Project summary:

The M-Powered Project is an exciting & one of a kind initiative on this island that will evolve over 3 years using Martial Arts as a tool for exploring personal development, youth empowerment, peer leadership, employability, nutrition and well-being, identity and conflict management with the most marginalised groups of young people in Derry/Londonderry.

What are we aiming to achieve from your project and why are you doing it:

Empowering and motivating young change makers and equipping and enhancing the reach of sports coaches. We will develop a best practice peace model for coaches, mentors, volunteers and peace educators. We are using this method because is it what young people are asking for, it has been proven to have worked in other parts of the world and we will be adapting these successful models to fit with our target groups and realities in this part of the world. It is a creative, sustainable and healthy way of exploring peace work.

How it will be carried out: 

We will train a number of male and female coaches and project interns. They will be supported to complete 5 accredited courses in conflict management/facilitation, best practice youth work, exploring identity, personal development and leadership and there will be an additional nutrition and well-being dimension to the non-formal training.

We will recruit our target group of participants from a wide variety of backgrounds and specifically from isolated/segregated/marginalised communities in the Derry City and Strabane district council area. Examples of such communities would include the Tullyally and Currynierin communities. We will work in collaboration with:

  • our partner organisations
  • local agencies
  • schools
  • our existing martial arts clubs

The first training sessions for young people will begin in March 2016 and run for three years. It will consist of two 12 week modules per year, an evaluation, reflection and adaption phase and celebration of achievements event each year. On completion of year one, a selection of senior participants will put themselves forward and become peer mentors and a youth forum will be developed for the project. These paticipants from year one will also play a major role in the recruitment phase for year two.

Where it will be carried out : 

The project will take place in two separate venues. The city side (Strike Acadamy) and in the Waterside (The Foyle Arena). Most of the OCN accredited training for the caoches and volunteers will take place in St. Columbs Park House.

Our Target Groups:

20 young people between the age of 12 & 15 years of age will form the junior group and  20 young people between the age of 16 & 20 years will make up the senior group. We will have 3 qualified senior Coaches & 3 junior coaches to assist and gain valuable learning and experience as well as a small group of project interns/volunteers.