Tag Archives: Gareth Harper

by | May 7, 2013 · 1:30 pm

Working With Youth Through Sport – The Best Job There Is

Project Coordinator Tony McGaharan directs a PPI-NI twinning.

Project Coordinator Tony McGaharan directs a PPI-NI twinning.

The text and pictures for today’s PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) post come from Michael Brannigan, a student at Prince’s Trust. He spent the last two weeks helping us out on a work placement. 

Sessional Coach James Hughes instructs primary-school children with Keelan Ciarns.

Sessional Coach James Hughes instructs primary-school children with Keelan Ciarns.

I considered myself lucky to be given this opportunity to work with PeacePlayers. As far as I’m concerned, working with youth through sport is one of the best jobs there is. The line of work I’ve been taking part in has involved bringing children from ages 8 to 11 in primary schools and ages 14 to 15 in secondary schools. The children come from Protestant and Catholic communities and learn about basketball and community relations. I can already see the impact the programming has on kids in terms of their confidence, teamwork, understanding, and new friendships.

But this his has also been a great opportunity for me to build and focus on my leadership skills, which will benefit me in the future. Managing Director Gareth Harper suggested that I bring the team’s camera around with me to take a few pictures. Here are a few of my favorite shots!

PPI-NI participants play a "Scramble," a favorite game of ours.

PPI-NI participants play a “Scramble,” a favorite game of ours.

Sessional Coach Ben Scullion leads his team through an activity we call "Not on my Team."

Sessional Coach Ben Scullion leads his team through an activity we call “Not on my Team.”

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by | April 10, 2013 · 2:34 pm

Team PPI-NI takes on the 2013 Belfast Marathon

garethThis week, we hear from PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) Managing Director Gareth Harper about an upcoming project his team will be undertaking in Belfast.

On the 6 May, 2013, PPI – NI will once again join with over 20,000 runners in taking to the streets to participate in the Belfast Marathon team-relay event.  For me, despite good intentions, it’s been a full year since I last ran any further than the length of a basketball court.

At time of writing with 26 days to go, it is therefore with some apprehension, that I announce my commitment to a strict training regime – two laps of Castlewellan Lake each week.  Undeterred and bolstered by my success from last year (I didn’t have to stop and could walk unassisted to my car at the end) I will be running (or at least jogging) the challenging 5.3 mile ‘leg D’ from Gideon’s Point to Corporation Street.  This is the same leg that I “ran” in 2012.  The marathon leg hasn’t changed but my legs have a full 12 months more mileage (or more accurately lack of mileage) on them.

I will be joined by my PPI-NI office colleagues, Tony ‘The Marathon’ McGaharan; Chris ‘The Speedster’ Schumerth; Darryl ‘The Pace-Man’ Petticrew; and Megan ‘The Longest Leg’ Lynch, in putting in a blistering performance.  Several of our sessional coaches have also formed a team. Hopefully the blisters will not be of the foot variety!

We hope to raise £2,500.00 to support our programmes across the city and invest in the young “champions for peace” that continue to inspire us each day.  All proceeds will go to our nationally-registered charity. You can support our efforts by making a donation here.

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by | May 14, 2012 · 4:37 pm

PeacePlayers Goes British in Washington, DC

Last week, PeacePlayers went British! Director of Operations Tal Alter was fortunate enough to attend an event at the British Ambassador’s Residence surrounding the upcoming London 2012 Oylmpics, while Communications and Development Associate Hannah Sloss joined other British Embassy partners at the UK’s annual event for the EU Open House. Read all about both events below!

A Royal Affair:

Prince Harry at the British Ambassador’s residence with Nick Booth (right).

Last week Monday, I had the good fortune to attend a small gathering at the residence of the British Ambassador to the United States. The event was co-hosted by the US Olympic Committee and the British Embassy and was held to honor British and American competitors participating in this year’s Warrior Games, an Olympic-style competition between wounded, ill and injured military members.

To add special import to the occasion, Prince Harry was in attendance, making his inaugural visit to Washington, DC. The wife of US Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, made brief remarks, and Prince Harry then planted a tree in the residence’s garden alongside those planted by his parents and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Also in attendance was Nick Booth, the Chief Executive of Prince William and Prince Harry Foundation. Mr. Booth, who oversaw the execution of the gift to PPI-NI from William and Kate’s wedding, had nice things to say about PPI-Northern Ireland and Managing Director Gareth Harper.

EU Open House at the British Embassy:

On Saturday, May 12th, PeacePlayers International joined the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. to participate in their event, “This is Great Britain” as part of EU Open House Day. The annual Washington, D.C. event sees the embassies of the European Union’s 27 member states open their doors to the public for day of food, fun and cultural exhibitions. We were delighted to attend. Not only are PPI’s programs in Cyprus and Northern Ireland located in EU countries, but last year our program in Northern Ireland  was a beneficiary to the charitable gift fund of the UK’s royal newlyweds.

Joy Chen volunteered for PPI at the Embassy, helping attract visitors towards our table and our raffle.

PPI joined many other well-known organizations at the British Embassy’s celebration of EU Open House Day. PPI volunteers setup a table in main tent and went to work. We spoke to visitors one-on-one and invited them to participate in our adidas basketball kicks raffle and also donate to our cause. Overall, the day was a success. We raised funds ($200!) and awareness about PPI’s programs to the Embassy’s 10,400 visitors while advocating our grassroots approach to conflict transformation through sport.

Rebecca (left) and Sahtiya (right) speak to Embassy visitors about our basketball and peacebuilding activities.

PPI would first like to thank our enthusiastic and well-informed volunteers from the UCDC program, Joy Chen, Michael Weinberg, Juliana Cooke and Rebecca Keate, and also Jennifer Schiller and Sahtiya Logan, who did such a great job of showcasing PPI and promoting what we do. We would also like to thank the British Embassy in Washington and Ambassador Peter Westmacott for inviting us to participate in their great event. We had a wonderful time and we hope to partner again with the Embassy in the future.

Would you like to get involved with PPI? Sign up to volunteer at one of our future events in the US by sending an email to Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org.

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by | May 9, 2012 · 3:31 pm

PPI-NI Runs the Belfast City Marathon

On Monday, May 7, staff, local coaches, board members and friends of PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland ran the Belfast City Marathon in two relay teams. Emma Ringland, Katrina Fitzpatrick, Jim Fitzpatrick, Gareth Harper, and Joan Shine comprised the first team, while Garry Longfield, Tony McGaharan, Rory O’Neil, James Hughes, and Darryl Petticrew rounded out the second team. The fundraiser was organized by PPI-NI Intern Garry Lonfield who had this to say about the event:

Rory ran the longest in the relay: 7 miles!

When I first joined PeacePlayers I was asked to complete a task of organising a fundraiser, and after looking at various ideas, I finally settled on one idea which I thought would be a lot of fun, as well as one that would generate a lot of support. Thankfully, my fellow coaches agreed to help, and as a result, PPI-NI had two relay teams in the Belfast City Marathon!

The total distance of the marathon is 26.2 miles, and the relay event was spilt into five stages: the longest leg was 7 miles  and the shortest leg was 3.5 miles. Rory O’Neil and Jim Fitzpatrick bravely volunteered to complete the 7-mile stage, and conquered the long trek.  In reference to the 7.1 miles he ran, Rory said, “Yes, the 7 miles up the Antrim road was tough, but to be honest it wasn’t that tough when you’ve got kids screaming ‘Coach Rory!!!’ or parents yelling ‘Go PeacePlayers’ along the way.  You can tell we work a lot in North Belfast when you’re running through the rain and you hear random kids and parents cheering you on.” Well done!

To fundraise for the event, PPI-NI collected pounds from program participants and also created an online donation page for local supporters, family and friends. Many thanks to all that contributed to this fundraising event! It’s not to late to to donate online if you would like to support the cause: http://www.justgiving.com/PPINI

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by | April 25, 2012 · 1:47 pm

All-Star Sunday in Belfast

PPI-NI's very own Coach Tony emceed the event.

PeacePlayers International first came to Northern Ireland in 2002, and since then, the organization has become well known throughout the different communities across the province. Through the involvement of our American fellows in local basketball clubs, PPI-NI has been able to build strong relationships within the Northern Ireland basketball community.

On Sunday 22nd April, several members of the PPI-NI staff participated in the inaugural All-Star basketball event, which took place in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

A golden ball for the All Star!

The event was organized by the Courtside Collective, including local PPI-NI Project Coordinator, Tony McGaharan, who emceed the event. Fellow Meghan Houlihan finished third the in the coed 3-point shoot-out, just missing out for a spot in the finals, and Fellow Rory Leddy O’Neil and local coach Connor McElroy were voted in as All-Stars and represented Belfast in the exhibition game. Local Coordinators Joanne Fitzpatrick and Darryl Petticrew played their role as the entertainment coordinators, running competitions for children during the time-outs and quarter breaks, while Gareth Harper, PPI-NI’s Managing Director, brought his entire family to support the event.

The event was another great example of how sport can bring people together, regardless of background, nationality or religion; a core theme of the PPI mission. The two All-Star teams comprised players from across Northern Ireland and spectators  travelled from as a far a field as County Donegal, Armagh, Newry and L-Derry to watch their favorite players.

Click here to view the BBC Newsline report.

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by | January 18, 2012 · 3:09 pm

PPI – Northern Ireland’s Top 10 of 2011

10 – A New Start

PPI-NI recently moved their office from a busy university area of Belfast to the busy Lisburn Road area. Like the New Year, this signifies a new beginning for PPI-NI, with a new staff team and lots of exciting ideas for the future, it seems like the new office has refreshed the organization.

9 – PPI-NI vs. Belfast City Council Wildcats

On a Tuesday evening, what better to do than play a friendly game of basketball with our good old City Council workers. A new dynamic to our relationship with Belfast City Council, gives us the opportunity to let our hair down, enjoy basketball and show off the skills of our VERY talented staff.

8 – Young Enterprise Northern Ireland (YENI) Partnership

Another exciting partnership established in 2011 was with YENI. A conversation between PPI-NI Managing Director, Gareth Harper and YENI Chief Executive Carol Fitzsimons, has resulted in a successful relationship between the two organizations.

7 – All Girls Cross Community League

For the first time in PPI-NI history, we ran an all girl Cross Community League (CCL) for our senior girls. Focusing on our girls aged 14-17 allowed CCL to impact 40 participants from the North Belfast area in a five-week programme. The programme was an unbelievable success and we now look forward to running our all boy CCL in February.

6 – Two New Schools!

Last term we started a new twinning with St. Kevin’s P.S (based in the Falls area of Belfast) and Glenwood P.S (Based in the Shankill area of Belfast).

5 – Game of Three Halves (GO3H)

This is another exciting initiative that PPI-NI has been involved with, and 2011 was the year it all started to take shape. Check out our previous blog entries for more information!

4- Super Twinnings!

An event where we bring together four schools from two separate Twinning’s, to play in a mini tournament and create a sense of identity amongst the Twinning partners.

3 – Breaking the 200 Mark at Jingle Ball 2011

This year was the first time in PPI-NI history that we had over 200 participants at our Jingle Ball tournament. A true testament to all the hard work that our staff put into the programme.

2 – Gifts from President and First Lady Obama

Receiving six Mac laptops from the President and First Lady as part of the Royal Charitable Gift Fund was amazing. This gift is a great help to Coordinators and International Fellows in the daily running of the programme.

1 – The Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Royal Charitable Gift Fund

To be a part of this fund is and honor and to be recognized for all the efforts that PPI-NI puts into its core mission is overwhelming. All staff, board members and friends off PPI-NI are very thankful for contributions like this one, that help develop and improve our programme.

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by | October 19, 2011 · 2:43 pm

PPI-NI Managing Director Gareth Harper Coaches at Lurgan Twinning

When I joined PeacePlayers as Managing Director in 2009, I asked then Director of Operations with PPI Andrew Gordon for his top tips for success in this job.  He said, “keep as connected as possible to the work on the ground – don’t get caught up in a suit back in the office.”  Whilst the suit was never going to be an issue for me, finding the time to get out into the field has been a little more challenging.  As Andrew advised, however, taking the time to get to know our programs first-hand through coaching at sessions has been and continues to be extremely rewarding on both a personal and professional level.

This semester, I have been lucky enough to coach at one of PPI-NI’s Lurgan twinnings. Uniquely, this twinning involves the pairing of two controlled primary schools, which are typically attended by young people from Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist backgrounds.  However, due to the location of Lurgan Model, its students are from predominantly Catholic/Nationalist/Republican backgrounds.

It’s session four this week, and my team, the ‘Awesome Athletes’, will be playing and competing alongside Coach Shannon’s ‘Zombies’, Coach Mairead’s ‘Team Dynamite’, and Coach Declan’s ‘Disco Dudes’. Following two really impressive school visits and presentations in sessions two and three (see video link below), I’m really looking forward to this week’s session which will take place at the Jethro Centre.  The theme for the session is ‘identity,’ so in addition to untangling their human knots, learning BEEF and proper shooting form and dribbling techniques, participants will explore those aspects of their lives that help make them unique.  Roll on Wednesday, sweet to the beat!

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by | August 3, 2011 · 1:14 pm

Summer Downtime?

This week brings a summer update from PPI-NI’s Managing Director, Gareth Harper:

PPI-NI Managing Director Gareth Harper.

Traditionally the summer months (July and August) for the PeacePlayers program in Northern Ireland have represented a quieter period.  Mirroring the academic calendar, our annual Twinning, Cross-Community League and Leadership Development programs, are pretty much all wound up by the end of June. You’d be forgiven then for thinking that the team here in Belfast would be less busy over the summer months…  think again!

With the schools closed and our kids enjoying the ‘glorious Northern Ireland summer weather,’ the PPI-NI team have been busy planning and preparing for the new program year.

Curricula have been revised and visas renewed, budgets agreed and new appeals for funding support submitted.  Our accounts have been independently audited and our programmes externally evaluated.  We have made new friends and established exciting new collaborative opportunities.  Further, our Open College Network courses and accrediting status were awarded a clean bill of health by the external verifier.  New coaches have been recruited and induction and training sessions have been planned.  We have facilitated ‘Super Twinning‘s’ and ‘Summer Schemes’ and thrown in the inaugural Game of Three Halves for good measure.

Summer downtime… ha!   Here’s looking forward to September and some quieter times ahead; not likely, but sure it’d be no fun if it were any other way.

Sweet to the beat.

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by | May 25, 2011 · 1:00 pm

PPI – Northern Ireland’s Special Gift from US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

One of the six MacBook Air laptops gifted from President and Mrs. Obama.

On Monday, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland was honored to receive a gift from US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The President and First Lady donated six MacBook laptops to PPI – Northern Ireland. The contribution was a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Royal Wedding Charity Fund, to which PPI – Northern Ireland was selected as a beneficiary. The laptops came as a pleasant surprise to all of the staff, including Managing Director Gareth Harper. Neither he nor any of the office staff had any inclination of such a donation. PPI Fellow Shannon Brown explained:

These laptops are a great addition to the office. So much of our curricula and day-to-day work occur through computer-based communications. We’re so thankful for President and Mrs. Obama’s generous donation, and for Prince William and Catherine to include us in their special day.

President Obama now joins his two predecessors, former Presidents Bush and Clinton, in recognizing the impact that PPI – Northern Ireland has had bridging divides between Protestant and Catholic communities in the Belfast region. All of us at PPI truly appreciate the American President’s generous gift and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s continued support of our cause. Thank you so much!

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by | April 20, 2011 · 9:00 am

PPI-NI Teams Up with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation

Five PPI-NI participants, including Amy and Ciara (foreground), listened to New Zealand All-Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick speak in Dublin on Monday.

PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) traveled to Dublin on Monday, April 18th to spend the afternoon with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.  The Laureus Foundation, a global partner of PeacePlayers International, teamed up with New Zealand All-Blacks rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick to deliver Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) drills to children and young people, which included some of PeacePlayers’ own participants!

PPI Fellow Shannon Brown, Managing Director Gareth Harper and five of our “junior coaches” traveled to Kilmacud Crokes GAA club for the training session. Our participants collaborated with children from the GAA club to work on their gaelic football and hurling skills. Afterwards, Fitzpatrick provided an inspirational talk to the kids and showed them how to do the “haka,” a traditional dance from New Zealand that the All-Blacks rugby team does at the start of every game.

Many thanks to the Laureus Foundation for inviting us to such a fun event and to Kilmacud Crokes for hosting the afternoon. We had a great time and look forward to continuing our partnership with Laureus!


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