PeacePlayers Northern Ireland was established in 2002 to provide a rare opportunity for Catholic and Protestant youth to form friendships and advocate for reconciliation and shared society.
What we do
Our Programming
PeacePlayers Northern Ireland engages over 1200 Catholic and Protestant youth each year, ages 9-25, in year-round and multi-year basketball training, conflict resolution education and leadership development activities in Northern Ireland. Programs are divided into five tiers:
Primary School twinnings
The foundation of our cross-community intervention, this program engages children ages 9 to 11, pairing a maintained (predominantly Catholic) primary school with a controlled (predominantly Protestant) primary school for 90-minute sessions during the school day.
The Twinning program is offered to Primary Six classes in the autumn and Primary Seven classes in the spring. A typical twinning program lasts six weeks and introduces the fundamentals of basketball in conjunction with PP-NI’s peace-building curriculum, which incorporates the Northern Ireland Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (PDMU) academic curriculum.
Bridging divides program
An evening/after school program that builds upon the lessons of the primary school curriculum and engages young people in ‘hubs’, providing cross-community basketball training, matches and community relations discussions. PP-NI currently facilitates BDP’s through hubs in north, south, east and west Belfast as well as in Larne.
Leadership Development Program
Graduates of PPI-NI's Primary School Twinnings and BDP programmes have the opportunity to continue to be involved with PPI-NI through the Leadership Development Programme (LDP).
Past programme graduates as well as new participants benefit from formal training (to develop both soft and hard skills) and experiential learning opportunities (e.g., acting as assistant coaches and facilitators, supporting programme delivery with younger participants, competing on integrated teams). LDP operates on a year-round basis with a focus on core values, coaching, basketball, and peer leadership development. LDP works with young people in years 11-14 of secondary school. A Junior Development Programme (JDP) is also offered to participants in years 8 – 10 of secondary school.
Coaches Development Program
PeacePlayers Northern Ireland has recruited and trained a bank of sessional coaches in Belfast and Larne. Sessional coaches form an integral part of the program's delivery capacity. As products of the program they are engaged through the program's Positive Coaching framework and trained to deliver community relations through sport curricula and program.
Interface Games
The Interface Games follows the Game of Three Halves model, bringing children and young people from different backgrounds together to explore culture and identity by participating in three sports from Northern Ireland's rich sporting heritage: football, Gaelic football and Rugby.
Four camps are organized across the city, in north, south, east and west Belfast. At each camp, up to 50 young people, from either side of some of Belfast’s most notorious interfaces, come together to play Gaelic football, rugby and soccer. Coaching stations, led by coaches from each of the three sports, are complemented by a ‘fourth half’ of interactive community relations conversations led by PeacePlayers Northern Ireland facilitators.
Proven Impact
of participants got along well or very well with the participants from a different religious background, and 70% of them attribute that response to their experience with PeacePlayers!
of respondents answered 5 out of 10 for how confident they felt in their basketball skills, and 95% of them attribute that response to their experience with PeacePlayers!
of respondents enjoyed the virtual CCL sessions that PeacePlayers ran, with “seeing my teammates” and “the competitions against or with my teammates” ranking as the top reasons for this
of respondents were not taking part in any other virtual sessions outside of those with PeacePlayers
Our Team
Gareth Harper
Managing director
Location: Northern Ireland
Email: gharper@peaceplayers.org
Gareth took up the position of Managing Director with PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PeacePlayers) in March 2009, having previously worked as Programmes Manager with a regional rural community development organization. He has a BSc (Hons) Degree in Geography, and an MSc in Town and Country Planning, both from the Queens University Belfast. Gareth also has a Post Graduate Certificate in Management and a Master in Business Administration (MBA), both from the Open University. Gareth is a Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic programming and holds additional qualifications in Executive Coaching and Sustainable Investment for the 3rd Sector. Gareth has expertise in strategic planning; people, project and financial management; and a focus on outcomes based accountability. Gareth has over 15 years’ experience at Senior Management level and over 25 years of experience of managing teams and change for sustainability in the community / voluntary and Not-for-Profit sector. Gareth is married, has two teenage daughters and hails from Co. Down
Joanne Fitzpatrick
Core Programming and Curriculum Specialist
Location: Northern Ireland
Email: jfitzpatrick@peaceplayers.org
Joanne was born and raised in Co. Down and attended St. Louis’ Grammar School in Kilkeel, where she discovered her love of basketball. Joanne played for the Southern Education and Library Board basketball team during the Golden Cow Youth Games in 2001 and later went on to play for the Ulster Basketball Association (UBA) for 4 years. Alongside her love of basketball, Joanne has always had a passion for working with children and young people. In 2001, Joanne joined the Down Youth Council and was a member for two years. In 2007, Joanne helped to start up the Down Vikings Basketball Club, where she met Dave Cullen (former PPI board member) and Will Maloney (former PPI fellow).
Joanne officially joined the PeacePlayers team in 2008. Her passion for basketball and working with young people has allowed Joanne to grow within the organization. Joanne now coaches the PeacePlayers U12 girls team and coordinates programming in North Belfast and the Junior Champions4Peace programme. She is currently completing her degree in Youth Work and volunteers in Whiterock Youth Club in her spare time.
Paula McCurdy
Head of Corporate Services
Location: Northern Ireland
Email: pmccurdy@peaceplayers.org
Paula, born and raised in North Belfast, began her good relations journey as a teenager, travelling to Chicago, USA, with Children’s Project Northern Ireland. This experience instilled a desire to help create a better, peaceful Northern Ireland. Paula’s work experience includes the Department of Finance & Personnel’s Central Community Relations Unit, Preschool Teaching, Special Educational Needs Training. She also has a Child Psychology Diploma and a HR Management Diploma. Having come across PeacePlayers when her youngest son joined the after-school programme at age 9, Paula and her family felt the values of PeacePlayers fell in line with their own, and they became eager supporters and volunteers. In February of 2021, Paula joined the team as ‘HR and Office Administrator’. Paula continues to have a special interest in the areas of Special Educational Needs and Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and heads teams in PP-NI that look at and support these areas for the organisation, staff, coaches and participants.
Aoife Redmond
Regional Programme Coordinator
Location: Northern Ireland
Email: aredmond@peaceplayers.org
Aoife started working with PeacePlayers Northern Ireland in 2017 on placement as part of her degree where she was challenged to explore Youth Work in a new context. She has been working as a Youth Worker across Northern Ireland for the past 8 years and now has a BA Honours in Youth and Community Work.
As the first ever junior member of her school’s Sports Committee, Aoife has always been involved in and advocated for team sports. From Dublin, she uses her unique position as an outsider to the conflict in Northern Ireland as a tool to open up conversations and learn alongside participants. As a coach Aoife has been able to journey alongside various groups of participants as they engage in sport, informal education, team building and leadership opportunities.
Alex Mosley
Scaling Project Coordinator
Location: Northern Ireland
Email: amosley@peaceplayers.org
Alex Mosley took up the position of Scaling Project Coordinator in Peace Players
International – Northern Ireland in August 2022. Alex has worked in Cross Community based
youth work in Belfast for the past 14 years after moving from Dublin, where he also had
experience in youth work and counselling teenagers and children. Alex originally studied
Electronics in University but after graduating found his passion for people and working in
local community outweighed the desire to work on machines. He retrained and gained a BA
Honours Degree in Youth and Community work. Alex played University and men’s league
basketball in Dublin and still likes the odd pick up game when given the chance. He is
married with 3 children, and his initial contact with PPNI was as a parent volunteer.
Stuart Bell
Local Project Coordinator - belfast
Stuart joined PeacePlayers Northern Ireland in October 2022. Stuart is married and has two
young daughters and lives in the picturesque town of Carrickfergus. Stuart has worked
within the sports industry for over 12 years, with two charitable youth organisations. Stuart has BCs Honours degree from Ulster University in Football Coaching with Business Management.
Stuart is passionate football and a general sports fan and has seen firsthand how the tool of sport can open up opportunities to help young people grow and reach their full potential. He is excited to be part of an organisation that is passionate about bringing about positive change in communities through sport and changing the lives of young people.
Our Board of Directors
2020-21
Jim FitzPatrick
Chairman & Bank Signatory
Jim is an experienced broadcast journalist, presenter and producer. He has a track record in award-winning documentaries for television. He has also presented radio news, television news programmes and many outside broadcasts over more than a decade in the frontline of broadcasting in Northern Ireland. He has detailed experience in crafting news bulletins and daily news for radio, television, online and print. He has worked on programmes including politics, business and economics. He has managed independent productions and digital media projects. He is currently working on a number of internationally focused documentaries and new media projects in collaboration with others. Jim has specific expertise in politics, economics and investigative work. He is a frequent host of public events including conferences, seminars and customer engagement sessions. Jim is married with four young children and lives in Belfast.
Joy Hadden
An exceptional leader with a passion for supporting people and creating positive sustainable change embedded in social cohesion, good relations and regeneration principles. Joy’s extensive leadership experience in the last 20 years has led to mature exceptional knowledge and skills in corporate governance, strategic visioning, business planning, operational planning, change management and organisational management and all aspects of programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Joy has designed and led in a number of flagship/transformational projects/programmes across Northern Ireland. Joy is currently employed with the Strategic Investment Board and is embedded in The Executive Office as a Strategic Advisor. She holds a degree in Business Studies from UU, Masters in Law (Corporate Governance and Public Policy) from Queens, an Executive Certificate in Corporate Responsibility from McGill University an Executive Certificate from Oxford University in Strategic Programme/Leadership and in September will commence a Fellowship Programme with the University of Bath on Policy Research. Joy also serves on the Board of Playboard and the Audit Committee of COSICA.
Peter McKittrick
Treasurer
Peter is Public Affairs Specialist ~ Northern Ireland, U.S. Consulate Belfast. Peter oversees the Public Diplomacy function for the U.S. Department of State in Northern Ireland. He has oversight for a range of responsibilities that augment international connections or develop awareness of U.S. foreign policies. His role has involved the management of high-level events at home and abroad, including Presidential/State visits, G8/G20 summits, and rapid-response work overseas in the physical evacuation of American citizens. He provides strategic direction to a number of management boards run by the British Council, the International Fund for Ireland and Belfast City Council. In addition, he sits on a number of selection panels for international initiatives such as the Washington Ireland Program, the U.K. Fulbright Commission, and the Irish Institute at Boston College. A graduate in Tourism from the University of Northumbria, Peter has previously occupied roles in Moyle District Council, and Armagh City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. He holds an MSc with Distinction in Political Communication and Public Affairs. Born and bred in County Armagh, he is married with two young children.
Emma Clegg (Gibson)
Emma is an experienced fundraising manager working with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for 11 years, specialising in event fundraising, community and small corporate fundraising in Northern Ireland. More recently she has managed a remote team of staff across the island of Ireland and Scotland to support volunteers and engage with the community.
Prior to joining the RNLI Emma worked for the Northern Ireland Civil Service as a graduate entrant as a Project Team Leader in the Social Security Agency focusing on managing a direct marketing campaign and project management. Emma holds a BSC (Hons) degree in Geography from Queens University Belfast and spent a year studying business at Albright College in Reading Pennsylvania through the Business Education Initiative. She holds the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma in Marketing and is currently studying for the Advanced Diploma in Sustainable Investment for the Third Sector at the Ulster University. She is a certified member of the Institute of Fundraising and a member of Fundraising Ireland.
Liam Pettigrew
Liam also serves as a Trustee with Belfast Star Basketball Club and is a Director with Basketball Northern Ireland Limited.
Trevor Ringland
A Partner in the firm of Macaulay & Ritchie, Solicitors, in Belfast, having studied law at Queen’s University Belfast, he played rugby for Queen’s University Belfast, Ballymena, Ulster, Ireland and the British Lions. Trevor is a former Vice Chairman of East Belfast Ulster Unionist Party; and Co-Chairman of the One Small Step Campaign, promoting a shared future for the people of Northern Ireland; and a Director of The Ireland Funds and The Mediation Network. He is also a Trustee of the RUC George Cross Foundation and a Non-Executive Director of Independent News & Media (NI) Ltd. Trevor has also served as a member of the Policing Board for Northern Ireland. He is Vice Chairman of Rally Ireland and is on the Northern Ireland Board of the British Council (Northern Ireland).
Michael Morrow
Michael has been volunteering with PeacePlayers for this past three years through partnership with the Study USA Alumni Association of which he is the chairman. The Study USA program sends Northern Ireland Students to American Colleges for a year to study business and has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Michael Studied Management and Computer Science at Queens University Belfast and graduated in 2002 after having also spent a year at the University of Evansville in Indiana Studying Business. He worked in England as a Software Developer for Atos Origin before returning to Northern Ireland to work for the PRM Group of companies which is his family business. PRM is Ireland’s largest independent chilled foods company employing 200 staff in Sales, Logistics, Transport and Manufacturing. Michael is a keen motorcyclist and is the Head Road Captain and Webmaster for the Belfast Chapter Harley Owners Group.
Alan McNally
As Design Director in Page Setup, Alan is responsible for devising design strategy and ensuring the companies Clients are communicating, efficiently and effectively. A chartered designer, he has been involved in the design and delivery of many high profile campaigns for both the public and private sectors and spent many years overseas working for major design and advertising agencies including the Mojo agency in Australia. With over 23 years experience in design and marketing he continually addresses all elements within the ever changing communications field. A keen sportsman, Alan fought for Ireland’s main Karate team who were based in Dublin, throughout the golden years of karate (late 80s up to 1994) and was one of the youngest fighters to represent Ireland at full international level gaining over 14 full international caps. He was also awarded one of the highest grades in Ireland at that time by the legendary Tatsuo Suzuki, 8th Dan (Hanshi). He has also a keen interest in boxing and was involved in coaching both Karate and Boxing in areas of social deprivation throughout Belfast. He still maintains a strong interest in sport and the benefits it can deliver.
Clare Guinness
is a finance graduate and Chartered Director, Clare has over 25 years commercial and board experience. Clare is passionate about creating a stable and inclusive society valuing the positive impact of Peace Players activities in that regard. She also has had a keen interest in basketball playing at school and university. Clare has recently been appointed CEO of Belfast Chamber.
Tony Young
has worked in the education sector for over twenty years and first got involved with PeacePlayers through a twinning project between schools in North Belfast. Both of his daughters have benefited from participation in PeacePlayers programmes over the years and Tony has maintained a keen interest in the work of the group. In 2017 Tony became principal of a primary school in County Antrim and has been involved in supporting potential leaders in education as well as mentoring newly appointed principals. Outside school, Tony regularly performs with local theatre companies at theatres such as Lisburn’s Island Hall and the Grand Opera House in Belfast. Tony is also a Trustee of Crumlin Integrated Playgroup.
Roisin Brown
Róisín grew up on the North Coast. She discovered her love of sport as a pupil of Coleraine
High School where Róisín played hockey and football as well as keenly participating in
Athletics. She played for Coleraine ladies Football Club for 10 years where she also coached
the young ladies. Upon moving to Belfast Róisín continued to pursue her love of playing and
coaching football with Comber Rec FC.
Róisín is passionately curious about our journey towards peace in Northern Ireland, both in
her current role as a community police officer and through her involvement in projects such
as the World Economic Forum Global City Shapers. In 2013 she participated in the
Washington Ireland Program for service and leadership, returning to Northern Ireland to
work in the devolved Government in Stormont until early 2017.
Róisín joined the Board of Peace Players in 2022. Using sport to progress reconciliation in
Northern Ireland compliments her ongoing work as a police officer at a Belfast
interface. Róisín is passionate about the experiences of young people in particular, and an
advocate of using sport as a common ground for young people of different background to
develop friendships and have important conversations.
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