Local Coaches Gain IFA Level 1 Badges

Seventeen local people received their Level 1 IFA coaching badges on Tuesday, 17 April, in the WIN Business Centre in Newry.

The programme is delivered in partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Southern Health and Social Care Trust and the IFA. It was funded by the Department for Communities through the Neighbourhood Renewal Health Programme and is part of the Programme’s initiative to establish a community development approach to improving health and wellbeing.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said, “This innovative programme will make a real difference to people in our community. Not only have these coaches enhanced their own skills, they will be able to use their Level 1 IFA coaching badges to benefit the clubs and teams they work with in their own community. The Council is committed to developing innovative ways of promoting health and wellbeing and this programme contributes to achieving our objectives.”

Each participant undertook three days of intensive training across three weekends encompassing practical skills in coaching and development, planning and delivering sessions, first aid in sport, children and vulnerable adult awareness and completion of online logs and assessment.

IFA coach Seamus Heath, who delivered the training commended the participants, added, “Each of the participants have gained these new skills which will allow them to support local children and young people through a more professional approach to coaching. This provides real benefits to local communities by encouraging greater participation in sport which will improve health and wellbeing.”

Madaleine McCrink, who represented the Promoting Wellbeing team from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said, “I want to give a special thank you to all the partners for their support and I also want to pay tribute to all the participants who completed the training. This training programme is the catalyst to encourage volunteering within local communities and provides real opportunities to improve people’s health, particularly among our children and young people.”

From the inception of the coaching programme in 2011, some 125 people have availed of training and received either a Level 1 or Level 2 IFA coaching badge. To take part in this scheme, you must be resident in the Newry Neighbourhood Renewal area.

You can access further information about the scheme and other Neighbourhood Renewal programmes by emailing Sean McKevitt, Neighbourhood Renewal Officer, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, sean.mckevitt@nmandd.org or telephoning 0283 0257 812.