Retired French international and former Real Madrid playmaker Zinedine Zidane once said football is the only thing that can bring an entire country together, regardless of political or religious differences. It is also widely accepted that the ‘beautiful game’ can help young and old feel a sense of pride and belonging, and foster a culture of unity, respect, and friendship.
This very ethos has played out on football pitches across Antrim, Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Louth, Sligo and Tyrone after the International Fund for Ireland joined forces with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. Through its Communities in Partnership Programme, the IFI awarded nearly half-a-million Euros to ‘Beyond The Ball’. It followed a successful 12-month pilot project between the IFI and the charitable organisation that was founded in 2012 by former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, to give young people hope. ‘Beyond The Ball’ has prioritised connecting with young people from across the political divide and actively promoting cross-community reconciliation at a grass roots level.
Efforts to expand the programme – which involved several key partners, notably the PSNI and An Garda Síochána – were accelerated following an attempt on the life of DCI John Caldwell in February 2023. This led to several agreed aims to build genuine connections and benefit both communities, including launching a cross-border Youth Advisory Board, developing a model for east/west relations so participants can engage with similar Manchester groups, social action initiatives, cross-border tournaments, and Final Celebration Events curated by the young people.
Due to the Rio Ferdinand Foundation being a clear, neutral brand, both police forces became strategic partners, with PSNI community officers taking on the role of coaches or referees as part of the original Leitrim-Fermanagh pilot project. Garda and PSNI engagement with young people to positively impact on policy was a key ambition of the project from the outset. The relationship with policing colleagues on both sides of the border has gone from strength to strength and a recent Youth Advisory Consultation between the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau and Beyond the Ball highlighted the project’s ability to connect with decisionmakers and make sure young people’s voices are heard.
“The contribution of the RFF, and the young people you brought together for this event, will undoubtedly have a meaningful impact upon the work that we do in developing our Younger Persons Plan and the overall way we intend to provide a police service to the young people of Ireland,” said Inspector Ciaran Nunan of Garda’s National Community Engagement Bureau. “We learned so much from you all, and we will carry this with us as we continue to reach out to young people across Ireland.”
Beyond The Ball project co-ordinator, Darryl Forsythe, says: “Our project uses sport – football – as a pathway to build the confidence, aspirations, qualifications, and life chances of participants by exposing them to new experiences, new opportunities and new relationships on a cross community, cross-border basis.
“Regular year-round sports participation and cross-border tournaments, personal development and accredited training opportunities, social action projects whereby young people use their skills to benefit their own and the wider community, and a Youth Action Group to shape the direction of the project and engage with stakeholders and to give their voice a platform to influence their own lives are the activities we deliver.” This latter aspect of the programme includes working directly with policing colleagues on a cross-border basis to break down barriers and build better relationships; with Housing Associations to understand how to build stronger and safer communities; and also, with sports and education providers to build programmes that reflect the needs of young people.
“The first year of the project was a fantastic success. As many as 366 young people were involved, and an additional 350 young people took part in tournaments and cross-border events. So far, the project has achieved 227 qualifications and delivered 10 cross-community and cross-border events, including a policing and community safety consultation carried out in Belfast with PSNI and Garda involvement.”
Aged between 14 and 19, a total of 30 young people from each of the five areas have been engaging in positive activities within their own communities, namely six courses per year that are intended to build personal development skills and confidence by covering a range of topics – from equality, conflict resolution and diversity – with direct input from Community Police Officers.
To support Beyond The Ball officials, 10 volunteers were enrolled to assist with coaching and leadership components of the programme. This has opened the door to accredited training opportunities in Leadership, Equality and Inclusion with the Open College Network; sports leadership through the Community Sports Leaders Award; and footballing qualifications through the FA’s framework in Northern and Southern Ireland.
Other cornerstones of Beyond The Ball include a cross-border advisory board that gives young people a voice and a platform to enact change; relationship building on an east-west basis through annual visits to Rio Ferdinand Foundation network events in London and Manchester; and a ‘Girls’ and Young Women’s Dimension’ that culminated in a Celebration Event that welcomed Rio Ferdinand and IFI Chair Paddy Harte to The Showgrounds in Sligo. Hundreds cheered from the stands and sidelines during matchday, which was supported by Linfield and Northern Ireland player Ashley Hutton, and Paul Canoville – Chelsea Football Club’s first ever black player.
In all, 32 young people took to the field of play, with Rio Ferdinand leading out one team and Westlife’s front man, Shane Filan, the other. Darryl picks up the story, saying: “Our two East West exchange programmes engaged 24 young women in peer leadership roles, and the end of year one celebration event with Rio Ferdinand attracted 1,500 attendees from across the programme to Sligo to take part in workshops and other activities. We are immensely proud of the young people that have engaged in the project and put aside differences to work together, and the Youth Advisory Group that has emerged will enable us to move the project forward in year two. We have had anecdotal feedback from parents that the project has changed the outlook and confidence of their children, we have seen friendships emerge across community and county lines, and young people have relished the opportunity to work with (and challenge) stakeholders, including policing colleagues on their interaction and communication.
The project itself is now the subject of an evaluation by the University of Ulster to capture some of these stories and the quantitative and qualitative impact of the project that will be published early in 2025. “This project encourages people from all communities to discuss issues that really matter to them and challenge sectarian and racist attitudes by promoting equality, inclusion, and diversity. Young people representing PUL, CNR and Ethnic Minority groups have crossed peace lines throughout Northern Ireland and Ireland to take part in weekly activities, workshops, and shared learning experiences together.
We also encourage reflective practice and positive actions through a Youth Action Group and youth-led projects. This project has been instrumental in encouraging the next generation to address issues, reconcile differences, promote greater understanding, build trust and work on common goals to transform relationships and positive change towards peace. From our experience, the International Fund for Ireland’s Communities in Partnership promotes genuine peacebuilding and reconciliation.
It brings together young people and families in a neutral environment to work on projects that highlight shared values, interest, and concerns – and working together in a positive way to address them is key. “The Rio Ferdinand Foundation is seen as a neutral brand in many communities, and we create fun, safe and inclusive spaces for relationships to develop that may not exist otherwise. Access to further education emphasises empowering youth-led approaches towards peace,” adds Darryl. “This has been further supported at a high level by key stakeholder such as the PSNI and An Garda Síochána, many cross-community partners and football clubs. Beyond the Ball not only encourages resolving conflict but also how to better build societies and policies while sustaining and ensuring safety and justice on a cross-border basis.”
