Cross-Border Friendship Soccer Tournament: Social Inclusion and Capacity through Soccer – Part of the Sligo PEACEPLUS Local Community Action Plan

Description

Sligo County Council is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified Contractor to develop, facilitate, and implement a two-year soccer tournament for young people, that promotes social inclusion and good relations, and builds capacity in participants as per the Sligo PEACEPLUS Co-designed Local Community Peace Action Plan 2021-2027. The successful tenderer will have an understanding of co-design approach and experience of developmental community participative projects. The Sligo Cross-Border Friendship Tournament is an ambitious project designed to cultivate peace, unity, and friendship among young boys and girls across County Sligo and neighbouring Northern Ireland. Centred around soccer/football, with prospects for expanding into additional sports, this tournament serves as a medium for creating a secure and inclusive space. Here, participants can forge relationships, break down barriers, and develop a sense of shared identity through the transformative power of sports. The impact spreads beyond players to their parents and families as they watch games and have informal opportunities to develop long lasting relationships. This concept, designed to foster peace and reconciliation, aligns with the EURO 2028 football tournament which will be hosted in the Republic of Ireland and UK. By bringing together diverse communities and providing a shared space for cultural exchange, the cross-border initiative lays the groundwork for the spirit of camaraderie that is essential to major international football events. The Sligo PEACEPLUS Co-designed Local Community Peace Action Plan (henceforth, the Plan) was developed through an 18-month co-design process in support of application to the Special EU Programme Body for European funding under PEACEPLUS Investment Area 1.1., open only to local authorities in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The PEACEPLUS programme is designed to support peace and prosperity and build upon the work of the previous PEACE and INTERREG Programmes. It is cross-border funding supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland administration. The Plan includes 15 projects under three designated themes: 1. Local Community Regeneration and Transformation – Capital Investment; 2. Thriving and Peaceful Communities – Capacity Building; 3. Celebrating Culture and Diversity. For more details on the entire Plan, please see www.sligococo.ie/peace .