Release Date: 21/09/2010

WITH support from the EU funded Football For All Project, Donegal Celtic Football Club hosted a Community and Business Workshop on Monday supported by Chairmen and Community Relations Officers from Linfield, Crusaders, Lisburn Distillery, Crumlin United and Bangor football clubs.

The workshop highlighted how mainstreaming a community focus at the heart of a football club’s business strategy can encourage partnerships with local authorities and commercial sponsors. Support from the EU funded anti-sectarian Football For All project was offered to all the clubs to help them with community audits and the development of new Community Relations strategies and funding plans.

IFA Head of Community Relations, Michael Boyd, who manages the Football For All Project and helped co-ordinate the workshop said: “This was our second workshop with Irish League clubs highlighting the support we can offer. Our first was earlier this month in Moyola and our final workshop is being held in Portadown on 27 September.

“There is already a lot of very good community work going on under the radar at Irish League clubs. This workshop highlights how we can support clubs to strategically harness and build on this work to support their sustainability and the value they give to their community.”

Feedback for the workshops so far has been very positive and the following comments were made by the participants on the evaluation sheets:

·          “The workshop gave me a totally new concept of Community Relations;”

·          “Will make me think more outside the box;”

·          “Will make me think of the bigger picture;”

·          “It is good to know there is more support now;”

·          “Gave me different ideas for Community Relations and it was good the Chairman was with me so he can see what can be done;”

·          “It opens your mind to other people in the community.”

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