Blue Sneakers
Blue Sneakers are a safe space where young people aged 14-18 can spend their free time.
These spaces are located in popular shopping centers where young people gather after school.
Young people can relax, chat, share experiences, have fun, and make new friends.
Niebieskie Trampki organises themed workshops, tournaments and educational meetings devoted to health.
They also offer the opportunity to talk to psychologists, educators and street workers in a friendly environment.
So far, three Blue Trainers clubs have been opened in Gdańsk – the first one at the Forum Shopping Centre, funded by the City of Gdańsk, and the other two at Galeria Metropolia and Galeria Przymorze, funded by the LPP Foundation.
Blue Sneakers – why are we doing this?
The LPP Foundation supports the mental health of young people. The initiative responds to the growing problem of difficulties in accessing psychological help and is also a reaction to the increase in depression among young people.
The aim of the Blue Trainers project is to create a safe space where young people can not only spend time together, but also get help from specialists.
How does the Blue Sneakers project work?
The Blue Sneakers Clubs are places for integration, developing interests and taking a break from problems.
These centres also aim to support young people in developing coping mechanisms for crisis situations and provide them with comprehensive preventive and socio-therapeutic assistance.
This includes psychological consultations, mediation and intervention in difficult situations.
How does the Blue Sneakers project work?
Meetings with teenagers are organised in open, non-obvious spaces in order to change the stereotypical image of psychologists in the eyes of young people.
In this way, the LPP Foundation shows that mental health is an important topic that can be discussed anytime and anywhere.
The main goal of Niebieskie Trampki is to break down barriers to accessing psychological help for young people.
Specialists therefore go to places where young people like to spend time after school and extracurricular activities to meet their expectations and meet them in their natural environment, outside the typical psychologist's office.
Who is running the Blue Trainers project?
Blue Trainers is an initiative of the FOSA Foundation.
The project is being implemented in cooperation with the City of Gdańsk and shopping centres in Gdańsk.
The LPP Foundation provides full financial support to clubs in Galeria Metropolia and Galeria Przymorze.
Blue Trainers in figures
Statistics from the activities of the first two clubs in 2024 (Niebieskie Trampki na Przymorzu was opened in 2025) prove the need for new places offering this type of support.
Below are statistics on crisis interventions concerning club participants in the Metropolia and Forum shopping centres last year.