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Sport Northern Ireland
The lead agency for developing sport in Northern Ireland
Annual Review 2008-09
2
This document is available in other accessible formats on request. If you wish to receive the Annual Accounts of Sport Northern Ireland, please contact the Director of Corporate Services.
Sport Northern Ireland
House of Sport
2a Upper Malone Road
Belfast BT9 5LA
Telephone: 028 9038 1222
Facsimile: 028 9068 2757
Minicom: 028 9068 2593
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sportni.net
Contents
Foreword 4
Statement 5
Participation and Facilities 7 Participation• CommunitySport 8 • SportinOurCommunity 8 • CommunitySportProgramme 9 • ImplementingDisabilityMainstreamingPolicy 9 • InclusiveCommunityCoachesProgramme 10 • PhysicalLiteracyResearchProject 10 • ActiveCommunities 11 • AwardsforAll 11 • CountrysideRecreation 12• TollymoreMountainCentre 14
Facilities• BuildingSport 15• PlacesforSport 16• StadiaSafety 17• Facilities 19• EliteFacilitiesProgramme 21
Performance Sport 23• BeijingOlympicandParalympicGames 24• MedalAchievements 27• SportsInstituteNorthernIreland 29• GoverningBodyInvestment 31• TalentIdentificationandDevelopment 32• Coaching 33• PractitionerDevelopmentProgramme 34• Anti-Doping 34• AthleteSupportProgramme 35• YouthGames 36• UKSchoolGames 36• EventsProgramme 37
Sporting Events 39• BetweentheBridges 40• BelfastCityMarathon 40• SixNationsGrandSlam 41• ICCWorldTwenty20Qualifier 41• MilkCup 42• Runher 42
Corporate Services 44• HumanResources 45• Policy,PlanningandResearch 46
Facts and Figures 48
Who’s Who in Sport Northern Ireland 50• BoardMembers 50• KeyStaff 50
ForewordDominic Walsh Chair Sport Northern Ireland
4Foreword
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Thisannualreviewistestament,notonlytotheprogress
achievedbySportNorthernIrelandstaffbut,tothestrength
ofthepartnershipswhichhavebeenbuiltovertheyears.The
successeshighlightedinthisdocumenttellthestoryofwhat
thesepartnershipsareachieving.
AsyouknowSportNorthernIrelandisdedicatedto
developingpeopleinsport,especiallyyoungpeople,and
providingfacilitiesforpeopleofeveryagegroupand
abilitytobeabletoparticipate,enjoyandperformsport
andphysicalactivity.Wewanteveryonetobenefitfrom
theenjoymentandindividualsenseofachievementthat
participatinginsportbrings,andfromtheexcitementand
pridegeneratedbystrongperformances.
Sportisoftenjustifiedbyitscontributiontootherareasof
NorthernIrelandlife,suchashealth,socialandeconomic
development,education,andcommunitydevelopment.
Whilethesebenefitsareextremelyvalued,theyarenot
thereasonthatwegetpassionateaboutsport.AtSport
NorthernIrelandwebelieveintheenjoymentandsenseof
achievementthatsportingparticipationcanbringtoanyone,
regardlessofage,income,backgroundorlevelofability.
Finally,Iwouldliketothankallinvolvedintheongoing
delivery of sport in Northern Ireland – the volunteers,
coaches,officials,administrators,athletesandparticipants–
fortheircontinuedenthusiasmanddedication.Collectively
wewillcontinuetopromotesport,encourageeveryoneto
getinvolvedandensurethatsportremainsanintegralpartof
life in Northern Ireland.
SportNorthernIreland’sroleinhelpingtosecurethestaging
oflocal,nationalandinternationaleventsintheUKhasnever
beenmoreevidentthanin2008-09witheventssuchasthe
BetweentheBridgesCharityRun,theICCWorldTwenty20
Qualifier,theBritishandWorldBlindGolfChampionships,
andtheWorldOneArmedGolfChampionshipsbeingheld
inNorthernIreland.Sportingeventsprovideanexcellent
platformtoinspireyoungpeopletoparticipateinsport,for
talentedathletestoraisetheirgame,andinstillafeelingof
possibilityamongindividuals,teamsandsociety.Onasmaller
scale,communityeventscanexciteandencouragepeopleto
adoptcommunityspirit,givingpeopleafocus.
Iwanttotakethisopportunitytopaytributetomy
colleaguesontheBoardwhohavegiventheirtimeand
considerableexpertisesoreadilyonbehalfofsportin
NorthernIreland.IalsowishtothanktheChiefExecutive
EamonnMcCartan,andstaffatSportNorthernIreland,
whosecommitment,dedicationandconsiderableabilityled
totheachievementoftheourgoalsin2008-09.
Iamdelightedtointroducethe2008-09SportNorthernIrelandAnnualReview.Whatajourneythepast12monthshavebeen.Iamextremelyproudtobeabletopresenttheworkofthisorganisationtoyouandreflect,notjustonthesuccessof2008-09but,ontheupcomingchallengesandopportunitieswefacein2009-10.
Eamonn McCartan ChiefExecutive Sport Northern Ireland
5 Statement
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Itsvisionof“acultureoflifelongenjoymentandsuccessin
sport”itselfencapsulateswhatweareaimingtoachieve;
ensuringpeoplehaveaccesstolocallyavailablesporting
facilities,encouraginghighqualityparticipationinsportfrom
childhoodrightthroughtoadulthood,andenablingtalented
athletestocompeteandwinatthehighestlevelsintheir
sports.
TherearethreekeyelementstothisStrategy…
FirstlyParticipation
OneofthefundamentalprinciplesofSportNorthernIreland
istoincreaseparticipationinsport.Andanimportant
accelerantofparticipationwillbetheLondon2012Olympic
andParalympicGames.Thereforethe“participationlegacy”
fromthe2012Gamesisofcrucialimportance.Wemust
utilisetheenthusiasmforsportthatwillgrowinthebuildup
to2012,andconvertitintolong-termparticipationbyboth
youngpeopleandadultsbeyond2012.
ThesecondkeyelementoftheStrategyisPerformance Sport
NorthernIrelandhassportingtalentthatisequaltoanywhere
elseintheworld.FurthermorethepeopleofNorthernIreland
value success at international level and this is clearly evident
inthepridewehaveinJasonSmyth,MichaelMcKillop,
PaddyBarnesandWendyHovenaghel–ourOlympicand
Paralympicsheroes.Watchingtheperformanceofour
athletesinBeijingearlierthisyearwasevidenceofthetrue
valueofsport.Forthoseofuswithaday-to-dayinvolvement
insport,occasionssuchasthisdrivehomethetrulyunique
importanceandsignificanceofsport.
Howeverifwearetocontinuetosucceedweneedtoputin
placetherightsportingsystems.Inshortwemustcreatean
environmentwhereourathletescansucceed.Itisherethat
theSportsInstituteNorthernIreland(SINI)willcomeintoplay,
delivering,inpartnershipwithSportNorthernIreland,specific
developmentprogrammesforathletesandcoaches,building
skillsandcuttingedgepracticetoenabletheathletesand
coachestobecomeworld-class.
WiththeconclusionofBeijing,thespotlighthasnowmoved
ontotheLondon2012OlympicandParalympicGames.
Thebarcontinuestoberaised,bothintermsofthephysical
stagingoftheGamesandtheperformanceoftheNorthern
Irelandathletes.London2012promisestobeanincredible
inspiration,notonlytoathletes,buttothecoaches,officials
andvolunteersfromNorthernIrelandwhowillbeinvolved
whenLondonhoststhegreatestshowonearth.
ThethirdandfinalkeyelementoftheStrategyisPlaces
-undoubtedlyfitforpurposefacilitiesareintegralfor
participantsatalllevels.Quality,accessiblefacilitiesare
essentialinencouragingpeopleofallagesandabilitiesto
takepartinregularphysicalactivityandsport.SportNorthern
Irelandiscommittedtoimprovingandcreatingnewfacilities
which will help support increased participation and to
developsportingtalent.
Mythanksgotoallthoseorganisationsandindividuals
whohaveworkedwithSportNorthernIrelandtofurther
thedevelopmentofsportinNorthernIreland.Onbehalf
ofSportNorthernIrelandIlookforwardtoyourcontinued
co-operationandsupport.
SportNorthernIrelandhasbeenworkinginpartnershipwiththeDepartmentofCulture,ArtsandLeisure(DCAL)todevelopanewten-yearStrategyforSportandPhysicalRecreationinNorthernIreland–‘SportMatters’.IammotivatedbythisStrategy;itisanambitiousdocumentwhichsetsoutthecaseforongoingandincreasedinvestmentinsportandphysicalrecreationtodeliverarangeofsporting,educationandhealthoutcomesovertheperiod2009-2019.
6
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
7
Participation and Facilities
There are many benefits to be accrued from participating in sport and physical recreation, particularly health. Sport contributes to tackling health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health issues. It also enables both physical and psychological development while providing a vehicle for enjoyment and fun, but also ensuring people have access to locally available sporting facilities.
Sport Northern Ireland’s Participation and Facilities Unit support sporting opportunities to
increase participation levels in sport and physical recreation among people – of all ages and
abilities, and to promote lifelong physical activity. This relies on a range of developments
and interventions; places for sport, coaches, governing bodies, volunteers, events, quality
programmes based on best practice, and marketing and promotion. Sport Northern Ireland is
working on many fronts to deliver improvements across all these areas in Northern Ireland.
Community Sport 8
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Sport in Our Community SportinOurCommunityisafouryearprogramme,investing£3.6mfromtheSportsLotteryFund
into34innovativeandcreativeprojectswhichaimtomeetatleastoneofthethreecross-cutting
programmethemes:
1. Developmentandimprovementofphysicalliteracy;
2. Developmentofopportunitiesforpeoplewithdisabilities;and/or
3. Creationofsportorphysicalactivityinareasofhighsocialneedforthosewhohavenot
previously had a sustained interest in sport or physical activity.
Atotalof386,914participantswererecordedinEndofYearReportssubmittedbytheprojects
to31March2009,representinganincreaseof52%onfiguresreportedattheendoftheYear
2.Keyhighlightsincluded:anincreaseof15,352womenandgirlparticipantsrepresenting42%
ofthetotalparticipants;anincreaseof26,588youngparticipantsrepresenting37%onfigures
reportedinYear2,andanincreaseof2,132olderparticipantsrepresenting123%onfigures
reportedinYear2.
DuringYear3participationbydisabledpeopleincreasedby49%to1,897individuals.Projects
reporteddevelopingpartnershipswitharangeofcommunityandsportingorganisations,andin
particularwithDisabilitySportsNorthernIreland(DSNI)todevelopfurthertheopportunitiesfor
peoplewithadisability.
Anincreaseof590participantsfromminorityethniccommunitieswasreported,representing
90%onfiguresreportedinYear2.Inadditionspecificprogrammesweredeliveredtotarget
minorityethniccommunities.
Thenumberofindividualhealthreferralstoprojectsincreasedby30%to366duringthe
reportingyear.Anumberofprojectsreportedprogrammestargetingpublichealth,specifically
obesity,withtheaimofeducatingfamiliesofthebenefitsofphysicalactivityandhealthy
lifestyles.
ThreePhysicalLiteracyCo-ordinators(basedwithintheNEELB,SEELBandSELB)supported
teachersthroughincreasingtheirconfidenceandabilitytodeliverphysicaleducationto6,405
youngpeopleinprimaryschools.
Community Sport 9
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Community Sport Programme Thisthreeyearinvestmentof£2.4min20organisationswas
completedinJune2008.AprogrammeImpactReviewwas
publishedinDecember2008whichhighlightedthesuccess
oftheprogrammeinincreasingparticipationinsportand
physicalrecreationandspecificallyamongunder-represented
groups.Atotalof15,166individualsparticipatedduringthe
finalyear–anincreaseof26%onYear1.Overall,female
participationrosefrom35%to44%oftotalparticipants
duringthethreeyears.Projectsreportedanincreaseof
24%inthenumberofparticipantsfromethnicminority
communities–includingtheChinese,IndianandIrish
Travellercommunity.
Implementing Disability Mainstreaming PolicySportNorthernIrelandinvestedover£150KinDSNIto
supporttheimplementationofitspolicy.Over1200people
participatedinsportandphysicalactivityeventsorganisedby
DSNI,with97%ofthesebeingdisabledparticipants.
DisabilityAwarenessTrainingwasdeliveredtoSportNorthern
IrelandandSINIstaff;‘IncludingPeoplewithDisabilitiesin
yourClub’wasdeliveredforSwimUlster(12participants),
AthleticsNI(21participants),andBasketballNI(10
participants).
Threeexploratorymeetingswereheldwithrepresentatives
oftheRoyalNationalInstituteofBlindPeople(RNIB)during
theyeartodiscussajointapproachtoimprovingthesports
opportunitiesavailabletoblindandpartiallysightedpeople.
AsaresultanagreementhasbeenreachedthatDSNIand
RNIBwillworkjointlyonthedevelopmentofa‘Blindand
PartiallySighted’specificprogrammeintheearlypartof
thenewfinancialyear.Itisanticipatedthatthisprocesswill
beginwiththejointestablishmentofablindsportssteering/
advisorygroup,whoseremitwillbetoidentifyandagreea
three-fouryearactionplanforblindsportinNorthernIreland.
RNIBhasagreedthatDSNIshouldleadonthisissueand
thattheagreedapproachbeincorporatedintoDSNI’snew
DevelopmentPlan.
Inaddition,followingdiscussions,theUlsterDeafSports
CouncilhavenowpreparedadraftDevelopmentPlan,which
willformthebasisofafuturefundingapplicationconcerned
withtheemploymentofaSportsDevelopmentOfficer.
Sevencommunityeventsinvolving822participantswere
successfullyorganisedduringtheyear.A‘ComeandTryIt’
dayforpeoplewithdisabilitieswasorganisedattheOzone
Complex,Belfast,inpartnershipwithBelfastCommunity
SportsDevelopmentNetworkandRNIB.Attendeeswere
giventheopportunitytotryoutdifferentsportsincluding
Badminton,Boccia,Football,Goalball,HandCycling,New
AgeKurling,TandemCycling,WheelchairBasketballand
WheelchairTennis;62peopleattendedthroughouttheday.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Community Sport 10
Inclusive Community Coaches Programme FifteenrecruitsfromthesportingcommunityacrossNorthern
IrelandhavecompletedtrainingasInclusiveCommunity
Coaches.ThetrainingprojectestablishedbyDSNI,supported
bySportNorthernIrelandandfundedbyBigLottery,was
setuptoincreasethenumberoforganisedparticipation
opportunitiesavailabletopeoplewithdisabilitiesinlocal
communitiesthroughoutNorthernIreland.Asaresult
ofthisinnovativeproject,thesportingneedsofpeople
withadisabilitywillbebetteraddressedbyensuringthat
participation opportunities are provided in an inclusive
environment–asportingenvironmentthatfocuseson
enablingtheparticipantratherthanonewhichfocuseson
theindividual’s‘disability’.
Theapplicantscovered‘InclusiveGamesTraining’,‘Games
forAllLeadership’,‘DisabilityAwareness’,‘CoachingSport
Safely’,‘SportsInjuriesFirstAid’,and‘ChildProtection’.
TheInclusiveCommunityCoachesnowhavetheskillsand
knowledgerequiredtorunarangeofinclusivesports,
gamesandmulti-skillssessionsforchildrenandadultswith
disabilities.During2008-09thecoachesdelivered197hours
ofcoachinginvariousactivitiesincludingAdaptedTableTop
Games,Boccia,Goalball,NewAgeKurling,andZoneHockey.
Physical Literacy Research ProjectAnumberofessentialphasesattheearlystagesofachild’s
experienceofphysicalactivityprovidethefoundationofthe
LifelongInvolvementinSportandPhysicalActivity(LISPA)
model.Thesethreephases-ActiveStart,Fundamentals,
andLearningtoPlayandPractice-collectivelyprovide
opportunitiesforthedevelopmentofphysicalliteracy.
ArangeofSportNorthernIrelandinvestmentinitiatives
havethereforeprioritisedprojectsaimedatpromotingthe
developmentofphysicalliteracy.
Theimpactandeffectivenessoftheseprojectsshouldbe
measurablesothatSportNorthernIrelandhasempirical
evidencetodemonstratethevalueofpublicinvestment
inthisareaofworkinordertojustifyandattractfurther
interestandinvestmentinphysicalliteracy.Anauthoritative
andeffectiveassessmentmethodforphysicalliteracywould
permittheefficacyofsuchprogrammestobemeasuredand
assistinSportNorthernIrelandfulfillingitsadvocacyrole.
AResearchPartnershipTeamconsistingoftheUniversityof
Ulster,JordanstownandStranmillisUniversityCollege,Belfast,
wasthereforecommissionedtoreviewtheimpactofthe
effectivenessofstructuredphysicalliteracyprogrammesand
todevelopanappropriateassessmenttoolofphysicalliteracy.
Theresearchfindingsandrecommendationswillbeusedby
SportNorthernIrelandtoinformfuturepolicywithinthearea
ofphysicalliteracy.SportNorthernIrelandalsointendstomake
theresearchfindingsavailabletorelevantagenciesinNorthern
Irelandandbeyond.Itisanticipatedthatarangeofkeypartners
withintheeducationsystemandcoachingnetworkswillbe
involvedinthedisseminationprocess.
Community Sport 11
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Active Communities LaunchedinOctober2008,ActiveCommunitiesisan
investmentprogrammethatseekstoemploy,deployand
trainanetworkoffull-timeandpart-timesportscoaches
andleaderstodeliveractivitiesthroughoutNorthernIreland,
withaviewofincreasingparticipationinsportandphysical
recreation,especiallyamongunder-representedgroups.
Overthenextfiveyearsandwithanestimatedinvestmentof
£14.7million,ActiveCommunitieswillprovideinvestment
into11consortiaofdistrictcouncilsbasedonModel11b
oftheReviewofPublicAdministrationConsultation(March
2005).Workinginpartnershipwiththeconsortia,Sport
NorthernIrelandiscurrentlyplayinganactiveroleinthe
creationofimplementationplanswithineachofthe11
consortiumareas,andissupportingthedevelopmentof
effectivepartnershipsbetweendistrictcouncilsandtheother
keystakeholdersinvolvedinsupportingthedevelopmentof
sport in Northern Ireland.
ActiveCommunitieswillsupportthecreationof100full-time
equivalentpoststhatwillprovideopportunitiesfor100,000
people to participate in sport and physical recreation.
Awards for AllDuring2008-09,SportNorthernIrelandinvestedatotalof
£478,531in71successfulprojectsthroughAwardsforAll.
Eachoftheseprojectshavesupportedincreasedparticipation
and/orimprovedperformancesinsportinNorthernIreland.
AtbothUKandNorthernIrelandlevels,theAwardsfor
AllProgrammehasalsoundergoneaseriesofchanges
throughouttheyear.Buildingonthelearningfromthe
programme,thefourlotterydistributorsinvolvedinAwards
forAllinNorthernIrelandwilllaunchtheirowntailoredsmall
grantprogrammesin2009.
Accordingly,SportNorthernIrelandwilllaunchanewsmall
grantsprogrammethatwillsupportorganisationsand
projectsthatcancontributetowardsthetargetsidentified
intheten-yearStrategyforSportandPhysicalRecreationin
NorthernIreland-‘SportMatters’.
Countryside RecreationSportNorthernIreland’sinvestmentinCountrysideAccessandActivitiesNetwork(CAAN)andthe
governingbodiesforoutdooradventuresportshasresultedinsomeremarkablesuccessesin2008-09…
Alongwithcreatingfacilitiesandopportunitiesforoutdoorrecreation,CAANisalsotaskedwithcarrying
outresearchonbehalfoftheirsponsoringdepartments.Asignificantpieceofresearchthisyearwas
investigatingthetrendsinoutdoorrecreationfrom1995–2008.Thiscovered23separateoutdoor
recreationsportsandwasdirectlycomparabletoasimilarpieceofworkcarriedoutin1995.
Intheensuing13yearsthenumberofvenuesusedbynearlyallsportsforoutdoorrecreationhas
increasedby340%andtheparticipation
levelforthesesportshasincreasedby
152%.Theresearchalsohighlighted
thatparticipationbyunder-represented
groupsincludingwomen,thosewith
disabilitiesandthosefromethnic
minoritygroupswaslow.
NorthernIrelandOrienteeringwas
highlightedwithinthereportasone
ofthegoverningbodiesthathasbeen
workingtocreateopportunitiesfor
disabledpeoplethrough“TrailO”–
whichisafullyaccessibleorienteering
course.NorthernIrelandOrienteering
hasalsohadextensivelinkswithschools
asorienteeringisauniquesportin
thatitlinkscloselywiththemaths
andgeographycurriculumareas.Over
960childrentookpartinschools’
orienteeringcompetitionsduring
the year.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Community Sport 12
Community Sport 13
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
MountaineeringIrelandhasalsohadanextremelysuccessfulyearwithtwonewclubsestablishedinFermanaghand
Millisle–basedatclimbingwalls.AnewschoolsprogrammebasedattheOzoneclimbingwallhasgiven40young
peopleregularclimbingopportunitiesandprovidedadirectlinktotheclubattheOzone.MountaineeringIrelandhas
alsorunatalentidentificationprogrammewithinputandsupportfromSportNorthernIreland,andhavesetupanew
developmentstructurefortheirjuniorsquadasaresultofthisprogramme.
AlthoughmuchoftheCanoeAssociation’semphasisisonincreasingparticipationinthesport,inwhichitworksclosely
withCAAN,theyhavehadtremendoussuccessthroughouttheyearontheperformanceside.Thesurfsquadcontinued
itssuccesseswithexcellentresultsattheBritishOpenwhichwashostedatPortrush,andthesquadislookingforward
tothe2009WorldChampionships–wherethejuniorshopetoretaintheirtitlesas1st,2ndand3rdintheWorld!
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Tollymore Mountain Centre 14
TollymoreMountainCentre(TMC),SportNorthern
Ireland’sNationalOutdoorTrainingCentre,has
continuedtoprovideawiderangeofintroductory,
skillsandleadershiptrainingandassessmentcoursesin
mountaineeringandcanoesport;aswellasawiderange
ofmulti-activityandteamdevelopmentprogrammesfor
organisations.
In2008-09,TMCprovided4986studentdaysonarange
ofcourses,including646onleadershipcoursesand1243
onskillscourses.TMCcontinuestoinfluenceandbe
involvedinthedevelopmentofarangeofgoverningbody
qualificationsinmountaineeringandcanoesport,and
playsakeyroleinthedevelopmentandintroductionof
UKCoachingCertificatecanoesportqualificationsanda
ClimbingWallAwardscheme.
Withasignificantbudgetof£5millionTMC’sexciting
redevelopmentofthecentreisprogressing;in2008,
GlasgivenContractswereappointedastheconstruction
teamandworkontheredevelopmentofthecentre
commencedinFebruary2009.
Theanticipatednewcentre,whichisduetoopenin2010,
willbea‘stateoftheart’nationalfacility,withtheability
toprovideanextensiverangeofcoursestoawiderrange
ofgroupsandindividualsfromthroughoutNorthern
Ireland.
Toviewtherangeofcoursesavailableandkeepup-to-
datewiththenewbuildlogontowww.tollymore.com
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Building Sport15
‘BuildingSport’,acapitalprogrammefromSportNorthern
Ireland’sLotteryFund,aimstoprovidepartnershipfunding
formajorcapitalprojectsthatwillincreaseaccessto
opportunitiesforsportingdevelopmentandparticipation
forasmanypeopleaspossible;particularlyindisadvantaged
communitiestoenableolderpeople,peoplewithdisabilities,
ethnicminoritiesandotherunderrepresentedgroupsto
participateinsportingactivities.
Eachuniqueprojectaddressesessentialsportingcriteria:
• Increasingparticipationinsport;
• Beingsustainable;
• Addressingthefactorsofsocialneed;
• Tacklingsocialexclusion;
• Promotingequalityofopportunityandgood
communityrelations;
• Promotingsportingexcellence;
• Addressinghealthinequalities;and
• Providingthestructuresforlong-termathlete
development.
ThisinvestmentbySportNorthernIreland’sLotteryFundisa
majorcontributionintacklingsocialinjusticeandinequalities.
Theprogrammedemonstratestheabilityofsporttoheal
dividedcommunities,improvehealthandwell-being,andlift
thosemostdisadvantagedoutofthepovertyofaspiration.
Thefollowingcasestudyillustratesthebenefitsresulting
fromthistypeofSportNorthernIrelandinvestment.
Moyola Park Association Football Club MoyolaParkAssociationFootballClubwasawardeda
grantof£1.55mbySportNorthernIrelandtowardsthe
developmentofanewplayingpitchandassociatedfacilities
atMillMeadow,BridgeStreet,Castledawson.
IndecidingtoembarkonthisambitiousprojectMoyola
ParkAFChadthetwofoldaimofprovidinganappropriate
settingforthegrowingnumberofyoungpeoplewishingto
becomeinvolvedwiththeclubthroughminisoccer,youth
footballandladies’footballandafacilitywhichwouldenable
themaleadultseniorteamtoplayatthehighestlevelof
intermediatefootball.
AswellasafullsizeFIFA2*3rdgenerationartificialturf
playingpitchthedevelopmentwillincludedugouts,pitchand
groundperimeterfencing,carparking,a200seatcovered
accommodationstandandapavilionwithfourteamchanging
rooms,twoofficials’changingareas,anindoormultisportarea,
acommitteeroomandtoiletfacilitiesforspectators.
Places for Sport 16
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
TheSportNorthernIrelandPlacesforSportProgrammeis
designedtoassistwiththedeliveryofthenewten-year
StrategyforSportandPhysicalRecreationinNorthern
Ireland–‘SportMatters’,toprovideavisionof‘aculture
oflifelongenjoymentandsuccessinsport’.Toachievethis
vision,theStrategyrecognisestheneedtodeveloparange
ofnew,improvedandsharedsportsfacilitiestoastandard
comparablewithotherregionsintheUK.
Theprogrammespecificallyfocusesonfiveareas:
1. Pitchesandotheroutdoorsportssurfacese.g.athletic
tracks,tenniscourts,etc;
2. Indoorspecialisedsportssurfaces;
3. Floodlightingfortrainingpitchesandmainpitches
(onlyavailableforstrategicallyimportantvenues);
4. Buildings-constructionofanewtwoorfour
changingroompavilion/extensionstoexisting
changingpavilionswherethereisademonstrated
needforadditionalprovision;and
5. Purchaseofequipment-equipmentmustbebased
permanentlyinonelocationandmustbenewandnot
replacementormaintenanceequipment.
Thefollowingcasestudyillustratesthebenefitsresulting
fromthistypeofSportNorthernIrelandinvestment.
Coleraine Riding for the DisabledApurposebuiltfacility,theColeraineEquestrianArenaat
Castleroe,hasbeenmanyyearsintheplanningand,atlast,
thefirststepofthebuildingprogrammehasbeentaken.
SportNorthernIrelandareproviding£1.2million,plus
fundingforaSportsDevelopmentOfficerfordevelopmentof
DisabilitySportsinthearea.Itisstronglybelievedtheproject
willdevelopintoa‘CentreofExcellence’whichwillfacilitate
thedevelopmentofsportingopportunitiesforpeoplewith
disabilitiesthroughthewholeNorthCoastarea.
Thenewcomplexwillhouseanequestrianarena,clubroom,
offices,stables,storageandfunctionrooms,andthesitewill
befurtherdevelopedtoincludeextrastablesandbarns,a
riding/drivingtrackthroughthe‘forest’,andthedevelopment
ofa‘wildlifeandwetlands’sanctuaryonthesite.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
TheStadiaSafetyProgrammeaims
toassistthe‘owners’ofmajor
soccer,rugbyandGAAgrounds,on
astrategicbasis,toensurethesafety
andcomfortofspectatorsattending
fixturesplayedattheirvenues.
Thestrategicobjectivesofthe
programmeareto:
• Improvehealthandsafety
compliancewithexistingand
proposedlegislation;
• Increasespectatornumbers
andtoincreasethenumber
ofunder-representedgroups
attendingmatches;
• Improvethecomfortof
spectatoraccommodation
withinvenues;and
• Improveco-operation
betweenownersofvenues
andboththePoliceand
Statutoryagencies.
During2008-09SportNorthern
Irelandworkedwithanumberof
applicantsatvariousstagesintheprogramme.
Duringtheyearthreemainprojectswerecompleted:
Armagh GAA Thisprojectsignificantlyimprovedthecurrentsafety
arrangementsatthevenuewiththesafecapacityofthe
venuenow15,600(1,800seatedand13,800standing).This
workincludedupgradingthewest,northandsouthterraces
andbuildingpartoftheeaststand.
Followingcompletion,ArmaghGAACountyBoardisnow
abletoholdtheirgamesattheAthleticGroundsforthefirst
timesince2002.
Afurtherprogrammeofworkshasbeenidentifiedwhichwill
furtherincreasethecapacityofthevenuetoapproximately
18,200.
Stadia Safety17
Portadown FC Thisprojectsignificantlyimprovedthecurrentsafety
arrangementsatthevenuewiththesafecapacityofthe
venuenow3,940(2,740seatedand1,200standing).
Theprojectinvolvedtheconstructionofanewstand,with
thefollowingfacilities:
• Seatingfor1,800;
• CrowdControlRoom;
• Adesignatedfamilyenclosure;
• 3viewingplatformsfor20disabledpersons,with
access;
• 2setsofmale,femaleanddisabledtoilets;
• Steward’sRoom;
• FirstAidRoom;and
• Twoautomatedturnstiles.
Futuredevelopment,whichtheclubanticipatehappening
inthenext5-10years,willseethereplacementofthemain
grandstandwitha2,300seatedstandwhichwillresultinthe
venueachievingtheaimsoftheIFAFacilitiesStrategy(5,000
seated capacity).
Cliftonville FCSportNorthernIrelandfundedworksignificantlyimproved
thesafetyarrangementsatthevenueandincreasedthe
overallsafecapacityofthevenueto2,530(allseated)which
isanincreaseof1,234.
Theprojectincludedtheconstructionofanewstand,with
thefollowingfacilities:
• Seatingfor1,650;
• Toilets(male,femaleanddisabled);
• Accessrampandviewingplatformfor20disabled
persons;
• Adesignatedfamilybay;
• StewardsRoom;
• FirstAidRoom;and
• Exitgate.
Theprojectalsoprovided:
• Atoiletblockatthevisitorsstand;
• ACrowdControlRoom,withCCTVandPAsystem;
• Fourautomatedturnstilesatthevisitorsentrance;and
• Clearandconcisesignage.
Futuredevelopmentforthevenueincludetheprovisionof
changingfacilitiesandthedemolitionofthegrandstand,
acoveredtouchlinestandwith650seatswillreplacethe
grandstand.Thecapacityofthevenuewillbe3,000which
inturnwillmeet(UnionofEuropeanFootballAssociations)
UEFArequirements.Subjecttoplanning,theclubenvisages
completionwithinfiveyears.
Stadia Safety18
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Facilities19
Safety of Sports Grounds TheSafetyofSportsGrounds(NI)Order2006wasenacted
inFebruary2006,however,asignificantnumberofArticles
werenotimplementedatthattimeparticularlythoserelating
tothecertificationofgroundswithacapacityofover5,000
andthecertificationofstandswithacapacityexceeding500
atsmallervenues.
InJanuary2009,DCALadvisedtheCulture,ArtsandLeisure
committeethatthecertificationprocesseswouldbecompleted
bytheendofDecember2009.SportNorthernIrelandwas
askedtodraftcriteriaforassessingthepotentialcapacityof
venuesandstands,andtheseweresubmittedtoandagreed
byDCALinFebruary2009.Havingengagedwiththedistrict
councilsandgoverningbodiesofGaelicsport,rugbyandsoccer,
77venueswereidentifiedashavingapotentialcapacityof
5,000ormore.Visitsofthesevenueswerecarriedoutbystaff
oftheFacilitiesUnitbetweenFebruaryandApril2009,andthe
capacitiesassessedagainsttheagreedcriteria.Sixtyofthese
venueswereassessedofhavingacapacityexceeding5,000and
DCALwerenotifedaccordingly.
FollowingdiscussionsbetweenDCAL,SportNorthernIreland
andthegoverningbodies,32venueswereidentifiedas
havingpotentialtoholdsignificantfixturesandthesewere
forwardedfordesignation.
DCALhavepreparedregulationstobeplacedbeforethe
Assemblyforthedesignationoftheseveunes.Theremaining
venueswillbeconsideredfordesignationatalaterdate.Itis
anticipatedthatthestatutoryprocessfortheregulationswill
becompletedinOctoberofthisyearandthevenueswillbe
designatedby31December2009.Itisanticipatedthatitwill
takedistrictcouncilsbetweentwoandsixmonthstoissuesafety
certificates.Thecertificateswillstatethesafecapacityofthe
respectivevenuesandincludeanumberoftermsandconditions
toensurethesafetyofspectatorsattendingfixtures.
IntheinterimperiodSportNorthernIrelandhasprepared
guidancedocumentationonthebehalfofDCALthatwillbe
issued to the district councils. Sport Northern Ireland has also
preparedtrainingseminarpresentationsthatwillbedelivered
tothedistrictcouncils,thePoliceServiceNorthernIreland,
theFireandRescueService,theNorthernIrelandAmbulance
Service,governingbodies,andclubsduringSeptember,
OctoberandNovember2009.
TheFacilitiesUnitisalsoworkingontemplatesforsafety
certificates,appeals,applicationforms,etc.andthesewillbe
forwardedtoDCAL.
A consultation process has
commencedregardingPublic
Orderlegislationtocomplement
thesafetylegislation.
Active Places/Facilities Database UpdateTheFacilitiesUnitcontinuedtoestablishandpromotepositive
workingrelationshipswiththecurrent26DistrictCouncils
andthefiveEducationandLibraryBoards.Anumberofkey
representativesfromeachoftheseorganisationsassisted
SportNorthernIrelandwithourbiennialauditofsports
facilities.Thankstotheirinput,theFacilitiesDatabase/
ActivePlacesNInowhasover6000individualsports
facilitiesrecordedthroughoutNorthernIreland.These
resources,alongwithourGeographicInformationSystem
haveestablishedSportNorthernIrelandasakeyconsultee
inthefacilityplanningprocess.CurrentlySportNorthern
Irelandreceiveslargenumbersofweeklyrequestsforfacility
planningsupportfrombothinternalandexternalpartners.
Toviewlogonto www.sportni.net/activeplaces
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Facilities20
Active Places Research Report 2009 - Bridging the GapTheActivePlacesResearchReport2009-Bridgingthe
Gapwaslaunched;thisreportpresentsthefindingsof
Sport Northern Ireland’s facilities research, and outlines the
challengesaheadinaddressingtheshortfallinkeysports
facilitiesinNorthernIreland.It’sthefirstreportofitskindin
Northern Ireland and it provides an opportunity for all sports
facilityproviderstoaddresstheshortfallinamannerthat
meetstheneedsofthelocalpopulation.Thisreportcanbe
downloadedfromwww.sportni.net
Pre Games Training Camps Sport Northern Ireland was represented in the technical
groupforthePreGamesTrainingCampsandDCALsiton
theoverallcommittee.26localvenuesareaccreditedforthe
Olympics,withthreehubsfortheParalympics.
SportNorthernIrelandworkedwithvenueoperatorsto
populate and update the Northern Ireland section of the
LondonOrganisingCommitteeoftheOlympicGames
(LOCOG)website,andrelateddocumentationwascirculated
toInternationalOlympicCommitteemembers.
SportNorthernIrelandwasrepresentedonaworkinggroup
thatinvolvedDCAL,theNorthernIrelandTouristBoard(NITB),
ChiefCulturalandLeisureOfficersAssociation(CLOA)and
otherstopromotetheNorthernIrelandaccreditedvenues
andtohelpDCALachievetheirobjectiveinattracting10
teamspreto2012.SportNorthernIrelandarealsoworking
withthegoverningbodiesandotherinfluentialfiguresand
contactsbuiltupovertheyearstoutilisetheirpersonal
contactsinattractingteamstoNorthernIreland.
SportNorthernIrelandrepresentatives,alongwithour
partnerorganisations,havebeenattendingmajorsporting
eventstopromoteNorthernIrelandathomeandabroad,
andtonetworkwithdecisionmakers.SportNorthern
Ireland,CLOAandDCALwerepartoftheLOCOGdelegation
toBeijingfortheofficiallaunchoftheLOCOGwebsite
andpublicitydocumentation,andmadepresentationsto
representativesoftheNationalOlympicCommitteesin
attendance.SportNorthernIrelandChiefExecutiveEamonn
McCartanalsorepresentedSportNorthernIrelandby
presentingtotheNationalParalympicsCommitteesinAugust
2008.SportNorthernIrelanddevelopedpublicitydocuments
withNITBandDCALinelectronicandwrittenformat.
NorthernIrelandisdisadvantagedforgeographicalreasons
andthereareaddedcostimplications.Thereareanumber
ofsignificantlybetterfacilitieselsewhereintheUK.Other
EuropeancountriesthatareclosetoLondonareoffering
attractivefinancialpackagestoencourageteamstousetheir
facilities.
Thebiggercountriesrequirethefinestfacilitiesandare
makingarrangementstousethebestfacilitiesandthose
closestinproximitytoLondon.Smallercountrieswillmake
theirdecisionastowheretobesituatedinthefinalmonths
beforethe2012Olympics.ThesearethecountriesthatSport
Northern Ireland needs to foster relationships with in the
imminentfuture.
Furtherinformationcanbeobtainedfrom
www.raiseyourgame2012.net
The lead agency for developing sport in Northern Ireland
ACTIVE PLACESBridging the GapRESEARCH REPORT 2009
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Department of Education ForanumberofyearsSportNorthernIrelandhasattempted
toinfluencetheDepartmentofEducation’s(DENI)‘Building
Handbook’whichoffersdesignguidanceforallnewor
refurbishedschoolbuildprojects.Thisdocumentisdated
andtheguidanceinrelationtosportsfacilitiesdoesnot
complimentthestandardsrecommendedbythegoverning
bodies.
InthepastyeartheFacilitiesTeamhavemadesignificant
progresswithDENI,andarepleasedtobeworking
withtheDepartmentasakeypartnerinsportsfacility
development.InMarch2009,followinganumber
ofcommunicationsbetweenSportNorthernIreland
andDENI,theDepartmentofEducationrequested
designguidancefromSportNorthernIrelandandare
consideringmakingappropriateamendmentstothe
‘BuildingHandbook’.
In addition, Sport Northern Ireland has also discussed the
conceptof‘communityuse’andwillcontinuetowork
withDENIinordertopromoteandmaximisethepositive
impactthatschoolsportsfacilitiescanhaveonlocal
communitiesinNorthernIreland.
Theproposed50mswimmingpool
projectwillformpartofanewleisure
centreatValentinePlayingFieldsin
Bangor.Theprojectcostsareestimated
tobe£41,197K,ofwhich£23,944K
relatestotheeligibleelementsofthe
50mswimmingpool.Theapplicant
organisationhasrequested£15,000K
andispresentlysatisfyingEliteFacilities
ProgrammeStageThreerequirements
andworking‘atrisk’tomeetStageFour
requirements.
The50mswimmingpoolprovidesfor:
• Theoptimumtechnical
requirementsofSwimUlsterLtd.
andSwimIreland;
• OperationalplansthatprovidefortheoptimumoperationalrequirementsofSwimUlsterLtd.;
• ApartnershipphilosophywithSwimUlsterLtd,SINI,SportNorthernIreland,localclubs,educationsector,community
agenciesandrepresentativebodiestofacilitateincreasedparticipation,improveperformancestandardsandfacilitate
highprofileinternationalevents;
• Adetailedsportsdevelopmentplanthatprovidesfortargetingmarketingandoutreachtounder-represented,socially
excluded/TSN,inactivegroupsandaninvolvedapproachtothedevelopmentofnotonlyswimming,buttheincrease
inparticipationandperformancestandardsoftheotheraquaticdisciplinesagainsttheprinciplesoftheLongTerm
AthleteDevelopmentModel;
• PlanstohostasignificantnumberofeventsperyearanddevelopmentofanAquaticsEventsStrategywithkey
partners;and
• APerformanceDevelopmentCentreandapartnershipwiththeSINI.
Facilities Elite Facilities Programme21
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Performance SportSport Northern Ireland is committed to developing a world-class sporting system in
Northern Ireland, enabling athletes and teams to maximise their sporting potential and reach their optimum level of performance.
Sport Northern Ireland’s Performance Sport Team works to bring about an environment that will enable athletes to improve athletic performance.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
24Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
TheBeijingGameswereahugesportingsuccess,particularly
forNorthernIrelandathletes,whichwillleavealasting,
positivelegacy.Beijingdeliveredwonderfulelitesport,superb
organisation,stunningvenuesandspectacularceremonies.
Theyweretrulyauniqueopportunitytoshowyoungpeople
thatdreams,ambitionsandaspirationscanbeachievedwith
passionandhardwork.Youonlyneedtolookatsuccess
stories such as
JasonSmyth
whohasbrought
hometwogold
medalsand
set new world
records, and
MichaelMcKillop
whobrought
homeagold
medalatthis
year’sParalympic
Games,tosee
whatcanbe
achieved with
determination
and support.
Theathletes’
dedication has
shown that
anythingis
possible.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008- 09
25
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games
Olympic Games
Athlete Sport Achievement
RichardArchibald Rowing 4thSemi-Finals-LightweightFours
PaddyBarnes Boxing BronzeMedal–LightFlyweight
AndrewBree Swimming NewIrishRecord-11thoverall,2:10.16200mBreaststroke
AlanCampbell Rowing 5thFinal-SingleScull
RichardChambers Rowing 5thFinal-LightweightFours
EmmaDavis Triathlon 37th-ImprovedWorldRanking
PhilipDeignan Cycling 81st
WendyHouvenaghel Cycling SilverMedal-3kmIndividualPursuit
StephenMilne Sailing 13th
MelanieNocher Swimming NewIrishRecord-20thoverall,2:12.29200mBackstroke
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008- 09
26
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
Athlete Sport Achievement
EilishByrne Equestrian–Dressage 11thIndividualChampionshipand8thIndividualFreestyleTest
StephenCampbell Swimming
ClockedanewIrishrecordandPBof5.28.43finishing10thoverall-400m(S11)FreestyleEvent10thoverallintheheat-100m(S11)ButterflyEvent15thoverall-100m(S11)FreestyleEvent
HannahClarke Swimming Finished5thintheheatclockinganewPBandIrishRecordof2.06.33-100m(SB5)Women’sBreaststroke
KarenCromie Rowing 5thFinal-MixedDoubleSculls
JonathanCummings SwimmingNewIrishRecordof1:29.25finishing8thoverall-100m(S6)BackstrokeFinalFinished5thinheatalthoughheswamaPersonalBestrecordof5:50.54-400m(S6)
MarkJones Football(7-a-side) TheIrishteamfinishedin6thplaceoverall
MichaelMcKillop Athletics GoldMedalin800m(T37)settingnewParalympicWorldRecordof1:59.39
JasonSmyth Athletics Twogoldmedalsinthe200mand100m(T13)events,settingnewParalympicWorldRecordsof21.43and10.62
EVENT/SPORT MEDAL
OLYMPIC/PARALYMPICMEDALS
JasonSmyth 100mAthletics Gold
JasonSmyth 200mAthletics Gold
MichaelMcKillop 800mAthletics Gold
PaddyBarnes Boxing Bronze
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
KhrisMeeke Rally Gold
TommyMcCarthy Boxing Bronze
WORLDCUPS
AlanCampbell Rowing Gold
RichardChambers Rowing Silver
MatthewRooney Judo Bronze
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
NiallMcVeigh Badminton Gold(Individuals)
NiallMcVeigh Badminton Silver(Doubles)
LauraD’Urso Rowing Gold
PeterChambers Rowing Gold
JohnnyMitchell Rowing Silver
ThomasLittle Rowing Silver
MarkNesbitt Archery Silver
EamonO’Kane Boxing Bronze
CricketU17Squad Cricket Gold
CricketU23Squad CricketU19Squad Gold
CricketSeniorSquad CricketU19Squad Gold
CricketU19Squad CricketU19Squad Silver
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
27Astonishing Medal CountIn2008-0936medalswerewonbyathletesfromthe
governingbodiesinwhichSportNorthernIrelandinvestsin
and/orathletesontheathletesupportprogramme.
28
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Astonishing Medal CountMISCELLANEOUS (EQUIVALENT TO WORLD, INTERNATIONAL, EUROPEAN EVENT OR
COMMONWEALTH LEVEL)
StephenGallagher Cycling(UCI Gold
MarkNesbitt Archery(YouthOlympics) Gold
MarkNesbitt Archery(YouthOlympics) Gold
HannahLewis Athletics(CWYG) Silver
EdwardMourbrey Athletics(CWYG) Bronze
CiaraMageean Athletics(CWYG) Bronze
Sean Duffy Boxing(CWYG) Silver
PaulHyland Boxing(CWYG) Bronze
ChelseyWilson Swimming(CWYG) Silver
ChelseyWilson Swimming(CWYG) Bronze
ConorLeaney Swimming(CWYG) Bronze
MatthewHall Shooting(CWYG) Silver
CricketSeniorSquad Cricket(Inter-continentalCup) Gold
IrishSeniorsRugby Rugby(TripleCrown) Gold
IrishSeniorsRugby Rugby(SixNations) Gold
29Sports Institute Northern Ireland
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Providing Aspiring Athletes with a Springboard to SuccessBasedattheUniversityofUlster,JordanstownCampus,
SINIcontinuestoproveitselftobeasuccessfulpartnership
betweenSportNorthernIrelandandtheUniversity.
WhenanathletebecomesaSINIathletetheyhaveaccess
toahighlevelofperformancesupport.Eachathleteis
individuallyscreenedandaspecificprogrammeistailored
fortheirexactneeds.Athleteshaveaccesstothefollowing
supportservices:
• ProgrammePlanning;
• SportsMedicine;
• PerformanceScience;
• StrengthandConditioning;and
• PerformanceSkills.
SINI also delivers, in partnership with Sport Northern Ireland,
specificdevelopmentprogrammesforathletesandcoaches,
endeavoringtobuildskillsandgainexposuretocuttingto
edgepracticetoenabletheathletesandcoachestobecome
world class.
SINIcontinuestodelivervitalsupportservicestoarangeof
athletesfromsportsincludingGaelicfootball,hockey,rugby,
andindividualathletesfromthesportsof;bowls,cricket,
cycling,judo,rowing,sailing,squash,swimming,triathlon,
andwaterskiing.
SINI Warm Weather Training CampSINIheldit’sfirsteverallservicewarmweathertrainingcamp
fortenathletesfromsixdifferentsportsatthestateofthe
artVilaRealdeSantoAntoniotrainingfacilitiesinPortugal
atthestartofFebruary.AthleteswhotravelledtoPortugal
includedyoungJudostarLisaKearney,cyclistConnor
McConvey,RowerOrlaghDuddy,Triathloncompetitors
EmmaDaviesandAileenMorrison,sprinterAmyFosteras
wellasDoubleParalympicGoldMedalistJasonSmyth.
Thecampwasdesignedtoallowtheathletestocomplete
theirwarmweathertrainingalongsideservicestaffand
fellowathletes.ThisisthefirstsuchcampthatSINIhaverun
andtheSINIHighPerformanceManagerJoHopkinsbelieves
thatthisisanessentialpartofthedevelopmentofbothSINI
athletesandstaff:
“ItisessentialforSINItoprovideathleteswithanintegrated
WorldClasssupportservicebothathomeandabroad.
Warmweathertrainingcampsareanintegralpartofany
worldclassperformancesystemandallofourtopathletes
havethembuiltintotheirperformanceplan.Manyof
ourathletesoftencompeteinwarmerclimatesandthese
30
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Sports Institute Northern Irelandcampsgivethemachancetoadapttodifferent
environments.Theyprovideanopportunityfor
coachesandserviceproviderstoworkonetoone
withathletesmaximizingtheirinputinanintense
trainingblock.
Weareanintegralpartofeachathlete’ssupport
teamandthismultisporttrainingcampprovides
acrucialopportunityforSINIstafftowork
with athletes and their coaches in an intensive,
collaborativetrainingenvironment,buildingtrust
andenhancingrelationships.Thisisallcrucialif
wearetogivetheathletesthesupporttheyneed
tocompeteatworldclasslevel.”
Enhanced CapacitySINIhasworkedhardthisyeartoincrease
capacityanddevelopmentofservicesthrough
appointmentsofinternsinPerformanceScience
andPerformanceSkillsandaPlacementposition
inStrengthandConditioning.
In addition to the interns to assist with
PerformancePlanningacrossarangeofsports,
formerdoubleOlympianrowerRichardArchibald
wasappointedasPerformanceCoordinator.
ThisyearSINIprovidedsupporttotheNorthern
IrelandseniorfootballsoccerduringtheirWorld
CupQualificationCampaign.
Furtherinformationcanbeobtainedfrom
www.sini.co.uk
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Systems and structuresSportNorthernIrelandacknowledgesthatgoverningbodiesplayamajor
roleinthedevelopmentofathletes.SportNorthernIrelandinvestment
of£1,375,107in2008-09enablinggoverningbodiestoworktowards
puttinginplacetheappropriatesystemsandstructurestoimprove
performancelevelsoftheathletes.
Staff SportNorthernIrelandinvestsingoverningbodiestoemploy48
staffincludingpostsincludingBusinessDevelopmentManagers,
PerformanceManagers,PerformanceCoaches,TalentIdentification
Officers,Participation,ClubandCoachingDevelopmentOfficers,and
Administrationstaff.
Modern, fit for purpose organisations TheModernisationTeamcontinuedtosupportgoverningbodiesimprove
capacityinareassuchasfinancialmanagement,humanresource
management,boardrolesandresponsibilitiesandpolicydevelopment.
SportNorthernIrelandalsoorganisedanumberoftrainingcourses
forgoverningbodies.Coursesincluded‘BecomingaCharity’,the
‘ImplementationofGIFTAid’,‘LineManagementTraining’,and‘Line
ManagingforBoardMembers’.
InlinewithSportNorthernIreland’sGoverningBodyInvestment
Programmeanditscorporateobjectiveofensuringgoverningbodies
arefitforpurpose,SportNorthernIrelandcontinuedtoauditgoverning
bodiestoachievethis.Afurthertwogoverningbodiesachieveda
reasonablelevelofassuranceduring2008-09:
• NorthernIrelandArcherySociety
• UBBadmintonUnionofIreland
31Governing Body Investment
SportNorthernIrelandpilotedseveralgoverningbody
programmestoassistinthedevelopmentoftalented
athletes.Theseprogrammeswereasfollows:
Route 2012InpartnershipwithCyclingIrelandandtheIrishSports
Council,acyclingtalenttransferprogrammewasdesigned
toidentifytalentedathletesfromarangeofsportsthatcould
transfersuccessfullytotrackcycling.Thiswasimplemented
bytestingphysicalattributestodeterminetheirsuitability;
withthepotentialtocompeteintheLondon2012Olympic
Games.
Talent Orientation Camp SportNorthernIreland’ssecondTalentOrientationCamp
heldinAugustattheUniversityofUlsterwasahugesuccess.
Itprovidedauniqueopportunityfor17youngathletesto
receiveaninsightintotheworldofhighperformancesport
andtocriticallyreflectupontheirowntalent,abilityand
potentialtosucceedatthehighestlevel.
DeliveredbystafffromSportNorthernIreland,SINI,and
thespecificgoverningbodiesinvolvedthecampgavethe
athletesaccesstoperformancesportstaffwhoranamix
ofconditioning,lifestyle,psychologyandinjuryprevention
sessions.Followupsessionsareongoingwithathletes
workingwithastaffmember
todeveloptheirPhysical
Competenciesonaweekly
basis.
Oneofthehighlightsofthe
campwasavisitbyMichael
Carruth,the1992Olympic
WelterweightChampion
whogaveparticipantsan
insightintowhatitwas
liketocompeteatOlympic
level.Theathletesheard
howMichaelmanagedto
jugglehiseducationand
trainingandthesacrifices
hehadtomakealongthe
waytobecomeanOlympic
Champion.
Skills FestivalsSportNorthernIrelandhostedaseriesofskillsfestivals,in
conjunctionwithSportNorthEast,SportSouthEast,the
SouthernAreaSportsPartnership,UlsterHockey,Ulster
Squash,andtheUlsterBranchoftheBadmintonUnion
ofIreland.Thesearebaselevelidentificationprogrammes
aimingtoidentifyyoungathleteswithpotentialtalentinthe
sportsofbadminton,hockey,squash,andtennis,offering
supportfortheirdevelopmentthroughqualitycoaching.
32Talent Identification and Development
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
33Coaching
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Top Coaches Honoured
Thecoachingstrategyfor
Ireland was launched in
September2008atthe
NationalCoachingForum.
Thestrategy,whichwas
developed in partnership with
CoachingIrelandandtheIrish
Sports Council, sets out the
directionofcoachingoverthe
nextfouryearsandprovides
aframeworkforraising
the standard and status of
coachingonanall-islandbasis.
TheUKCoachingFramework
(2008-16)hasprogressedfromthe‘BuildingtheFoundations’tothe‘DeliveringtheGoals’
phasewith31sports.EachoftheHomeCountrySportsCouncilsandUKSporthavenow
signeduptoimplementingtheFrameworkoverthenextsevenyears.
ThevisionoutlinedintheFrameworkistocreateacohesive,ethical,inclusiveandvalued
coachingsystemwhereskilledcoachessupportchildren,adults,playersandathletesatallstages
oftheirdevelopmentinsport.Thevisionendeavoursforthistobeworld-leadingby2016.
TheFrameworkhighlightshowsportscoachUKplanstoworkinclosepartnershipwith
governingbodiesandeachoftheHomeCountrySportsCouncilstoenhancethequality
andquantityofcoachesatalllevelsofsport.Theobjectiveistohelpcoachesplayakeyrole
inincreasingsportparticipation,improvingsportingperformancesandinbuildingaclear
careerstructureforcoacheswithinaprofessionallyregulatedvocation.
SportNorthernIrelandcontinuestodevelopandimprovetheprogrammeofgenericcoach
educationwhichitcurrentlyprovides.Withatutorworkforceof50skilledandavailable
tutorsinplace,SportNorthernIrelandcurrentlyoffersarangeof17genericcoacheducation
coursesacrossarangeoftopics.200workshopstookplacelastyearwithover2000
participants in attendance.
TheSportNorthernIrelandCoach
oftheYearAwards,heldatthe
UniversityofUlster,wasanideal
opportunity to raise not only the
profileofcoaches,butalsoto
acknowledgeandcommendthe
contributionthattheymaketo
the success of Northern Ireland’s
sportsmenandwomen.
Presentattheawards,sponsored
byPodium4Sport,were15finalist
coacheswhohadbeennominatedin
thecategoriesofYouthSport,YoungAthleteDevelopment,PerformanceSport,Disability
andLifetimeContribution.CoachPatrickMcKillopreceivedthetophonourattheSport
NorthernIrelandCoachoftheYearawards.
NorthernIrelandFootballManagerNigelWorthingtonpresentedPatrickwiththe
PerformanceAthleteCoachAwardandnamedoverallCoachoftheYearatthegala
ceremony.
OtherCategoryWinners:
• YouthSport,JoeNorwood,Football
• YoungAthleteDevelopment,DrIanWalker,Volleyball
• Disability,GerardMcAnulty,GAA
• LifetimeContribution,JimNelson,GAA
SportNorthernIrelandcontinuestodevelopandimprovetheprogrammeofgeneric
coacheducationwhichitcurrentlyprovides.Withatutorworkforceof50skilledand
availabletutorsinplace,SportNorthernIrelandcurrentlyoffersarangeof17generic
coacheducationcoursesacrossarangeoftopics.200workshopstookplacelastyear
withover2000participantsinattendance.
ThePractitionerDevelopmentProgrammefocuseson
developingaworkforceofhighperformancecoaches,
sportsscientistsandmedicalpractitionerswiththenecessary
experience,skillsandknowledgetoimproveathlete
performance.
Inthefirstyearoftheprogramme13practitionersreceived
bursariestofurthertheircareerpathways.Thefundinghas
beenusedbythepractitionerstoattendhighperformance
events,toobservehighperformanceathletes,undertake
aresearchprojectorplacement,ortocompleteahigher
educationdegree.
Practitionersattendedaseriesofworkshopsdelivered
bySportNorthernIrelandinpartnershipwithSINI.The
workshops,basedonasuccessfulUKSportmodel,include
thedevelopmentofhighperformancecompetencies
essentialforthoseworkinginahighperformance
environment;subjectsincludeStrivingforExcellence,
TeamworkandCollaboration,Influencing,Understanding
Others,CommunicationandCreativeThinking,and
Innovative Solutions.
Thesecondyearoftheprogrammeopenedforapplications
inNovember2008;atotalof23applicationswerereceived
and16havebeenawarded.
Anti-Dopinginformationandeducationworkshopswere
madeavailabletoallNorthernIrelandathletes.These
sessions,deliveredbyboththeIrishSportsCounciland
UKSport,werewellattendedandraisedtheawareness
ofAnti-Dopingissues,beginninganimportantprocessof
Anti-DopingEducationwithinNorthernIreland.
34Practitioner Development Programme
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Anti-doping
35Athlete Support Programme
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
“Assisting Northern Ireland’s talented able-bodied and
disabled sportspeople to improve their performance
standards and achieve international sporting success”
Atotalof53awardstotaling£264,374to22governing
bodiesweremadeundertheAthleteSupportProgrammein
2008-09insupportof51individualandtwosquadtraining
andcompetitionprogrammes.
FundingfromtheAthleteSupportProgrammeprovides
supporttowardscoachingcosts,personaltrainingand
preparationcosts,sportsscienceandsportsmedicine
support,competitioncostsandpersonalequipmentas
identifiedinanathleteorteam’strainingandcompetition
programme.
Inadditiontotheabove,17athletesbenefitedfromLiving
Costsfundingtotaling£77,460.TheLivingCostsextension
oftheAthleteSupportProgrammeaimstomaximisean
athlete’spotentialbyprovidingfundingwhichwillenable
themtotrainonafull-timeorpart-timebasis.
36Youth Games
An emphasis on youthSportNorthernIrelandwasonceagaindelightedtosponsortheYouthGames–awell
establishedsportinginitiativedesignedtoboostyoungpeople’sparticipationinsport.
Over800youngpeopleagedbetween12and16competedinsportsincludingbadminton,
hockey,netball,tabletennis,andvolleyball.PlayingonbehalfoftheEducationandLibrary
Boards,theYouthGamesgivesyoungtalentedathletesanopportunitytoexperiencethe
adrenalinandexpectationoftakingpartinatournamentofthissize.
TheYouthGamesprovidecontinuedopportunitiesfortalentedyoungathletesnotonlyto
developthemselvesandtheirsportingperformanceswithsomecompetitorsgoingonto
competeatCounty,ProvincialandInternationalLevel,butalsotointeractwithchildrenfrom
otherschoolsandcommunitiesandbuildnewfriendships.
UK School Games
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Talent shines at UK School GamesThethirdUKSchoolGames,whichtookplaceinBristolandBath,wereahugesuccess
forcompetitorsfromNorthernIrelandastheybroughthomeamassivetotalof26
medals.
TheGames,anexcitinginitiativedesignedtoencouragemoreyoungpeopletotake
partinsportandprovidethemwiththeexperienceofbeinginvolvedinamajor
multi-sportcompetitiveevent,sawourlocalathletesbattlingforhonoursamong1500
competitorsinninesportsoverfourdaysofcompetition.
NorthernIrelandprovidedamixedteamofboysandgirlstocompeteinninesports;
NorthernIrelandathleteswonmedalsinathletics(5),badminton(1),fencing(5),
hockey(2),judo(6),andswimming(7).
A total of £72,000 was awarded to six events from the Events Programme:
Applicant Event Amount (£)
EventDirect NorthernIrelandInternationalHorseShow 20,000
NorthernIrelandBlindGolf WorldBlindGolfChampionships 16,000
Athletics Northern Ireland Irish International Indoor Athletics 15,000
NorthernIrelandBlindGolf BritishBlindGolfChampionships 8,000
Northern Ireland Archery Society Euronations 8,000
SocietyOneArmedGolfers WorldOneArmedGolfChampionships 5,000
TOTAL 72,000
37Events Programme
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
“A Sport Northern Ireland programme to assist
with the bidding for and running of sports
events in Northern Ireland”
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Sporting Events
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008- 09Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Hosting major events is an opportune way to showcase what Northern Ireland has to offer, and enhance its image on the world stage.
Sporting events, large or small, provide an excellent platform to inspire young people to participate in sport, for talented athletes to raise their game, and instil a feeling of possibility among individuals, teams and society.
40
Sporting Events
Belfast City MarathonThe27thBelfastCityMarathonwasahugesuccess–with
arecord15,000runnerstakingtothestreetsofBelfast,
makingtheoccasionthebiggestmassparticipationsports
event in the Northern Ireland sports event calendar.
Ethiopia’sMarashetJummasmashedthewomen’srecordby
morethantwominutes;Jumma’stimeof2:39:22beatthe
previousbestof2:41:33,setbyLemmaUrgein2005.
Itwasacleansweepofchampionsallround,asKenya’s
JohnMutaialsoheldontothemen’scrownwithatimeof
2:16:31.
Between the Bridges Charity RunNearly5000walkers,funrunners,
joggers,clubathletesandlocal
personalitiestooktotheWestlink/
M1toparticipateintheBetween
theBridgesCharityRuninaidof
NorthernIrelandHospice.
OrganisedbyCumannSpoìrtan
PhobailwithsupportfromSport
NorthernIreland,BelfastCity
Council,DepartmentforRegional
Development,Community
RelationsCouncil,BelfastMedia
GroupandAthleticsNorthern
Ireland,thisuniqueeventmarked
thecompletionofthe£103million
Westlink/M1scheme.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
41
Sporting Events
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Six Nations ChampionshipIrelandclaimedtheirfirstGrandSlamin61yearsinasensationalclimaxtotheyear’sSixNations
Championship;withvictoriesoverEngland,Scotland,Wales,FranceandItalyforthefirsttimesince1948.
PlayedattheMillenniumStadiuminCardiff,theIrishteam’sperformanceandtriumphbroughtacloseto
theirwinningseason.Theplayers,ledbyteamcaptainBrianO’Driscoll,showedremarkabledetermination
and will to win for Ireland.
TheGrandSlamof1948wasthebeginningofagoldenera...theteamcannowkickonanddominate
EuropeallthewaytotheWorldCupin2011.
ICC World Twenty20 QualifierOrganisedbyInternationalCricketCouncil(ICC),theICC
WorldTwenty20QualifierwasplayedinAugust2008
atStormont,Belfast.Irelandcompetedwithfivefellow
Associatesinthefourdaytournament,withIreland,Holland
andScotlandsuccessfullysecuringaplaceattheICCWorld
Twenty202009.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
42
Sporting Events
Milk CupSinceitbeganin1983,theMilkCuphasgrownintooneof
themostprestigiousandsuccessfulsoccercompetitionsin
the world.
Thecompetitionbringstogetherthefinestofyoung
footballingtalentfromacrosstheglobe;bringingthe
excitementandchallengeofcompetingtotheyoungplayers
andofficialsandgreatentertainmentforthespectators.
Manyfamousnameshavegracedthiscompetitioninthe
pastwithplayerssuchasWayneRooney,RyanGiggs,David
Beckham,RobbieFowlerandPeterCrouchallcompeting.
Nowinits26thyeartheMilkCupisrecognisedasoneofthe
mostprestigiousinternationalyouthfootballtournamentsin
Europe.
The2008event,onceagainsponsoredbySportNorthern
Ireland,didn’tdisappointwithNorthernIrelandtakingthe
Elitecrown;ManchesterUnitedtriumphinginthePremier
section;andEvertoncameouttopintheJuniorcategory.
Runher 8KSportNorthernIrelandwasaproudsponsorofthe2008
BelfastTelegraphRunher8K;aneventtargetingwomenonly.
Nearly600womenandgirlswalked,joggedandran
aroundOrmeauParkfortheinaugural8k.Therace
waswonbyParalympicstarKarenCromiewhohadjust
returnedfromBeijing,inafantastictimeof27minutes
and42seconds.AnelatedKarenthoughttheeventwas
anexcellentopportunitytoempowerwomenofallages
toenjoythewalk,andwouldlovetoseemoredisabled
peopletakepartnextyear.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review
2008-09
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Corporate ServicesCorporate Services are seen to be the ‘backbone’ of Sport Northern Ireland – ensuring efficient and effective administration in sport.
The Corporate Services Unit provides a good working environment for the whole organisation through effective delivery of: Financial Management; Human Resources; Information Technology; Internal Audit Procedures; Investment Assurance; Marketing; and Policy Planning and Research.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
45
Human Resources
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
Sport Northern Ireland… “One to Watch” SportNorthernIrelandwasaccreditedwith“OnetoWatch”
statusbyBestCompanies,theworkplaceengagement
specialistsbehindthe‘SundayTimesBestCompaniesto
WorkFor’.
ThelatestguiderecognisesSportNorthernIrelandasan
organisationwithgreatgrowthpotential,andonecommitted
tobeingoneofthebestemployersintheUK.
SportNorthernIrelandisfeaturedintheBestCompanies
Guide,anannualreferenceforgraduates,whichprovides
independentandunbiasedinformationonsomeofthe
UK’sbestworkplaces.The2008editionisavailableatthe
followingaddress:www.bestcompaniesguide.co.uk
TheBestCompaniesAccreditationwasestablishedto
acknowledgecorporateexcellenceintheworkplace,setting
constantstandardsforbusinessesofallsizestoaspireto,
withresultsbeingdrawnbaseduponanemployeesurvey
andcompanyquestionnaire.
46
Policy, Planning and Research
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
SportNorthernIrelandisanorganisationthatisfocused
onpromotingsportandthebenefitsthatcanbederived
throughsport;itsaimistomakedecisionsthatarebasedon
evidence.
TheResearchUnitrespondstotheneedtostrengthenthe
evidencebaseforinformeddecisionmakinginsportatall
levels,andseekstoputinplaceacoherentframeworkfor
research and evaluation that is responsive to the research
needsandprioritiesintheproposedStrategyaswellasthe
widersocialpolicyagenda.
SportNorthernIrelandcommissions,communicatesand
disseminatesresearchprojectsunderthefollowingthematic
areas:
• StrategicMeasurementandMonitoringParticipation;
• StrategicUnderstanding;
• ImpactEvaluation;
• EconomicModeling;and
• CommunicatingandDisseminatingResearchFindings.
In2008-09,SportNorthernIrelandcommissionedthe
followingresearchprojects,someofwhichwerein
collaborationwithourkeypartners…
Participant Development Literature ReviewThisreviewwaswrittenasallpoliciesandprogrammemust
beunderpinnedandsupportedbyon-goingrobustresearch.
Thereviewseekstoidentifythemainfindingsandprinciples
associatedwithParticipantDevelopment,themethods
usedtogeneratethisinformation,andthestrengthsand
weaknessesofthesupportingresearch.Thereviewlooksat
theoperationaldefinitionsofparticipantdevelopmentas
wellasthedifferentmodelsofparticipantdevelopment.It
alsoreviewstheBiologicaldomain,Psychologicaldomainand
SocialdomainofParticipantDevelopmentmakingseveral
recommendationsontheroleofParticipantDevelopment
andtheimportanceofinterdisciplinaryresearchwithinsports
coachingresearchandindependentevaluationsregarding
participantdevelopmentmodels,researchandproposals.
The Assessment and Measurement of Physical Literacy in ChildrenTheaimofthisresearchprojectwastodevelopaPhysical
Literacyassessmenttoolforusewithyoungchildren.This
toolaimedtoassessthecoremotorcompetenciesofchildren
whohadreceivedastructuredPhysicalLiteracyprogramme,
comparedtochildrenwhohadnot.Children’sself-
perceptions and attitudes towards physical activity and sport
were also assessed.
Theresearchfoundthatthemeasurementtooldeveloped
waseffectiveinrevealingthedifferencesbetweenchildren’s
competenceinperforminglocomotor,bodymanagement
andobjectcontrolskills.Furthermore,attitudestowards
physicalactivitywerehighoverallandshowednosignificant
differencesbetweenthosewhoreceivedastructured
programmeandthosewhodidnot.However,children’s
self-perceptionsweresignificantlydifferentbetweenthe
FundamentalMovementSkills(FMS)andnon-FMSgroups
withtheFMSschoolsscoringmorehighly.Thisfindingmay
beindicativeoftheholisticnatureanddeliveryoftheFMS
programmewhichisdesignedtocontributetochildren’s
social,emotionalandcognitivedevelopmentbeyondtheir
movementskills.
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
47
Policy, Planning and Research
Survey of Public Attitudes to Sport and Physical RecreationThe2008SurveyofPublicAttitudestoSportandPhysical
Recreationwascommissionedtoassesstheextenttowhich
sportandphysicalrecreationhasapositiveimageamongst
thepopulationaged16-70inNorthernIrelandasawhole
andofsub-groupswithinit.Theresearchalsoaddresses
levels of awareness of Sport Northern Ireland and assesses
viewsastowhatSportNorthernIrelandfundingshouldbe
used for.
Therewereseveralkeyfindingsfromtheresearchsuch
as59%ofthosesurveyedthoughtinternationalsporting
successbylocalathleteswasveryimportantand97%agreed
orstronglyagreedthatSportNorthernIrelandfundingshould
gotodevelopyoungpeoplewithsportingtalent.
A Systematic Review of the Literature on Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Sport and RecreationThisreviewexaminesparticipationinsportandphysical
recreationbyblackandminorityethniccommunities,
oneofthesegmentsofthepopulationidentifiedinthe
government’sequalitylegislation.Inconductingthisreview
SportNorthernIrelandisconcernedwithhowsporting
opportunitiesmightbeextendedandimprovedwith
thegoalofinformingpolicyandpracticeastheconcern
withincreasingparticipationistwofold:tomaximisethe
recruitmentoftalent;andtoallowallsectorsofsocietyto
enjoythepresumedbenefitsofsport.
A Literature Review of Sexual Orientation in SportThesportscouncilintheUKhaverecognisedthesocialand
legalimperativesforsportsbodiestosupportparticipation
amonglesbian,gay,andbisexualpeople,andtooppose
homophobiaandrelateddiscriminationinsport.Thepurpose
ofthisstudywastoreviewandcritiquetheliteratureon
sexualorientationinsportinordertoinformequalityimpact
assessments,supporttheimplementationoftheUKsports
councils’equalityschemeandinformtheadvicegivenby
theseagenciesondevelopingsportsparticipationamong
thosepeopleandontacklinghomophobiainsport.The
reviewdescribesgapsinourknowledge,identifiesfurther
researchneedsandalsomakespolicyrecommendations.
Allthesepublicationscanbedownloadedfrom
www.sportni.net
The lead agency for developing sport in Northern Ireland
in northern ireland
Summary of key findings
Survey of Public Attitudes Towards Sport & Physical Recreation 2008
Facts and Figures 2008-09
Sport Northern Ireland Annual Review 2008-09
97,597Peopleparticipatedinsportand physical activity across all Sport Northern Ireland
investmentareas
71Projectsfundedthrough
Awards for All
53Athletes/squadssupportedthroughtheAthleteSupport
Programme
13Practitionersreceivedbursariesthroughthe
PractitionerDevelopmentProgramme
26Localvenuesareaccredited for the
OlympicswiththreehubsfortheParalympics
4,986Student days provided
byTMC
36Medalswerewonbyathletesfromthegoverningbodiesinwhich Sport Northern Ireland investsinand/orathleteson the Athlete Support
Programme
27,454Peoplefrom
under-representedgroupsparticipated in sport and physical activity across all Sport Northern Ireland investmentareas
5Medalswonatthe2008BeijingOlympicandParalympicGames
6EventssupportedthroughtheEventsProgramme
Who’s Who in Sport Northern Ireland 50
Sport Northern Ireland Board Members…
Chair:DominicWalsh
Vice Chair:AlanMoneypenny
Members:
OliveBrown
MurrayCowan
John D’Arcy
UnaDuncan
BarryMacaulay
BrianMcCargo
HughMcCaughey
MauraMuldoon
DannyO’Connor
JimRodgers
AlanStrong
PatrickTurnbull
Sport Northern Ireland Key Staff…
Chief Executive
EamonnMcCartan
Director of Corporate Services
Andrew Sloan
Director of Performance Sport
ShaunOgle
Director of Participation and Facilities
NickHarkness