people who share interests, all participants are given an individual avatar with missions in an app on their phone.
Each day, participants are assigned missions via a push notification on their phone. When the day's mission is completed, it is recorded in the app. Through daily missions, such as cleaning up and activities like badminton or walking, participants earn points and reach new levels, just as we know it from the world of gaming.

When people meet for group sessions, each individual's performance is reviewed and a bond is created through the gaming experience, which is different from other activation programs. 

An important stepping stone to strong communities 

47 citizens have so far been part of eight different group programs over 12 months. And an evaluation of the project shows that the project has had a significant impact on the citizens, their independence and social well-being.

"The results show that the project has been a good stepping stone for subsequent lasting communities. In addition to 97% of the participants being happy or very happy with the program, we saw a positive development in action plan goals for 58% of the citizens. In addition, almost half of the participants made the leap from the municipally facilitated group courses to local sports communities in association life. And six of the participants from a group program established a private community. Here after a year and a half, the group is still together with weekly meetings at each other's homes without support from municipal employees," says Frederik Jensen, Health Education Consultant, Sønderborg Municipality. 

More municipalities will now benefit from the method and platform

The project has been realized with a grant of DKK 2.7 million from VELUX FONDEN, which has now also awarded the project partners an additional grant for dissemination activities so that Sønderborg Municipality can share their experiences and the platform with other municipalities. 

"Sønderborg Municipality has introduced an innovative approach to social work and gained some important experiences that other municipalities can undoubtedly benefit from, and we look forward to seeing how the project will spread," says Vibeke Lybecker, Head of Program at VELUX FONDEN. 

VELUX FONDEN has supported Sønderborg Municipality's development project as part of the 'Communities for All' program, which is one of the foundation's focus areas within 'Social Initiatives'. 

The ambition is to help more people participate in constructive communities and gain the power and capacity to master their lives.