Corporate Social Responsibility in Sport for Social Inclusion, Public Health, and Sustainable Development
Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify conceptual and practical mechanisms through which the activities of sports organizations, focused on social impact, can combine the tasks of equal access, involvement of vulnerable groups and support for the well-being of the population in the context of regulatory guidelines of the European Union and Ukraine. The study was conducted in August 2026 on the basis of a targeted non-random sample of 20 official sources, including 15 regulatory and strategic documents and 5 statistical and analytical materials of international and European institutions. The documents were coded according to a single analytical matrix with a subsequent structured comparison of European and Ukrainian regulatory approaches. Three principal channels of social impact were identified: eliminating barriers and increasing access, integrating marginalized groups into community participation,?and promoting ongoing physical activity. The quantitative context revealed that 45% of the respondents in the European Union never practice any sports or do any physical exercise, while 38% are?regular exercisers; Lack of physical activity affected 35.4% of adults and, if this pattern persists, it is predicted to cause 11.5 million additional cases of non-communicable diseases?by 2050. At the same time, the average share of implemented indicators of health-improving physical activity policy increased from 64.7% in 2015 to 81.8% in 2024. The comparison showed a high level of content compatibility between European and Ukrainian approaches to accessibility, non-discrimination, participation and well-being of the population, but in Ukraine the corresponding elements remain normatively fragmented. The results obtained justify the feasibility of integrating socially oriented practices into the strategic management of sports organizations and developing measurable criteria for their social effect. Keywords: stakeholder governance, institutional integration, equal access, vulnerable groups, non-discrimination, community participation.