Young people from Newry have been learning about leadership on and off the football pitch thanks to the United Through Sport Young Leaders Project. The cross-community project brought together children to learn more about leadership, good relations, personal development and to have a lot of fun with sports.
The programme, which was supported by Radius Housing and was facilitated by the Respect Project, saw 21 young people take part in several sports-led workshops over six months. The workshops focused on team building, tackling racism, and developing good community relations. The impact of the programme for participants was significant, helping them build new friendships, improve self-esteem, and develop new understanding about the local community.
The project included a cross-community day with a visit to Belfast in partnership with Clonduff FC in East Belfast. The young people all took part in good relations-themed workshops in Avoneil Leisure Centre and even attended a Northern Ireland match in Windsor Park Stadium together.
All 21 participants have completed certificates in youth leadership as part of the United Through Sport Programme delivery. As part of their accreditation, they organised and hosted World Cup Events with 60 primary seven children across six local schools.
The highlight of the programme was a three-day residential trip to Scotland, where all the young people were able to visit both Celtic & Rangers Football Clubs as well as experience stadium tours and practice on their pitches. They took part in Give Racism the Red Card Workshops as part of the football ground visits.
Cross-Community Work
Radius Housing is a leading social housing provider, managing more than 13,000 homes across Northern Ireland. Radius manages several shared housing developments, including in Newry and Belfast. The Good Relations work in these areas allowed the facilitation of cross-community work for those participating in the programme.
Speaking about United Through Sport Young Leaders Project, Joe Galbraith, Radius Housing, said: “It is important that young people grow up with respect and understanding for everyone in the local community, and sport is an important tool for this. It was great to see how the young people developed through this project, building new friendships, and growing in confidence. The young people today are the leaders of tomorrow, and Radius is delighted to support such a positive project.”
Martin Connelly, Project Coordinator, Respect Project said: “The United through Sport Programme has been a great success. The young people involved have really enjoyed the sessions and they have learnt so much during their six months together. During the programme, the young people increased their awareness of good relations by learning about the importance of respect and learning more about others from different backgrounds and cultures through the medium of sport. It has been great for us in the Respect Project to partner with Radius Housing to deliver this programme and we look forward to working together again in the future to help benefit the young people from the Newry City area.”
The United Through Sport Young Leaders Project is supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Housing for All Shared Housing Programme. The Programme has its origins in the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy which reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.
A total of £5.4M has been invested in the Radius Ardmore and Rockmount shared housing development and its associated Good Relations Plan. Radius continues to work in partnership with the local Advisory Group stakeholders and with residents to develop delivery of the Plan.