Teenage Kickz
Since its inception in June 2010 Teenage Kickz has been involved in providing sports based activity sessions, particularly football coaching, to communities that are characterised by social disadvantage and blighted by criminal and anti-social behaviour. The objective is to build strong relationships and trust with young people, allowing for development opportunities beyond football which may include attempting other sports or accessing a range of developmental activities such as drug awareness, healthy lifestyle education, volunteering, accreditation or career development.
Teenage Kickz has recently began The Red Card to Sectarianism project. This project is a cross border, cross-community initiative funded by the Peace III Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The project is aimed at bringing together young people from differing communities through the medium of sport with a strong emphasis on peace and reconciliation. It aims to provide a safe environment in which young people aged 12-18 years, both boys and girls, can engage in constructive activities whilst socially interacting with their peers from differing backgrounds and religions. In addition to engaing in sporting activities, the young people will also participate in Peace and Reconciliation workshops with the aim of addressing key issues of sectarianism and contested space. Through dialogue and discussion the young people will be challenged on their perceptions of sectarianism and racism as well as pre-conceived ideas on shared spaces.