Sport Northern Ireland is getting Every Body Active!

Individuals and organisations within each of the 11 local council areas in Northern Ireland are looking forward to over £6million of National Lottery funding which will be invested over the next 4 years through Sport Northern Ireland’s ‘Every Body Active 2020’ programme, Stand 1.

The programme has kicked off its Opportunities Strand which follows in the footsteps of the London 2012 participation legacy programme ‘Active Communities’, and looks forward to getting people more active more often in the run up to Rio 2016 and beyond.

This programme aims to deliver more quality opportunities for targeted groups to increase participation in sport and physical activities across key life-course transitions, such as children moving from primary to post-primary school, young people leaving education, having a family, or retiring from work.

One of the first events delivered under the Every Body Active 2020 programme was a Racketlon competition – one of the world’s fastest growing competitive sports – organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. This energetic and dynamic competition involving badminton, squash, table tennis and tennis is an example of one of a wide variety of activities which will be delivered under the Every Body Active 2020 programme.

Each of the 11 local council areas will be working closely with clubs, schools, and community organisations to engage with the hardest to reach groups, and to provide opportunities for individuals to get involved, on a sustained basis, in a wide range of sports and activities in their local area.

Welcoming the programme, Interim Chair of Sport Northern Ireland Brian Delaney commented: “Sport Northern Ireland welcomes the opportunity for further and future partnership collaborations with the 11 local councils through the Every Body Active 2020 programme, to deliver sustainable increased participation in sport and physical activity, especially among women and girls, people with a disability and those living in areas of greatest social need. Building on the success of programmes such as Active Communities, Every Body Active 2020 will help to ensure that sport and physical activity can make a genuine ‘added value’ contribution to ‘sporting communities’ across Northern Ireland and sustain the legacy of London 2012 as we prepare for Rio 2016.”