Stadium Community Benefits Initiative

Stadium Community Benefits Initiative

The Department for Communities, Belfast City Council and the Irish Football Association are working together to deliver the Stadium Community Benefits Initiative (SCBI) which focuses on maximising the potential of the new National Football Stadium at Windsor Park to deliver social benefits. GAA (Gaelfast) joined the partnership in 2019 with the aim to maximise the potential of Casement Park Stadium further down the line.

The Initiative will continue for 10 years (2016 – 2026) and will benefit from £150,000 per year investment. The overarching objective of the Initiative is to improve the quality of life now and for future generations. 

Themes which will guide the implementation of the Initiative’s Action Plan include: 

• encouraging wellbeing and healthy lifestyle choices 
• improving community engagement through schools, clubs and youth organisations
• supporting new and existing football clubs to increase their capacity to deliver, creating more participation opportunities for the people Belfast. 

Although football and Gaelic games are currently the main delivery sport of the Initiative, we hope that other sports governing bodies will become involved in the future. 

A Sport in the Community conference was held in January 2019 inviting representatives from Belfast Sports clubs who aspire to work together to deliver quality sporting opportunities within their community across the city.

For more information email leisure@belfastcity.gov.uk or call us on 028 9027 0344.

Upcoming programme of activities

Belfast City Council residents can take part in the coach education sessions outlined below for free or at subsidised rate (funded via SCBI).

All SCBI activities have been postponed due to COVID-19.

• Find out more coronavirus updates

Ongoing programmes

Walking Football

Through SCBI a new walking football group in Olympia Leisure Centre was setup in 2017. The group is led by an IFA coach. New participants are always welcome and it is free to attend (funded via SCBI). 

• Find other walking football groups in Belfast

For more information contact lynne.wilson@belfastcity.gov.uk

Shooting Stars

SCBI currently supports 3 IFA Shooting Stars centres in Belfast, with a 4th programme due to commence in January 2020. 

SCBI offers the first 6 weeks free for Belfast residents. For more information contact lynne.wilson@belfastcity.gov.uk

The Irish FA Shooting Stars programme, looks to create opportunities for girls (4 - 11 years) throughout the country to fall in love with football. 

SCBI Action Plan

Lynne Wilson, Sports Development Officer outlines the three main themes that will guide the implementation of the SCBI’s Action Plan. Local community representatives from schools, clubs and community organisations who have taken part SCBI programmes share their experience and outline how SCBI has benefited them. IFA foundation staff also outline programmes available through SCBI and invite more local people to get involved.

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Sport in the Community Conference

A snap-shot of the Sport in the Community conference held in January 2019, keynote speaker Michael Arends tells us about his club SV Werder Bremen Football Club, Germany and the social responsibility programmes that they deliver. There was also an opportunity to learn about the 20x20 women in sport campaign from MC Denise Watson, an ambassador for Women’s Football in Northern Ireland who shared her experience as a parent of two girls that play sport, highlighting the social impact that sport has in bringing kids together from different backgrounds. Other speakers included Pat McGibbon, former professional footballer and Northern Ireland international, who focussed on mental health in sport and Alan Nixon, IFA Education and Empowerment Officer, who covered the importance of a coach development pathway. 

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