Reaching more than 12,000 children and working with 47 schools, the initiative combines physical activity, education and community engagement, with strong evidence of behavioural change and long-term value.

As Fadri Holinger, Director of Operations & Sport at CHL, noted:

“The initiative delivers measurable societal value and demonstrates the positive contribution sports organisations can make in their communities.”

Embedding sustainability through flexibility

The Impact Award forms part of CHL’s wider Sustainability Strategy, introduced in 2024, and reflects a deliberately flexible approach.

Responding to questions from Global Sustainable Sport, CHL emphasised that the priority is to encourage participation across clubs with different resources and starting points, rather than impose rigid structures.

“We intentionally kept the entry threshold as low as possible… Our focus remains on encouraging participation.”

This is reflected in the decision not to introduce standardised KPIs at this stage:

“Our goal is to support progress, not to create a competitive benchmarking system.”

Sustainability reporting will also remain voluntary, allowing clubs to engage at a pace aligned with their own capacity.

Community impact at the core

For Brynäs IF, “En Bra Start” is central to the club’s identity and long-term vision.

Jakob Westerlund, Head of Commercial at Brynäs IF, said:

“Community engagement is a key part of our vision… Building a healthy, relevant hockey club is fundamental to sporting success.”

The programme’s scale and measurable outcomes highlight the growing role clubs can play beyond sport, particularly in areas such as youth development, wellbeing and social inclusion.

Incentives through collaboration

While the award includes a €5,000 prize, CHL is clear that its primary aim is not financial.

“Our aim is to foster learning, inspiration, and collaboration rather than relying solely on financial incentives.”

Through the sharing of best practices and sustainability playbooks, the league is positioning the award as a platform for knowledge exchange across European hockey.

A framework for future progress

CHL’s Sustainability Strategy is informed by recognised frameworks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and GSS’s 7 Sustainable Pillars of Sport.

The first edition of the Impact Award places a clear emphasis on social impact, particularly through community-based initiatives such as “En Bra Start”.

As the programme develops, the challenge will be how this approach evolves—balancing accessibility with greater consistency and scale—while continuing to support clubs at different stages of their sustainability journey.