First term of Ballina 2023 Community Sports Programme with Celtic FC Foundation a huge success

Year-long programme building youth capacity, offering opportunities to young people to participate in a range of sports

Ballina 2023, in association with the Celtic FC Foundation and their partners Sport and Social Change Network Ireland and Ballina Town FC is continuing its delivery of a year-long Community Sports programme for young people in the town. The Ballina 2023 Community Sports Programme is part of RISE: The Ballina 2023 Legacy Programme which offers opportunities to children and young people to get involved in and participate in sports in a non-competitive, fun and inclusive environment.

The programme, which has seen over 700 participants to date, offers free supervised community football sessions and coaching utilising local facilities in areas where young people gather, including multi use games areas, and also includes specific programmes designed to engage and work with girls and young women.

The Community Sports Programme has been delivered in the first half of the year to a number of primary schools in the Ballina area including Rehins NS, Behy NS, Breaffy NS, The Quay NS, Ardagh NS, Culleens NS and Scoil Íosa with end of year sports tournaments taking place in recent weeks. All participants have received a specially designed certificate of participation. Throughout the summer, the focus will switch to clubs before returning to schools in the wider North Mayo and West Sligo region in September.

Speaking about the programme, Dan Gorman, Project Coordinator with the Celtic FC Foundation said: “The Community Sports Programme collaboration between the Celtic FC Foundation and Ballina 2023 is providing hundreds of children and families with free sports and holiday activities at a time when people are struggling with the cost of living.”

“Furthermore, the partnership with Ballina Town FC provides a pathway for children and young people to join a local club, access sports pathways and build new friendships and networks, which provides a great legacy for this initiative in the future.”