Belfast To Ballina: Foundation unites young people in Cross Border Sports event at Ballina Salmon Festival
The Foundation is to bring together young people from Belfast and Ballina in a sports celebration as part of the Ballina Salmon Festival 10-16th July 2022.
Next week on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th July, young people from Youth In Action projects in Belfast and Ballina will join at Ballina FC's training ground to participate in a series of friendly matches against their peers and local teams in Sligo and Mayo. The event is part of a Rio Ferdinand Foundation partnership with UEFA Foundation for children, Glentoran FC and Ballina FC that inspires young people to use sport to create a positive impact in their communities.
The Rio Ferdinand Foundation has been working with the UEFA Foundation since 2020 to deliver the Youth In Action project across the island of Ireland – supporting and training young people to address racism, division and inequality in the heart of their communities.
Next week's two-day sports showcase is a unique celebration of a year of Youth In Action, an opportunity for young people to be part of the Ballina Salmon Festival, share experiences, build relationships and develop their skills.
The event will conclude with a networking event and Q&A, where representatives from Northern Ireland Premier League Glentoran FC and Ballina Town FC will join Chelsea FC icon and anti-racism campaigner Paul Canoville.
Guest speaker Paul will share his experiences of being the first black player for the club in the 80s and his subsequent work to tackle racism as a media personality and club ambassador.
The networking event will be hosted at the Cot and Cobble and open from 7 pm to all guests and visitors to the Salmon Festival on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I am proud of the work my Foundation has been doing across Northern Ireland and Ireland over the last few years with the UEFA Foundation. I was lucky enough to spend some time with participants and coaches from both Belfast and Mayo at the Hope Cup event last year and talk about the impact the work has had on people and their communities. It’s great to see how this work is developing, and the event in Mayo is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our work and build relationships with new partners and the public at Ballina Town FC.”
— Rio Ferdinand
“The Youth In Action project has been a brilliant initiative across Ireland over the last two years. I have had the opportunity to work with Rio and other football personalities in Belfast and take groups of young people to participate in joint projects in Enniskillen, so it’s great to showcase the project in my hometown. I am looking forward to introducing Paul Canoville, young people, and colleagues from Glentoran to Ballina and the Salmon festival. This event will shine a great spotlight on the work the Foundation is doing in Mayo and beyond and be a great experience for all the young people involved.”
— Rio Ferdinand Foundation Coach and Ballina resident Dan Gorman
“Last year, we were lucky enough to work with Rio and the Foundation in Belfast on several community events through my role with Glentoran FC and Glentoran Social Partnership. I saw the impact of the Youth In Action project in communities in Northern Ireland and Mayo, and I am excited to bring young people to Mayo to meet new colleagues and learn from new relationships while having a great time against the backdrop of the Salmon Festival. We can’t wait to get started.”
— Karla McDermott, Rio Ferdinand Foundation Co-ordinator in Belfast and Glentoran Social Partnership representative