The Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good Schools Programme is a mental health athlete mentorship programme with a dedicated focus on boosting young people’s social skills, self-esteem and body confidence through sports participation. The programme aims to address the needs of some 45% of young people here who said their mental health had deteriorated since the pandemic began.

More than 5,200 secondary school pupils from across 25 schools located in every county participated in the 2021/22 programme with feedback survey results revealing that 83% of participants felt Lidl Northern Ireland’s programme boosted their overall confidence.

Additional programme benefits included improved resilience and enjoyment of exercise as well as increased confidence to participate in future sport. All teachers participating in the programme also confirmed their commitment to making improvements to their school’s mental health curriculum as a result of the programme.

The Sport for Good Schools Programme is championed by six-time Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Bethany Firth OBE, 2022 Commonwealth Games and European Championship 1,500 metre silver medalist, Ciara Mageean, and Olympic gymnast, Rhys McClenaghan.

The programme sees a series of mental health workshops delivered by a squad of specially trained NI sports stars, including Michael McKillop MBE and Shirley McCay MBE, who are appointed as the programme’s athlete mentors by the Youth Sport Trust. The 2022/23 programme was officially launched today at a special event in Belfast.

Speaking at the launch of the 2022-23 programme, Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good ambassador, Ciara Mageean said: “As a middle-distance runner competing at the highest level of international sport, I know how important it is to have a strong mindset and belief in myself to achieve my goals. It’s something I focus and work on every day.

“I’m proud to be an ambassador for Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good Schools Programme which is dedicated to supporting young people and improving mental health outcomes, particularly after the challenging times of the last few years.

“I’m delighted to see the results of last year’s programme and to know that it really is having an impact on our young people and improving their mental health. Knowing that 80% of the students who were involved in the workshops have seen an improvement in their confidence demonstrates the true power of sport, and I’m proud to have been able to play my part in that.

“I’m excited to launch the 2022-23 programme and to share with even more students across Northern Ireland the tools that sport participation can provide in improving overall wellbeing, building resilience, and managing mental health challenges, and to hopefully find the next generation of sporting stars.”

The 2022/23 Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good Schools Programme consists of a series of workshops designed to help young people explore the positive effect sport can have on their mental health now and into the future.

Jenny Rouse, Commercial and Fundraising Director at Youth Sport Trust said: “We’re really thrilled to continue our partnership with Lidl Northern Ireland and launch our Mental Health Athlete Mentorship programme for a second year. The results of our programme survey have been fantastic and it’s so inspiring to see how this has had a positive impact on the lives of so many young people in Northern Ireland.

“Designing and delivering initiatives like these, through our new Inspiring Changemakers, Building Belonging strategy, we are committed to supporting those most in need of the transformative power of sport and play.

“Young people are growing up in a world where digital technology is having an increasing impact on their lives and more children feel lonely and disconnected. It is vital we recognise how sport and physical activity can help them to feel a sense of belonging and manage their wellbeing.”

Since 2019, the Sport for Good programme has supported more than 120 sports clubs and schools across Northern Ireland and provided more than £320,000 in funding and equipment to encourage more children to connect with sport.

The Sport for Good Schools Programme is part of Lidl Northern Ireland’s longstanding ‘Community Works’ initiative which supports communities across Northern Ireland. First launched in 2014, the Community Works programme has engaged more than 750 community groups to date and raised more than £420,000 for charity partner NSPCC Northern Ireland.

Joe Mooney, Senior Partnerships Manager for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “As part of our established Community Works initiative, the Sport for Good Schools Programme is designed to tackle the mental health challenges faced by our young people head on and we’re delighted to see the positive feedback in the programme evaluation which shows just how transformative the programme has been in its first year.

“It is an honour to welcome back our programme ambassadors, Ciara, Bethany and Rhys who are wonderful role models for young people in Northern Ireland both through their sporting success and by sharing their own personal experiences of mental health issues and how they have used sport as an outlet to manage these challenges.

“We’re committed to building on the work we have done so far to ensure more school students are motivated to harness the physical and mental health benefits of sport, and look forward to working with our ambassadors and with the Youth Sport Trust as we actively reach into local communities to support young people across the region in a practical and meaningful way.”

Lidl Northern Ireland shoppers can nominate their local secondary school to win a place on the Sport for Good programme, as well as £1,000 worth of brand-new sports equipment, by visiting their local Lidl store and making a purchase to receive a qualifying Lidl receipt containing a 10-digit code.

Receipt codes must be submitted online along with the secondary school nomination for a chance to win. Entries can be made via the dedicated Sport for Good online entry form at lidl-ni.co.uk/lidl-community-works. The competition is open until Sunday, October 16^th.

For more information, please visit www.lidl-ni.co.uk/lidl-community-works.

Caption: Joe Mooney Senior Partnerships Manager for Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, Ciara Mageean, Rhys McClenaghan and Bethany Firth OBE.

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With 45 per cent of young people in Northern Ireland saying their mental health has worsened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good Schools Programme is focused on teaching students about the long-term physical and mental health benefits of sports participation.

Delivered in partnership with Youth Sport Trust, the UK’s leading sports charity supporting young people’s education and development through sport, the Sport for Good Schools Programme is set to reach thousands of secondary school pupils right across the region over the coming years.

Specially trained athlete mentors will run workshops and take sessions with the students that will help increase their confidence and resilience while also providing them with tools to help manage their own mental health into adulthood.

A stellar line up of eight leading local athletes will deliver the schools programme, including four-time Paralympic athletics champion Michael McKillop and Olympian steeplechase gold medallist Kerry O’Flaherty, Olympian hockey heroes Shirley McCay and Eugene Magee, Northern Ireland netball international and an Armagh ladies’ Gaelic footballer Caroline O’Hanlon, female rugby union champion and Olympian Ashleigh Baxter, Ulster Rugby midfielder and Jiu Jitsu champion Stacey Sloan and Commonwealth Shooting Champion Kirsty Hegarty.

Representing a strong cross section of sport and boasting an impressive array of achievements, the athletes are at the top of their game and will bring a wealth of experience to the classroom.

This week, the retailer announced 25 winning schools – hailing from every county across the region – who were selected for the programme following a call out for competition entries in October last year and were nominated by local shoppers.

Established in 2019, Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good programme has supported more than 80 sports clubs and schools across Northern Ireland and provided more than £220,000 in funding to encourage more young people into sport.

Gordon Cruikshanks, Head of Sales Operations for Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “The pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on the mental health of our young people and this year we aim to tackle mental health head on through Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good initiative.

“As a retailer committed to supporting local communities, we’re thrilled to partner with Youth Sport Trust to deliver a bespoke programme designed specifically for secondary school pupils to provide practical advice and techniques to improve mental health through sport. I’d like to thank all of our fantastic shoppers who nominated their local school to win a coveted place on the programme and congratulate those selected. We’re looking forward to this initiative rolling out over the coming months.”

The programme is supported by three local sporting heroes and long-standing Sport for Good Ambassadors – six-time Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Bethany Firth OBE, Olympic gymnast Rhys McClenaghan and Olympic runner Ciara Mageean.

Commenting on the announcement of the winning schools, Sport for Good Ambassador and Paralympic champion Bethany Firth OBE said: “As a Paralympian, I’m faced with challenges every day and I know only too well how important it is to have a strong, healthy mindset. Thanks to my incredibly supportive coach, family and team, I’ve been driven to achieve my best Olympic performance yet and also receive an OBE for my services to sport in the last six months – something I once could only dream of.

“With many young people saying their mental health has been impacted by the pandemic, the Lidl Northern Ireland Mental Health Mentorship schools programme couldn’t come at a better time and I’m honoured to help deliver this important initiative to schools across Northern Ireland. I’m very proud to support Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good campaign for the third year running and I hope that I can help inspire young people who may be struggling with their mental health to embrace the benefits of sport and the role it can play in improving mental wellbeing and in building resilience and confidence.”

The Sport for Good programme is the latest initiative by Lidl Northern Ireland to support communities across Northern Ireland and forms part of the retailer’s longstanding ‘Community Works’ programme. First launched in 2014, the Community Works programme has engaged more than 750 local community groups to date and raised more than £600,000 for charity partner NSPCC Northern Ireland.

For more information, please visit lidl-ni.co.uk/lidl-community-works

Caption:  Sport for Good Ambassador and Paralympic champion Bethany Firth OBE, Sport for Good Ambassador and Olympic gymnast Rhys McClenaghan and Gordon Cruikshanks, Head of Sales Operations for Lidl Northern Ireland.

Complete list of winning schools:

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Huge retail presence and special games will help boost sales for National Lottery retailers throughout summer, with an expected sales uplift of over 39% for each of the three special event draws lined up

Camelot, the operator of The National Lottery, is launching a huge new National Lottery campaign that reminds players that, every time they play a National Lottery game, they’re helping Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes in Tokyo.

Kicking it all off will be a new blockbuster TV ad which first airs tonight (Wednesday 7 July), premiering in a 30” spot during England v Denmark, and with further primetime ad slots throughout the week – including during the Euro 2020 Final on Sunday.

Olympic Themed POS

The campaign will also feature an unmissable retail presence over the course of the summer – with Olympic-themed POS landing in store from this week and a host of special games, including a limited edition Win Gold £1 Scratchcard (complete with a gold dispenser flash) and three special event Lotto and EuroMillions draws.

The first of the three draws will be a massive £20 million Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ draw on Saturday 17 July, followed by a EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker event draw on Friday 13 August which will make a guaranteed 13 UK millionaires in one night. Rounding things off will be another £20 million Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ draw on Saturday 4 September, giving National Lottery retailers plenty of opportunities to bolster sales – and benefit from an expected sales uplift of 39% for the Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ event draws and 46% for August’s special EuroMillions draw.

Tokyo Merchandise

As well as playing their part in helping to deliver a truly special retail experience over course of the Games, National Lottery retailers will also have the chance to look the part. Camelot is sending out over 92,000 pieces of Tokyo merchandise – including fleeces, t-shirts, gold pens and wristbands – to retailers across the country to get them involved in the best possible way.

The marathon of Olympics activity doesn’t end there either. National Lottery retailers should also look out for special advertising across digital and print that highlights the contribution that they have made to TeamGB and ParalympicsGB, with the ads carrying the strapline ‘By selling National Lottery tickets, you help fund our athletes.’ There will also be a special bonus event, running via the National Lottery Retailer Hub.

Massive campaign

Camelot’s Retail Director, Jenny Blogg, said: “We’re excited to be launching such a massive campaign ahead of the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, and in recognition of the significant contribution that National Lottery players and retailers have made to the success of TeamGB and ParalympicsGB athletes over the years. Retail will play a key role in this campaign activity and we’re expecting strong sales over the summer – thanks to the special games, unmissable in-store POS and special Tokyo merchandise.

“With so much happening in National Lottery retailers and at the Tokyo Games, there’s a huge talkability factor and we’d encourage retailers to engage with customers about the Olympics and Paralympics – and the special National Lottery draws – to really drive those extra sales. The Tokyo Games will provide so many special moments and causes for celebration, uniting people all across the UK. So we’d like to thank every National Lottery retailer for helping to make this all possible, by selling National Lottery tickets and helping to raise around £36 million every week for National Lottery Good Causes.”

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