Patience is ‘Keys’ for IFA

In recent months Michael O’Neill visited the Brandywell thus being the first Northern Ireland manager to watch a game in the city for a number of years; now Sarah Keys has been appointed IFA Football For All Development Officer for the North West.

Keys, who is based in the Derry City Council office, can’t wait to get started, in fact she has already organised a ‘Street Football League’, and the first cup competition is to get under way this Friday.

“The first cup event is on Friday, at Magee, starting at 2pm, we are hoping to continue it throughout the year and work at the model, which is already in place in Belfast,” she admitted.

“The Belfast ‘Street League’ has been going for three years and it has been really successful, there are a number of homeless shelters and other men’s groups who take part in the weekly league every Friday and with Comic Relief support we are now able to put on educational classes for them.

“Our plan is to try and get both street leagues up and running but also move it on that it’s just not about football, there is an educational element to it and we are hoping to attract and work with a number of community groups in the city.

“At the minute we have met up with five organisations from within the area and they have been brilliant, in fact there has been a really want for it in those areas.”

Sarah also admitted that as her post at the IFA is new, she is still at the getting to know people stage, but feels the long term plans can benefit everyone.

“I’m still at the stage where we are networking and building relationships with people, so for a wee while yet it’s going to be a bit of a learning process, but as I have said the people I have talked too are just as enthusiastic as me,” she added.

“Long term it’s really all about building trust and giving extra value to communities and using football as a hook.

“We will be looking to work at bringing marginal groups together and wanting them to volunteer within their community and clubs to move forward for the future, so this really is very much a long term incentive.

“Derry City Council have been fantastic to me and they have given me a lot of good support, in fact they help me bring together a ‘North West Football For All Adversary’ panel, which brings together a lot of stake holders who we are working with and they are starting to help shape the programme for the next few years.”