Northern Ireland’s leading recruitment company, Grafton Recruitment, has agreed a partnership with the Irish Football Association that will see it provide employment services to the association while playing an active role in supporting the Irish FA’s mission to promote, foster and deliver football for all.
Grafton Recruitment has become title sponsor of the Family Stand at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, which is now known as the Grafton Recruitment Family Stand. Irish FA referees will also wear Grafton sponsorship on their match tops as part of the partnership.
The deal will also see Grafton Recruitment support the Irish FA’s Let Them Play youth strategy by managing the recruitment and employment of more than 80 coaches and casual staff to provide summer football camps and small-sided games centres across Northern Ireland.
Tina McKenzie, Chief Executive of Grafton Recruitment Ireland, said: “Young people develop so many skills from involvement in sport – teamwork, leadership, resilience. No matter the sector, those are skills employers are crying out for every day.
“To us at Grafton it’s important that we help the next generation develop interpersonal skills. Making sport welcoming and accessible to families will allow young people to succeed beyond the football pitch, in school, further into their careers and throughout their lives.
“We’re proud to support young people to develop these skills with the support of talented coaches with the Irish FA, helping build the next generation of talent.”
Sean Murphy, Irish FA Chief Operating Officer, said: “Grafton Recruitment is a company with big plans for the future and which shares the Irish FA’s commitment to making a positive difference to the lives of young people in Northern Ireland. Those qualities make this partnership an excellent fit.
“In addition this relationship between Grafton Recruitment and the Irish FA also really works on a practical level as it helps us recruit and retain coaches for the many coaching and development programmes that we deliver across the country every week.
“This is a sponsorship that will undoubtedly grow and grow. I look forward to seeing football play its part in helping Grafton Recruitment continue to be the market leader in the years ahead.”
Image: Kids from Blythefield Primary School help Grafton Recruitment Ireland chief executive Tina McKenzie, Irish FA chief operating officer Sean Murphy and Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill to announce the new partnership between the Irish FA and Grafton, which includes the title sponsorship of the Family Stand at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.
