Bonny Madsen (Mills Club) shortlisted for #BeActive Local Hero Award 2024

11/21/2024 Pradyot Sharma, Youth Officer at ISCA

Bonny Madsen got shortlisted for the #BeActive Local Hero Award 2024 for her extraordinary project, Mills Club! She will travel to Brussels along with two inspiring young boys from the club, Max and Jonathan, for the #BeActive Gala Ceremony, which will be held on 26 November.

Earlier this year, ISCA, as the National Coordinating Body for the European Week of Sport in Denmark, submitted the Danish nominations for the #BeActive Awards. Now, we're excited to present the shortlisted candidate in the Local Hero category: Bonny Madsen and Mills Club, who are also supported by partners such as DGI Storkøbenhavn and Novo Nordisk.

The story of Bonny and the Miils club is a story of inspiration, perseverance, and determination, but most of all, it’s a story of community and how, given a chance, it is possible to initiate a social change with even the most vulnerable members of the community.

Ten years ago, Bonny started Mills Skate Club to bring together children and young people who are passionate about sports on wheels, such as roller skates, scooters, and skateboarding. Since then, Mills Club has become a club that helps everyone #BeActive and an inclusive community of enthusiastic young people and adults who thrive on supporting each other and the club's development.

Bonny, as a former professional footballer who also played for the Danish National Team for many good years, knew the value of sport and the power it holds to empower young people in the communities. It is also the reason why she always had a great eye for the vulnerable kids who faced discrimination and bullying in society. Run by volunteers, Mills Club became a haven for kids where they could be free, come every week, be themselves, have fun, make friends, and have a good time on their wheels. This is another reason why the parents also supported the cause. Henceforth, the club also holds the support of a parent’s association, which assists the club whenever required.

For the past nine years, Bonny has been trying to acquire a permanent place to hold the club’s activities regularly with a stable setup so they do not have to train outdoors or borrow facilities every now and then. In 2023, she finally managed to acquire the temporary right to use a vacant building, Sport10. Since then, the club has seen exponential progress.

Max and Jonathan, who have been with Bonny and the Mills Club since its existence, helped set up the whole facility in the 900m2 Spor10 building. After conducting several training and workshops, they are also permanent instructors of the club. The boys are not just an example of the sheer commitment they have shown but also of what supporting young people can look like. They are now an inspiration to children and many others.

Watch a short video showcasing Mills Club:

You can find out more about Mills Club in the case description by Cities for Better Health here.

We wish Bonny the very best for the awards and hope that she gets the recognition she deserves for being the great leader she is.

The European Commission recognises projects and initiatives promoting sport and physical activity across Europe through the #BeActive Awards (part of the annual European Week of Sport). Individuals and organisations are invited to submit their applications in 4 categories. Read more about each of the four categories of the #BeActive Awards.