Especially women's increasing interest in sports has had an influence on the number of people involved in sports. Sports for special groups About half a million people suffer from some sort of injury and almost one million people suffer from chronic diseases and one million Finns are retired. At the moment, there are about 20 sports organisations for the special groups, of which 8 are member organisations of the Finnish Sports Federation and 6 support organisations. Part of the localities is not suited for physically handicapped persons. The localities are arranged to serve this purpose by support from the Ministry of Education among others.
Voluntary work is the cornerstone of physical exercise and sports.
The most significant support to sports clubs provided by municipalities includes free or inexpensive sports facilities. The clubs have some 9 weekly sessions lasting from 0,5 - 1 hour. The funding of sports Those who go in for sports pay the most. The municipality constructs and attends to the sports facilities. The costs of the municipal sports activities amount to FIM 2,3 billion a year.