This project is supported under the Belfast PEACE III Plan by the European Union's ‘European Regional Development Fund’ through the PEACE III Programme administered by Belfast City Council’s Good Relations Partnership.
Launching the project at Queens PEC in May, Belfast’s newly appointed Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said: “I applaud everyone involved with this project and congratulate them for their efforts and achievements in bringing our young people together. Sport is a great way to encourage teamwork and help forge friendships which will hopefully last for a lifetime.”
In the spirit of the 2013 World Police and Fire Games this year being held in Northern Ireland, the four camps in North, South, West and East Belfast will culminate with a flagship event (the Game of Three Halves) on Friday, August 9, and will bring together all participants from East, West, South and North Belfast. It will incorporate three of the most popular sports in Northern Ireland (rugby, football, and Gaelic football), as well as community relations activities. The initiative aims to promote respect for diversity in a fun and safe environment while introducing young people to the three different sports.
Trevor Ringland (Chairman of PeacePlayers International - Northern Ireland) said: “The recent violence and tension in Belfast’s interface communities has highlighted the need for continued investment in initiatives such as the Belfast Interface Games. As I reflect on the events of the last week, which has seen Belfast once again in the news for all the wrong reasons, I recall a question put to me by a film crew as I stood on the pitch at Seaview at the Interface Games in 2012. They asked ‘what would a genuinely shared future for the people of Northern Ireland look like to you?’
"The answer was all around me as I stood in that football ground, shared by two clubs, Crusaders and Newington FC, each of whom draw their support from different sides of our community. Around 90 kids from across Belfast’s interfaces were playing the Game of Three Halves, combining rugby, Gaelic football and football, supported by the three governing bodies and PeacePlayers International. In the stand above the pitch were the parents sitting together and enjoying the action. The Belfast Interface Games showcases the potential of sport for community relations and peace building work, potential which as yet has not been fully realised."
Children interested in attending one of the camps and the flagship event will be able to register online by clicking this link and completing the BIG registration form for a specific event.
** Members of the press are invited to attend any of the following events:
NORTH BELFAST
When: Tuesday 23rd - Thursday 25th July 2013
9:30am - 2:30pm
Where: Seaview Crusaders FC, Shore Rd, Belfast
EAST BELFAST
When: Tuesday 23rd - Thursday 25th July 2013
9:30am - 2:30pm
Where: PlayBall, Stormont, Stormont Estate, Belfast
WEST BELFAST
When: Tuesday 30th July - Thursday 1st August
9:30am - 2:30pm
Where: St. John’s GAC, Whiterock Rd, Belfast
SOUTH BELFAST
When: Tuesday 30th July - Thursday 1st August 2013
9:30am - 2:30pm
Where: Harlequins Rugby Club, Deramore Park, Belfast
FLAGSHIP EVENT
When: Friday 9th August 2013, 6pm - 9pm
Where: Seaview, Crusaders FC, Shore Rd, Belfast