Onside Soccer
Project Playmaker Belfast
Although ‘The Troubles’ may be over, 30 years of civil conflict and sectarian violence still casts a long shadow over Northern Ireland. Recent statistics have shown that parts of Belfast, specifically north and west Belfast, are amongst the most deprived communities in the UK, with high levels of unemployment, substance abuse, crime and anti-social behaviour.
In partnership with local community groups, Onside Soccer has set up ‘Project Playmaker’, an exciting new initiative which uses the power of football to improve the lives of children and young people.
The project has two main elements:
- a community football programme for children aged 7 - 14 years old
- a mentorship programme for young people aged 15 - 25 years old
Community Football Project
This is a free cross-community initiative for children aged 7-14 years old to receive high quality football coaching in a safe and friendly environment. Under the expert guidance of our coaching staff, training sessions teach players the skills of the game, play in matches and take part in our 'Onside Goals' mentoring programme.
Local Hero mentoring programme
Open to young people aged 15-25, this is a 12 week programme providing an opportunity to gain football coaching qualifications, train with professional players and gain work experience within the local community.
Objectives
The aim of Project Playmaker is to help people in a practical way. Our football sessions are free of charge to allow children the opportunity to receive high quality coaching without placing a financial burden on families. We also want to help young people reach their full potential by providing mentorship on local topics important to them and practical help to gain qualifications, work experience and paid employment. More importantly, however, we want to ensure that the young people who participate in our programme know that someone believes in them, that someone is interested in seeing them succeed and that we are in their corner.
In partnership with local community groups, Onside Soccer has set up ‘Project Playmaker’, an exciting new initiative which uses the power of football to improve the lives of children and young people.
The project has two main elements:
- a community football programme for children aged 7 - 14 years old
- a mentorship programme for young people aged 15 - 25 years old
Community Football Project
This is a free cross-community initiative for children aged 7-14 years old to receive high quality football coaching in a safe and friendly environment. Under the expert guidance of our coaching staff, training sessions teach players the skills of the game, play in matches and take part in our 'Onside Goals' mentoring programme.
Local Hero mentoring programme
Open to young people aged 15-25, this is a 12 week programme providing an opportunity to gain football coaching qualifications, train with professional players and gain work experience within the local community.
Objectives
The aim of Project Playmaker is to help people in a practical way. Our football sessions are free of charge to allow children the opportunity to receive high quality coaching without placing a financial burden on families. We also want to help young people reach their full potential by providing mentorship on local topics important to them and practical help to gain qualifications, work experience and paid employment. More importantly, however, we want to ensure that the young people who participate in our programme know that someone believes in them, that someone is interested in seeing them succeed and that we are in their corner.
To find out more about our work, please visit https://www.onsideministries.com/projectplaymaker
