Latest news with #RioFerdinandFoundation
Irish Independent
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda United chairperson Joanna Byrne thrilled by club's new tie-up with Rio Ferdinand Foundation
The Beyond the Ball community programme, funded by the International Fund for Ireland, has joined with delivery partners the Rio Ferdinand Foundation and Drogheda United to develop a community engagement programme that it says empowers social mobility by creating opportunities at the grassroots for young people aged 14 to 18. Participants avail of weekly sports sessions and training and get the chance to earn leadership qualifications throughout the summer holidays. Many of the young people involved in this programme attended a cross-border, cross-community football tournament at Youth Sport in Omagh in April - a tournament organised by Youth Advisory Board Members from previous Beyond the Ball cohorts. Upon completion of the Beyond the Ball community engagement programme in Drogheda, participants will organise a cross-border tournament for young people from across Ireland, which will take place on August 19 at Sullivan & Lambe Park. In addition to weekly football sessions, the programme invests in education and training qualifications for young people, building confidence and interpersonal skills and developing pathways to employability. Since the programme's establishment in 2023, just under 1,000 young people from under-represented areas have participated in weekly education and training sessions, earning skills that empower them to create change within their community. Reflecting on the latest instalment of the Beyond the Ball programme, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Founder of the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, said: 'The Beyond the Ball programme has been a fantastic opportunity for my Foundation to deliver our leadership and community cohesion projects across Northern Ireland and Ireland for the last three years. 'This expansion into County Louth and our partnership with Drogheda United is exciting. To partner with a club that has such a strong connection within its community means we can amplify the project over the coming months. 'I would like to say a big thank you to the staff team at Drogheda who are working with my Foundation to deliver this programme. I look forward to hearing of its success.' Joanne Byne, chairperson of Drogheda United, added: 'For Drogheda United to partner with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is a great honour. Our visions have aligned on many fronts, with both focused on building communities and empowering young people. ADVERTISEMENT 'This partnership allows us to create opportunities and pathways for the youth in our catchment area and affords us a real chance to help aid them in realising their full potential. 'As a club, we are very excited about the impact this can have locally, and we thank all those involved in the Rio Ferdinand Foundation for trusting us with this partnership. 'The future is bright, and we look forward to great things to come as a collective.' Aoife Burns, football social responsibility officer at Drogheda United, added: 'This partnership empowers the young people in our community to reach their full potential by creating opportunities and chances to learn new things and engage new ideas.'
Belfast Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Youth group calls for political leadership after busload of children caught up in Derry violence
The bus, which was bringing children home from a tournament in Omagh, was attacked with bricks as it made its way through the Waterside area of the city. Some of the young passengers sustained cuts and grazes following the incident, which the PSNI said had left them 'shaken'. "Actions have consequences and the choices you make today can impact your life forever' – North West Youth Services North West Youth Services, who organised the tournament alongside the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, said they had been left 'deeply saddened' by the events. "The tournament involved 125 young people from across Ireland, north and south, and aimed to promote unity and understanding among Protestant, Catholic, and new comer communities,' said a spokespreson. "The bus, carrying participants back to Derry/Londonderry, included young people from all these backgrounds. "The youth organisations in this City have been working diligently over the years to ensure our young people have the opportunity to grow and learn together. "The whole community initiatives that our organisations provide are designed to promote tolerance and integration and to help young people realise a shared and inclusive society where they are protected and valued. "The fact that this event was such a successful realisation of those goals makes this attack particularly distressing and traumatic for all involved. "Parents and young people should feel assured in the knowledge that they are safe and protected while in the company of our youth workers and that confidence was seriously impacted by the actions of a few last night.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. The organisation called on community leaders and politicians to show leadership in reacting to an increasing number of incidents in the city over the last few months. "This incident follows a series of troubling events over the past number of months, highlighting the urgent need for restraint and responsible leadership,' they said. "We call on community leaders and politicians to help guide us through these challenging times and urge young people to engage positively and proactively with their local communities and youth workers. "Actions have consequences and the choices you make today can impact your life forever. Let us stand together in solidarity, fostering peace and understanding in our community. Violence has no place in our society, and we must all work towards a future where respect and tolerance is embedded into the culture and lives of our people.' The PSNI confirmed the incident was one of several in the city currently under investigation as 'sectarian hate crimes'. "On Sunday April 27, police responded to a report of an arranged fight in the Waterside,' said a spokesperson. "A large number of individuals, mostly youths - some of whom were masked - were observed arriving into the Irish Street area. From around 5pm, bricks, bottles and fireworks were thrown by and at youths, and at police. "A bus and one vehicle was damaged with bricks while transiting through the area. Two police vehicles were also damaged. The bus had windows broken, leaving passengers and the driver badly shaken. One passenger, a teenage boy, was covered in glass. "Police appeal to anyone with information, or who witnessed the incidents or has relevant footage, including dash cam, to get in touch on 101, quoting reference 989 of 27/04/25. "A report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via
