Sport Northern Ireland has officially launched the Active Communities Programme – a £13.5m programme which is creating a vital 106 full-time equivalent coaching posts over the next five years.
The Active Communities Programme seeks to employ, deploy and train a network of full-time and part-time sports coaches and leaders to deliver a range of activities in community and club settings across Northern Ireland. It is a lottery investment programme, which has at its core, the aim of increasing participation in sport and physical recreation, especially among under represented groups (including women and girls; people with disabilities; and older people).
Sport Northern Ireland Chief Executive Eamonn McCartan commented:
“We are extremely pleased to launch this programme which provides a vital investment into sports participation at a community level. It will deliver a wide range of benefits from the creation of 106 new coaching posts, and increased access to sport and physical activity which will subsequently result in healthier communities.”
The Active Communities Programme recognises the strategic importance of, and contributes to, the participation and coaching targets outlined in ‘Sport Matters’: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation 2009-2019.
The coaches will play a key role in creating increased opportunities for participation in sport and physical recreation, and approximately 100,000 participants will benefit from the programme.
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact Catherine McKeown, Marketing and Press Officer on 028 9038 3832 / 07792 600121 or via email catherinemckeown@sportni.net
