Funded through The International Fund for Ireland 2009-2012 and managed locally by Youthcom, the project set out to engage 96 at risk young people and their leaders across West and East Belfast.
The project aims to unite young people on either side of the river Lagan’s bridges through peace-building, capacity training and cross community activities. These young people were deemed at risk of potential social exclusion, paramilitary recruitment and drug and alcohol related anti-social behaviour by local stakeholders and residents.
Active Communities Network, through further funding from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, engaged with the groups initially through a series of workshops delivered by former WBC world super-middleweight champion and Sky Sports commentator Richie Woodhall, focusing on motivation and personal goal setting. The participants and their youth leaders (from both communities) then visited London for a sports based inclusion experience which included girl’s empowerment, conflict resolution, boxing, team building and cultural awareness sessions with young people from inner city communities in London. Coaches involved in the event included Richie Woodhall and community coaches from the Chelsea FC and Fulham FC Foundations.
The experience was a great success and we have now started building further relationships with groups prevalent in communities in East Belfast where the void of aspirations, educational underachievement and progression pathways for at risk youth is a real concern.
