Sport Uniting Communities is set to stage an online conference later this month focusing on how sports clubs can build greater links with the community.
Through the event SUC - which is run by the Irish FA, Ulster GAA and Ulster Rugby - wants to encourage clubs to share best practice and become more engaged with their local communities.
The event follows on from a similar conference last month which saw Community Sports Development Officers Daniel Chambers (Irish FA) and Proinsias O’Kane (Ulster GAA) host a workshop for football, GAA and rugby clubs from the west of Northern Ireland who are involved in the SUC project.
The virtual workshop staged over Microsoft Teams attracted more than 30 participants from 17 different clubs who listened to a presentation and took part in a discussion from the comfort of their own homes.
The Maximising Community Links conference, part of a wider project encouraging clubs to be more inclusive, focused on how clubs can become more engaged with their local communities.
It covered clubs’ motivations for being involved in sport, where they are currently in relation to the community, potential benefits for both clubs and the community, case studies of inclusive community clubs from all three sports, how to maximise links with the community and practical ideas on how to engage with the community.
During the workshop the participants were given the opportunity to share best practice on how their clubs engage with the community so other participants could take back some ideas to implement in their own clubs.
Feedback was positive and those taking part said the workshop gave them additional skills and knowledge in the area of building links with the community.
Clubs who participate in a series of workshops and events will be eligible to receive a small equipment pack containing training aids as part of the SUC initiative, which uses sport to promote meaningful and sustained contact between around 17,000 individuals from different backgrounds, particularly across the religious divide, resulting in a change in perception and relationships.
Those interested in taking part in this month’s Maximising Community Links workshop should register their interest via this link Inclusive Clubs Workshop - November
Sport Uniting Communities is supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
For more information about SUC please contact Sarah Keys at sarah.keys@irishfa.com.
