Release Date: 31/12/2009

A JULY - December round-up from the Football For All team.

July 2009

FFA Highlight – FFATeam deliver FFA Presentation at the inaugural international Sister Cities Youth Conference at Queen's University Belfast to over 300 young people and Youth Leaders from Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, USA and Latvia.

The FFA Team

FFA Workshop with young people

FFA Conference

July FFA Quick Fire Round Up

• As part of IFA Coach Education the IFA have compulsory Child Protection and FFA Good Relations modules incorporated into Coach Education for Coaches going to work with School Children (over 200 Coaches per year from all over NI receive this training).
• The FFA team supports the IFA Grassroots Development Officers, wider Coaching Department and partners to deliver a wide variety of community football programmes throughout the summer to thousands of young people all over NI, e.g., Value Based Coaching (including the IFI funded cross border and cross community Football For Peace Ireland project in the North West), CIS Cross Community Mini Soccer Centres, Pan Disability Clubs, Women’s Soccer Role Models Talks, Women’s Football Festivals, Grassroots Festivals, Disability Community Cups, Cerebral Palsy Football, FFA Good Relations training for all elite Players, World United Cross Community Futsal and Community Safety events like Midnight Street Soccer, to name but a few.
• The IFA Grassroots team working in partnership with the IFA Referee Team also launched a Respect Campaign covering 30 Primary Schools across NI called The Green Card launched by Nigel Worthington, and picked up by Sky TV, which supports the IFA’s FFAmessage.
• The FFA team worked in partnership with the GAA to support the launch of the West Belfast Festival.

August 2009, Highlight – World United Unite Against Hate Unity Cup held at Seaview in North Belfast, home of Crusaders FC on 30 August.

8 community teams played in the World United Unite Against Hate Unity Cup with over 15 different nationalities represented. This highly successful event was supported by FFA, Crusaders Football Club, the Police Service Northern Ireland, World United (an intercultural Football team) and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities. Over 200 people supported this intercultural Good Relations football event.

August FFA Quick Fire Round Up - FFA team worked in partnership with the Volunteer Development Agency (VDA) to deliver Volunteer Development Awareness training to all IFA Staff. The IFA is now considered a VDA Champion Sport.

• FFA Team supported an anti-racism event in Mallusk involving World United and the Chinese Football Association Northern Ireland. Over 50 people supported the event.
• The FFA Team and IFA International Department organise a Football Volunteer Champions event introducing the Northern Ireland Football Team to 10 FFA Volunteers at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick. The Volunteers met their heroes and had dinner with the team.
• With support from the FFA team the Northern Ireland Fans Team played the Israel Fans Team in a Good Relations friendly at Clandeboye Park, home of Bangor FC with BBC and over 100 people supporting the event.
• FFA team invited to talk about FFA at prestigious Parnell Summer School in Dublin to over 100 people, made up of academics, sports enthusiasts and community relations practitioners.
• IFA FFA Charity Team played Ballymoney Community Team to raise money for the IFA Going for Goal Charities

The FFA Team and IFA International Department organise a FFA Volunteer Champions event introducing the Northern Ireland Football Team to 10 FFA Volunteers at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick. The Volunteers met their heroes and had dinner with the team.

The lucky Volunteers included the Northern Ireland Football Fans who created the anti-sectarian Green and White Army the fans story DVD, the women who started up the first ever women’s only Northern Ireland Supporters Club, young people who have used football to set up their own anti-sectarian projects, unsung heroes who promote Child Protection at Clubs and volunteer Community Relations Officers from Irish Premier League Clubs.

NI Football Star, Colin Coates withFFA’s Michael Boyd and Louise Eakin launch the FFA Super Fan campaign ahead of the NI vsIsrael friendly at Windsor Park in Belfast in August.

Crusaders FC Captain, Northern Ireland International Star and FFA Advisory Panel Member, Colin Coates supports theFFA Super Fan campaign which rewards Fans who support the FFAmessage encouraging family support at games.

September 2009

FFAHighlight – IFA, GAA and Rugbyteam up with the Police ServiceNorthern Irelandand Community Relations Council to support the Unite Against Hate campaign.

IFA FFA and Grassroots team, a cross community mini soccer team and Northern Ireland Players (including rising NI Star, Glasgow Celtic’s Niall McGinn and Northern Ireland legend Ian Stewart) back the NI wide Unite Against Hate campaign at Windsor Park at half time at an international game against Slovakia in front of another full house inBelfast.

September FFAQuick Fire Round Up - FFA team supports Common Purpose Sport and Community Dragons Den project at Queens University with 20 young adults from across the UK and Ireland promoting the FFAmessage.

·FFA team delivers FFA talk at Ballynafeigh Community House on theOrmeau Road in Belfast to 15 people in a community group.

·FFA team sends 4 Irish Premier League Club’s (Glenavon, Portadown, Crusaders and Newry) volunteer Community Relations Officers to Falkirk FC on Football and Community study visit.

·FFA team represented in Journeys Out residential in Draperstown with 20 community Leaders from Derry and Belfastpromoting FFA message and developing a new network of contacts.

·FFA team develop and produce innovative FFANewsletter which is widely distributed across NI.

October 2009, FFAHighlight – FFAteam supports World United and PSNI cross community intercultural football event at Solitude in North Belfast, home of Cliftonville FC, as part of the IFA’s FFAAnti-Racism Month.

October FFAQuick Fire Round Up - IFAFFAAnti-Racism Month involves wide range of young people across NI in innovative anti-racism workshops held at Irish Premier League Clubs, e.g., 200 young people participated in fun FFAanti-racism event at Lisburn Distillery.FFAteam support World United and City of Armagh NI SupportersClubintercultural event at Danny Blanchflower in East Belfast with over 50 people supporting the event.

• FFAAdvisory panel meet for final time in 2009 with 25 key stakeholders supporting the meeting at the IFA.
• IFA Head of Good Relations participates in Dublin study visit meeting with the FAI Head of Interculturalism and Show Racism the Red Card. IFA Head of Good Relations and World United Committee member visit Nottingham on study visit to explore good practice using sport to promote Good Relations visiting Connexions, the intercultural Unity Team, Nottingham College, Nottingham Police and Nottingham Forest FC.
• IFA Head of Good Relations participates in Dealing with the Past workshop as part of the Journeys Out project with 20 community workers from DerryandBelfastat the Grosvenor House in Belfast .
• IFA Head of Good Relations delivers FFAanti-sectarian talk to 200 student teachers in the Wellington Park Hotel Belfast and 10 students at AshfieldBoysHigh School inEast Belfast.

November 2009, FFAHighlight – The FFAUnsung Hero Volunteer Awards 2009 held at Belfast City Hall, hosted by FFAAmbassador, Colin Murray, with over 300 people coming from all over Northern Ireland supporting FFA’s premier annual event.

NI Boss Nigel Worthington presents an FFA Award to Ballymena’s Billy O’Flaherty.Nigel Worthington, IFA CEO Patrick Nelson and IFA President, Raymond Kennedy congratulates record Irish League Goal Scorer Jimmy Jones on his FFA Legend Award at Belfast City Hall.

November FFA Quick Fire Round Up -FFAteam supports the development of Crusaders FC and Cliftonville FC’s innovative cross community Academy North Project which involves 12 young people, using football as the hook to keep young people in education in North Belfast. FFAteam also support the official launch of Crusaders FC and Newington FC’s visionary cross community shared stadium plans inNorth Belfast.

• FFAteam facilitate the first ever IFA Staff Alternative Therapy Day at Windsor Avenue inBelfastto help Staff deal with stress. Over 20 Staff took advantage of this opportunity and feedback was very positive.
• FFAteam work in partnership with FFATrainer to develop new FFAtraining DVD to help deliver interactive FFAcelebrating diversity workshops.
• Bangor Northern Ireland SupportersClub host showings of the anti-sectarian Green and White Army the fans story in Bangorwith over 100 people supporting the event.
• Football For Peace Irelandproject delivering value based coaching to hundreds of school children on cross border basis in North West is re-launched by IFA and FAI
• FFAand IFA Grassroots teams develop first ever FFACross Community Youth Forum in Lisburn.

FFA Ambassador and FFA Awards Host Colin Murray gives FFA Volunteer, the IFA’s Angela McKibben a hug at the highly success FFA Unsung Hero Volunteer Awards at Belfast City Hall. IFA Grassroots Development Officer, Phil Melville gets some VIP treatment from the FFA Awards team at the awards. Below,FFA’s Colleen Macauley meets Belfast Lord Mayor, Naomi Long.

Above, top right, some of the World United team arrive at the awards. Above, bottom left, former international, Phil Mulryne, presents a FFA Lifetime Achievement Award to St Oliver Plunkett’s Jackie Maxwell and, bottom right, Rugby legend, Trevor Ringland presents anFFA Award to Crusader FC’s Mark Langhammer for his visionary cross community work in North Belfast.

December 2009

FFAHighlight – The World United Intercultural Awards Night 2009.

World United Players and Committee Members receive recognition for their good relations work in the community at their annual World United Awards Night. This years World United Awards Night was held at the IFA in Belfast and over 20 people supported this invite only event.

December FFAQuick Fire Round Up

·FFA team support World United Awards held at the IFA inBelfastcelebrating World United’s Good Relations work using football to promote respect for diversity.

·FFA team meet with the Belfast Community Sports Development Network and partners to develop new innovative Football and Good Relations Projects for 2010.

Concluding Thoughts / Final Whistle onFFAin 2009

2009 has been a great year for FFA! However there is still much work to be done if we are to realise our FFAvision of creating a fun, safe and inclusive culture throughout all levels of the game in Northern Ireland. The guiding principles of FFA remain:

• Education
• Support
• Communication

All FFA work is guided by these principles. FFA gives everyone involved or interested in Football a common and shared goal which can unite us all. Through the promotion of FFA we all have a responsibility to create a sense of family, building trust and developing new friendships which promote respect through football. FFA is all about building and empowering a football community which will safeguard and strengthen the sport of Football. Thank you for your support in 2009 making FFA such an outstanding success. Your continued support for FFA is greatly appreciated and we look forward to working with all our friends and partners to make 2010 an even bigger success.

The FFA Team joins Belfast Lord Mayor andFFA Political Champion Naomi Long outside Parliament Buildings at Stormont inBelfast

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