Providing communities with diversionary activities and properly engaging isolated young people is what ACN does best. In West Belfast, our girls football group is an example of how lives can be turned around through sport.
The girls became involved with ACN through taking part in a football programme in November 2016. Before this they were wondering the streets at night and congregating in the local park with nothing to do. They were first engaged through outreach work by one of our coaches who asked them what they would like to do. Their main interest was sports and fitness, but there were no local girls’ teams around for them to join. Our coach asked the girls to meet with her in the local community centre and together they created an action plan.
They began an eight-week, girls-only multi-sports programme, with a range of different sports each week. On completion of the programme they decided football was the sport they wanted to continue for another eight weeks.
Motivated by a desire to keep fit, make friends, and build confidence, the group became a regular fixture and enabled the girls to form a close friendship group. Together they attended a residential trip where they attained a Young Leader’s award. Now they are preparing to run a city-wide football tournament in collaboration with ACN.
Far from existing on the fringes of their community, the girls have now established themselves as a force for good in the heart of their neighbourhood. Through the community events and fun days they organise, the girls have become role models for the younger generation. And they’ve still got their sights set on furthering their professional development, with many showing an interest in gaining coaching qualifications.
