FFA 09 Round Up Jan-June

FOOTBALL FOR ALL 2009 ROUND UP

A Quick Word from our Football For All Ambassador Colin Murray

FFA’s Louise Eakin interviews Colin Murray at the 2009FFA Awards at Belfast City Hall

“Football For All (FFA) is all about creating a fun, safe and inclusive culture throughout all levels of the game in Northern Ireland. FFA gives everyone who cares about safeguarding and strengthening Northern Ireland Football a common and shared goal which helps create a sense of family”.

“FFAsupports the vision of creating a successful and inclusive IFA and the good work of the IFA FFACommunity Relations Department supports the key strategic pillar set out in the IFA Strategic Plan 2007-2012 of ensuring thatfootball is fully integrated into the community in every respect”.

“FFA has been on one heck of a journey from humble beginnings in 2000 to becoming the internationally recognised model of good practice it is today. Without the vision and core funding support of the EU Special Programmes Body, Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and more recently Pobal, quite simply FFA would not be the outstanding success it is today in the community. On behalf of everyone involved in FFA, the IFA Staff, Volunteers, Students, Players, Partners, Fans, Community Groups and Clubs, thank you for your continued support”.

Introduction/Kick Off

2009 has been a very busy year for FFA. The following report is an informal summary of some of the key aspects of work carried out by the IFA’sFFACommunity Relations Department in 2009. Readers should note FFA is much bigger than the work of the IFA’sFFACommunity Relations Department in 2009 about to be highlighted and the success of FFA is that it belongs to all the good work of the IFA Staff across all departments, the good work of the Football Volunteers from all levels of the game, the good work of Fans, Community Groups, Colleges, Players, Referees and Clubs who promote the FFAmessage. Unfortunately it is impossible to capture all of this good work in this short round up, so this short document will concentrate on the work of the IFA’s FFA Community Relations Department in 2009.

The following report will highlight key highlights and a quick fire round up of FFA on a monthly basis rolling through 2009, hopefully in a fun and easy to read way. If you would like any further information on the work of the IFA’s FFACommunity Relations Department please email ffa@irishfa.com. Thanks as always for your continued support.

Players from the Chinese Football Association Northern Ireland and a North Belfast FFA Cross Community Team contest the ball at the Unite Against Hate Unity Cup in August at Seaview in North Belfast, home of Crusaders FC

January 2009

FFAHighlight – IFA and Mencap FFANorthern Ireland wide Primary School Anti-Bullying Poetry and Drawing Competition

Adshel Promotional Poster The talented winners with IFA Grassroots Manager Ian Stewart

January FFAQuick Fire Round Up

Northern Ireland wide Football For All (FFA ) Anti-Bullying Poetry and Drawing Competition delivered in partnership with IFA Charity Partner Mencap, involving 90 Primary Schools.
FFAsupported 2 well supported World United anti-racism events in January. One in Armaghand one in Belfast .
FFAdelivered one FFAanti-sectarian workshop in Ballymena with 20 local Students.
FFAteam working closely with all 12 Irish Premier League Club’s Community Relations Officers and IFA Domestic Licencing Team to ensure Clubs meet Community Relation’s Domestic Licence requirements.FFAteam facilitate setting up of FFAInteragency Forum to help Irish League Clubs network with key partners to support the process of mainstreaming the FFAmessage.

February 2009

FFAHighlight – IFA and Positive FuturesFFADisability Awareness Training for all IFA Staff

Nigel Worthington joins IFA Staff for Disability Awareness Training

February FFAQuick Fire Round Up

FFAteam worked in partnership with IFA Disability Team and IFA Charity Partner Positive Futures to deliver Disability Awareness training to all IFA Staff.
FFAteam deliver FFAtalk at prestigious Antrim Borough Council Volunteer Sports Awards.
FFAteam participated in Volunteer Policy training with Volunteer Development Agency.
FFAteam presented to Irish Premier League Committee on FFAplans in the Irish League.
FFAVolunteer Charity Team played World United in East Belfast to raise money for IFA Going for Goal Charities.
A newFFAAdvisory Panel meets and is formed to guide FFA . This panel includes members from the IFA Senior Management Team, members from the Amalgamation of Official Northern IrelandSupportersClubs, CRC, Sport NI, OFMDFM, Clubs, QueensandUniversityofUlster .

March 2009

FFAHighlight – IFA, Glentoran FC and PSNI Pilot FFAAmbassadors Project

Glentoran Youth Players participated in 4 weekFFAAmbassador Project with PSNI Cadets in March. The course included Good Relations, Leadership and Communication training.

March FFAQuick Fire Round Up - March saw the pilot of an FFAAmbassadors Project with Glentoran and PSNI where 20 16yr old school children benefited from Football For All Good Relations workshops over a period of 4 weeks working in partnership with PSNI Cadets.

The IFA FFAteam delivered intercultural awareness training in partnership with the FAI for a volunteer community group in East Belfast atAshfieldBoysSchool . This community group consisted of over 20 adult males aged 18-50. This group went on to develop the George Best Community Cup and East Belfast Festival in the summer.
The IFA FFATeam, Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland SupportersClubs, Crusaders FC and the NI Polish Association delivered aFFARespect Festival at Seaview on the 27^th March. Over 200 people supported this event which helped promote Good Relations.
FFAlaunched the highly successful Love Football Hate Bigotry billboard and Adshel poster campaign in March on the back of the Northern Ireland versusPolandgame. This innovative campaign was picked up by BBC and Sky Sports.
FFAteam delivered a 2 hr anti-sectarian workshop with 30 2^ndYear Sports Studies Students at UniversityofUlster .

Northern Ireland Fans and FFAVolunteers played a Love Football Hate Bigotry Fan’s Friendly with Polish Fans at the FFAIntercultural Respect Festival held at Seaview in North Belfast on the 27^th March, prior to the Northern Ireland versusPolandgame at WindsorParkinBelfast .

Northern Ireland Goalkeeping Legend and current Lisburn Distillery Manager, Tommy Wright (far right) supported the Love Football Hate Bigotry Fan’s Friendly with Polish Fans at the FFAIntercultural Respect Festival.

True Fans – Polish and Northern Ireland Fans united in friendship at the

FFAIntercultural Respect Festival.

A young Northern Ireland Football Fan and a young Polish Football Fan enjoy some face painting fun at the FFAIntercultural Respect Festival

April 2009, FFAHighlight – Over 200 people support the re-launch of IFA Football For All Project at the Odyssey Storm Cinema with the world premier of the Northern Ireland Fan’s Green and White Army the Fans story film.

IFA President Raymond Kennedy joins the FFA Team, Fans, Volunteers, Labour MP Kate Hoey, Football Legends Ian Stewart and Glenn Ferguson at the re-launch of Football For All on the 1^st April outside the Odyssey.

April FFAQuick Fire Round Up - Maria Wilson joins the FFA team as IFA FFA Community Relations Finance and Administrative Specialist.

FFAsupported 2 World United anti-racism events in April involving over 50 people. One in Newcastleand one in Belfast .
FFAteam delivered 4 anti-sectarian FFAtalks in schools across Belfastto over 100 students.
FFA team facilitated 3 Sport and Community Master Classes for Irish League Clubs across Northern Ireland with support from Falkirk FC, to over 100 people.
The IFA FFA Staff Charity football team played Belfast City Council XI in East Belfast to support the council’s charity fundraising for a Meningitis Charity, collecting over £1000.

May 2009

FFAHighlight – FFAWins Prestigious Excel Management and Leadership Award for helping to transform Northern Ireland Football, making the sport more welcoming to families.

MLN’s CEO Bill Manson presents IFA’s Michael Boyd with an Excel Management and Leadership Award forFFA, at the Waterfront Hall at the largest business conference ever held in Belfast.

May FFAQuick Fire Round Up

In partnership with the IFA Disability team, the FFA team supported a RNIB visual impaired Futsal tournament in Lisburn with over 100 people participating.
FFA team delivered FFA anti-sectarian workshop with Wise Men from the East men’s health community group in East Belfast at the Ballymac Leisure Centre with a cross border group of over 50 people (mostly men over 60yrs of age).
FFA Team facilitate FFA Interagency Forum meeting in Belfast with Irish Premier League Clubs and key partners. Over 30 people supported this meeting.

June 2009, FFAHighlight – FFAStewarding Conference held at Grosvenor House Belfastwhich encouraged Irish League Clubs to build on their work with Fans and Volunteers to create a fun, safe and family orientated culture at games.

IFA’s Michael Boyd introduces the conference line up which includes Jim Rainey from the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, Paul Scott from Sport NI, IFA Security Expert Stephen Grange and Danny Meenan from Derry City FC. Over 120 people attended this event and every club in the Irish Premier League sent representatives to support the event.

June FFAQuick Fire Round Up - FFA Political Champion and new Belfast Lord MayorNaomi Long sponsors a showing of the Northern Ireland Fan’sGreen and White Army the fans story film in the Long Gallery at Stormont which is well supported by all political parties, community groups and Fans with over 60 people attending.
FFA supports 2 World United anti-racism events, one in Belvoir and one in Derry, involving over 60 people. FFA team support successful World United fundraising event in Belfast supported by 50 people. FFA team support annual Polish Football tournament inBelfast with ten Polish teams participating. FFA supports World United and NICRAS (NI Committee of Refugee and Asylum Seekers) summer coaching school. Ards FC Management Team, Tommy Kincaid and Justin McBride take the coaching which encourages 20 new Players from BME backgrounds to participate. A productive partnership between World United, NICRAS andFFA is now established. FFA team also support Russian community group football event in Belfast.
FFA team helps facilitate Irish League Flags Workshop involving Trademark, PSNI and all 12 Irish Premier League Clubs with over 20 people attending. The new FFA Advisory Panel meets for the second time with over 20 key stakeholders volunteering to support the panel meeting.

Northern Ireland Defender, Manchester United Star and IFA Child Protection Ambassador, Jonny Evans backs the highly successful Love Football Hate Bigotry message at the Northern Ireland versusSloveniagame at WindsorPark .

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FFA 09 Round Up Jan-June