Debrecen4U March 20, 2026

Move, Debrecen! Opens 25th Indoor Venue in Haláp

Details were presented at a press conference on 19 March 2026 by Deputy Mayor Diána Széles, Csaba Papp, professional leader of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement, and Dalma Berekméri, President of the Halápon a Gyermekekért Közhasznú Egyesület (Public Benefit Association for Children in Haláp).

As Deputy Mayor Diána Széles highlighted, the announcement is significant not only because Haláp has become the 25th indoor venue of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement, but also because it is the first facility in the city’s outskirts dedicated to organised exercise. Residents of Nagycsere and Haláp have a clear need for regular physical activity, despite the common assumption that people in rural areas are naturally more active due to farming, gardening or household work. While this is true to an extent, specialised forms of exercise that support long‑term health are not part of their everyday routines.

With the support of the association, the “Move, Debrecen!” movement carried out a needs assessment among local residents to understand what types of sessions they would find most useful, and at what times and locations. The results show the strongest interest in free, professionally led spinal‑health classes held on weekday mornings—particularly among expectant mothers, mothers with young children and older residents. The community centre operated by the association has been identified as the ideal venue for these sessions, and sincere thanks are extended to the association for making the programme possible.

Dalma Berekméri, President of the association (Halápon a Gyermekekért Közhasznú Egyesület), noted that local residents have been waiting a long time for this opportunity. When she founded the association around 2011, her aim was to support the local community, and launching the exercise sessions of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement is a natural continuation of that mission. Community gatherings combined with opportunities for physical activity are among the most valuable initiatives, and Dalma Berekméri is confident that participation will steadily increase.

Plans are already being considered for an additional Wednesday afternoon session—after working hours, likely starting at 5 p.m.. This is partly due to the growing number of young families moving into the area, whose needs and schedules differ from those of older residents. Organisers aim to accommodate these diverse expectations as fully as possible.

Csaba Papp, professional leader of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement, recalled that he had initially expected the initiative to be most successful in housing‑estate environments. To his surprise, it achieved overwhelming popularity in a suburban-style area such as Csapókert, where every new form of exercise introduced by the movement filled up within a week. As a result, two venues in Csapókert now regularly welcome those wishing to exercise. He also mentioned another early assumption: that indoor programme venues would need to be community centres with permanent staff. He had not anticipated that schools—regardless of their maintaining authority—would volunteer their facilities, even though doing so involves considerable additional responsibilities. In his view, the success of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement stems from strong cooperation between the local authority, school operators and civil organisations.

The original ambition of engaging just a few people has been far exceeded. Over nearly five years, more than 288,000 residents of Debrecen have taken part in one of the movement’s programmes. The range is extensive: 5,500 programmes are organised annually across 25 indoor and 6 outdoor venues. In response to rapidly growing demand, seven new indoor venues have opened this year alone. Csaba Papp emphasised that programme organisation and the range of activities are always shaped by participants’ needs. For example, at the Vezér Street venue, classical yoga sessions with low attendance have been replaced by highly popular Pilates classes.

In Haláp, the first spinal exercise session will take place on Monday, 23 March 2026, starting at 9 a.m., in the building of Bokorhegyi School (Debrecen-Haláp 35).

Further details about the health education and exercise programmes of the “Move, Debrecen!” movement are available on their website and on social media.

Diána Széles also drew attention to the fact that those wishing to be active can take part in the 3rd Mozdulj Debrecen! Sports Carnival on Sunday afternoon, 22 March, at the Főnix Arena. Registration for the event is still open, and further details about the Movement Carnival are available online.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu