2008 Overview
Community Relations Key Events 2008 Overview
Following the success of last year’s activities undertaken by the Community Relations team, we aim to build on previous successes and expand activities on offer to improve Good Relations through football in NI. Our underlying goal is to ensure that anyone who wants to, can participate in football and feel safe and secure as they so. Football For All can only truly be experienced when safety and inclusivity becomes the main focus for the IFA and all who promote the game.
This year the Football For All Campaign will focus on a range of activities to promote these values…..ranging from Staff Training opportunities, Coach Education Programmes and Workshops for Schools, Community Groups and businesses.
The Football For All Interagency Forum was established last summer with a focus of providing Irish Premier League Clubs with a focussed, coordinated approach to the promotion of Good Relations. This forum will continue through 2008 with a series of workshops designed to assist and strengthen Clubs and Volunteers to make the most of funding opportunities, courses and resources.
Our innovative World United programme will also be supported through the coming months by assistance to make it a self-sustaining club. This move forward will help attract funding for the team and help in making it more accessible to others from all backgrounds across NI. In June we hope to hold the Unity Cup as a showpiece tournament for teams’ representative of the many diverse cultures living and working acrossNorthern Ireland. This will provide World United with an ideal platform to demonstrate their skills and welcome other similar teams into a tournament where friendliness and harmony through football is the overall goal.
An important highlight to our annual activities will be the Football Without Frontiers Conference which will be held on 7 March. Football Without Frontiers is a UK and Ireland wide body of organisations who aim to educate and inform on issues of racism and sectarianism in football. The theme of this conference is ‘Community Champions’ and will highlight and reward outstanding achievements of Community Champions from NI, Republic of Ireland, England Scotland and Wales. In addition to welcoming these key change drivers, we look forward to them being presented by ex -International Managers and Players such as Bryan Hamilton, Brian Kerr, Ian Rush, Graham Taylor and Craig Brown. Local playwright Martin Lynch has kindly written a special play for the occasion and Radio One DJ and TV Football Presenter, Colin Murray will be the host.
In May, we aim to host our Annual Awards Ceremony to reward local volunteers and supporters for their unstinting contribution to football at all levels across NI. These awards are central to the Football For All Campaign as it provides us with a golden opportunity to express our thanks and gratitude to these ‘unsung heroes’. We are sure the award winners for this year will be as inspiring as last years winners and their willingness and determination will serve as a reminder to us all how important volunteers and supporters are to the local game.
October will bring in our Anti-Racism month and we aim to use this time to positively promote an Anti-racism message throughout football through a range of activities, promotions and showpiece events. It also provides us with the perfect opportunity to ensure all IFA staff undergoes updated training on this issue and this will in turn ensure that all official business is conducted in a way that can promote people regardless of ethnicity or perceived ethnicity.
All in all, it looks to be another very exciting and interesting year within the Football For All Campaign and Michael Boyd (Head of Community Relations) and myself are really looking forward to heralding more positive changes in local football. 
Best Wishes for 2008
Colleen Macauley
Community Relations Officer
Summary of Activities 2008
January
- Anti-homophobic Training for all IFA Staff
- World United Resume Training
February
- Football For All Interagency Forum
This meeting will work with Irish Premier League Clubs to help them create Club Development Plans and perform a Needs Analysis.
March
- Football Without Frontiers Conference 2008
This theme of this conference is ‘Community Champions’ and will highlight and reward outstanding achievements of Community Champions from NI, Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
April
- Interagency Forum
The focus of this meeting will be to identify funding opportunities for clubs based on their Club Development Plans and assist them make applications.
May
- Football For All Awards Night
The Annual Football For All Awards Night takes the opportunity to reward volunteers for their commitment and dedication to improving local football through a variety of roles and activities.
June
- Unity Cup
Once again, teams’ representative of many different cultures across NI will be invited to compete in a ‘Friendly’ tournament.
July
- Coach Education Week
An import week for the development of all new coaches as they undertake highly important Community Relations Training as part of their Coaching License.
August
- Community Relations Training for Senior Management
September
- Interagency Forum
- Launch of Football For All Primary School Art and Poetry Competition
October
- Anti-Racism Month
During this month the IFA Football For All Community Relations Department will be holding a series of events and workshops to highlight the need to remove and challenge all forms of Racism in football.
November
- Judging of Football For All Primary School Art & Poetry Competition
December
- Community Relations Training for Staff
