This summer PeacePlayers International-Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) introduced a new concept: the PPI-NI Ambassadors programme. This programme is for PeacePlayers participants aged 11+ who are going into or are already in high school. PPI-NI works mainly with primary school pupils, therefore when participants move to high school, their chances of staying involved with PeacePlayers is reduced. The thinking behind the ambassador programme is that the members would represent PPI-NI in their school and help to recruit high school pupils for our after-school events; Cross Community League, tournaments and summer camps.
Some of the PPI-NI ambassadors at this year’s Spring Jam tournament
Last week PPI-NI hosted the first ambassadors meeting in their Peace House office, with parents bringing their children from all sides of the city. A total of 18 ambassadors attended the meeting last Friday, where the goal was to get everyone to know each other a little better, discuss the roles of an ambassador and the upcoming summer events. It was very apparent at the end of the meeting that the right ambassadors had been selected, they were all full of ideas and couldn’t wait to get started by promoting the Belfast Interface Games camps in their areas. Although there were only 18 attendees at the meeting, there are a total of 40 ambassadors in the Belfast area. The ambassadors range from 11 year olds who are just starting secondary school but have participated in PeacePlayers for 3 years to 17 year olds who have participated in PeacePlayers for 6 years and are moving towards being coaches. This range of ambassadors will provide a variety of views when we begin to plan events together, create fundraising events and review programme participation.
PPI-NI has great hopes for the ambassador programme and looks forward to the next meeting on Saturday September 8th.
Stay sweet to the Beat.
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