ON THE BALL PROJECT BY: HUKKA


I


n April, I opened an email from Anna Rounaja, CEO of the Hukka fi tness club in Finland. Rounaja was writing with the story of how her club’s used squash balls were helping children with autism to better cope with their disability.


A basket of balls


Among the extensive facilities at the family-operated Hukka club are its four squash courts. With 3,500 members and a thriving squash community, the club gets through more than 2,500 balls each year. One day, Rounaja asked members to begin leaving used balls in a basket, thinking they could be put to a second, useful purpose.


Enter Facebook Hukka has been on Facebook since 2010 and has 5,660 fans. Rounaja posted pictures of the basket of balls and set a challenge: create a new pur- pose for them. People began posting suggestions, but none were compelling enough. Then came the winning idea: a special needs teacher suggested the balls could create a ‘ball blanket’, a sensory stimulation aid for calming chil- dren suffering from autism and other developmental disabilities.


ISSUE 4 2014 © cybertrek 2014 IN A NUTSHELL


Initiative by: Hukka – www.hukka.net Location: Finland Status: Ongoing Impact: Local Gymtopia keywords: Health & Wellbeing, Helping Children Charity supported: Various


The blankets have proven therapeutic effects for children with autism, helping to relax and soothe them and reduc- ing the time it takes them to fall asleep. Rounaja says: “They don’t know the borders of their own bodies – it’s one of the reasons they fi nd the world over- whelming. The blankets adapt to the child’s body and calm them, as though they are being hugged.” Normally these blankets are fi lled with plastic or glass balls. They are complicated to make, and medically certifi ed blankets are expensive.


Enter the furniture maker Rounaja went to a local furniture maker with the idea of producing the


The idea for sensory blankets came from Facebook. The ‘ball blankets’ have been shown to help relax and soothe autistic children


blankets, using her donated squash balls. The company was enthusiastic and agreed to get involved. It now produces blankets for Hukka members, parents and local schools. The charge for the blankets is to cover costs, but just £118 (US$200) rather than the £570 (US$960) charged by specialist suppliers.


Altruistic creativity


This is a beautifully simple project, using what a club already has in abun- dance. It also shows how Facebook can be used as an idea generation platform, allowing members to contrib- ute and become more deeply involved with their clubs. The Hukka club now publishes Facebook updates showing children using the blankets and the dif- ference that they are making to them. Let’s also not forget how quickly


altruistic acts can spread. This story has now been picked up by organisa- tions across Europe and the United States. It’s proof that thinking about others can pay off on so many levels. As Rounaja says: “I wasn’t expect- ing something this great. It opened my eyes and makes me feel so warm inside – maybe the same feeling the kids get by using the blanket.” ●


Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 45


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