Sports development

Belfast currently has poor levels of health compared to the rest of Northern Ireland, so encouraging people to keep fit, and increasing access to physical activity, is very important.

In this section, you can:

check what's available in our leisure centres, parks and sports pitches
read our Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy for Belfast, which we've worked with other agencies to develop
learn about the Active Communities programme which offer free sports and activities in venues across Belfast
check whether you're eligible for our active lifestyle programmes
get information about our coach education scheme and Belfast Clubmark programme for sports clubs
find out about financial support available to sports clubs, through our Support for Sport programme
see what major sports events we have funded.

Our sports development officers also provide general help and advice to sports clubs and community organisations, for example, via telephone calls or through one-to-one meetings (by appointment only) or by helping to create club development plans and coach education programmes.

Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy

We work with a range of partners to encourage people to stay fit and healthy. For example, the council is a lead partner in Sport Belfast, a partnership which also includes:

Sport Northern Ireland
Belfast Community Sports Development Network (BCSDN)
Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB)
Queen's University, Belfast
University of Ulster
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Health Promotion Agency
Northern Ireland Sports Forum and other governing bodies
Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA)
Coaching Northern Ireland
Boys' Brigade
Boys' and Girls' Clubs Northern Ireland (BGCNI)
Disability Sports Northern Ireland
Groundwork Northern Ireland
Belfast Metropolitan College.

Sport Belfast has put together a framework, the Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy, to develop sport and recreation facilities in Belfast between 2009 and 2012.

Download Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy (Word - 185KB)

The strategy has five key 'goals' to improve sports development in the city:

partnership - encouraging effective co-ordination and communication between the strategy's partners
capacity - developing community, volunteer and club involvement in sport
facilities - making sure Belfast has the 'right' facilities in the 'right' places
participation - boosting participation in sports
performance - looking at ways in which performance can be developed.

It also identifies seven main 'initiatives' or ways to help it achieve these goals. These are:

supporting schools and third-level institutions
building sustainable club and community development
raising the profile of sport and physical activity in Belfast
promoting health and physical activity
developing coaches and volunteers
supporting leisure centres to become development and community-focused
developing 'pathways to performance'.

Contact information For more information about sports development, call our Leisure Development Unit on 028 9027 0344 or email leisure@belfastcity.gov.uk