Young People Build Confidence, Connection and New Skills at Mayor's Cup 2026

Released: Tuesday 3 March 2026

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum with local sporting figures and representatives from Community Partners at the Mayor's Cup Competition

Ards and North Down Borough Council is pleased to celebrate the success of the Mayor's Cup 2026, a three‑day youth football and wellbeing programme held recently at Ards Blair Mayne Welling and Leisure Complex.

The initiative brought together 150 young people aged 12-14 from across the Borough, who took part through their local football clubs. Aligned with this year's theme, "A Sense of Belonging," the programme helped participants grow in confidence, build new friendships, and deepen their connection to the Borough and to one another.

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Delivered by Ards and North Down Borough Council in partnership with Sport Changes Life, and supported by Ark Housing Association, Clanmil Housing, Radius Housing and Woven Housing, the programme formed part of the Department for Communities and Housing Executive's Housing for All Shared Housing Programme.

Beyond football, participants took part in a series of interactive workshops designed to support personal development, resilience and positive relationships. These included:

Confidence and leadership development
Good relations workshops facilitated by the Irish Football Association
Community safety awareness sessions
Mental health and wellbeing with TAMHI
Resilience, identity and healthy relationships with Women's Aid

Young people reported gaining practical tools for managing stress, greater understanding of respect and tolerance and improved communication and teamwork skills. This is demonstrative of the programme's strong educational and wellbeing impact, with one young participant saying, "I loved every part of the camp, from going down to meet my friends from my football team to meeting new people there. It was all brilliant."

The final day featured a World Cup‑style mixed‑team tournament, encouraging participants to meet new people and work together across club boundaries. Parents and carers joined for a family lunch and celebration event, with appearances from local sporting figures including David Jeffrey MBE, Marissa Callaghan and Gerry Armstrong.

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum, said:

"I am delighted with the success of the Mayor's Cup. The young people embraced every aspect of the programme - from the football to the wellbeing workshops, and it was inspiring to see their confidence, friendships and sense of belonging grow over the three days.

The programme took place during Children's Mental Health Week, and we know how important it is to give young people safe spaces to explore resilience, teamwork and positive relationships. I want to thank all partners, coaches, volunteers and guests who delivered such a memorable and meaningful experience for the young people of our Borough."

Photo caption: Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum alongside L-R - Kelly Foster - Ark Housing, David Jeffrey MBE, Neil McIvor - Woven Housing, Marissa Callaghan MBE, Austin Kelly - Clanmil Housing, Taylor Long - Radius Housing , Gerry Armstrong, Philip Whyte - Woven and Karen Hicks - Ark Housing.