Transition, Evolution and Change in a Return to the “Old Normal”: An Evaluation of the Fresh Start Through Sport Programme 2021-22

In October 2021, Ulster University (UU) was commissioned by the Irish Football Association (IFA) on behalf of the Department for Communities to continue its evaluation of the Fresh Start Through Sport (FSTS) programme across the 2021-2022 period of delivery. This report builds upon the evaluation of the previous year’s pilot programme, and was supported by public agencies, community organisations, the Irish Football Association (IFA), and their sporting partners – the Belfast Giants, Ulster Rugby, and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Facilitators and organisers across these groups provided advice on the direction of the evaluation and participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. Young people that participated in the Fresh Start Through Sport programme also assisted the evaluation by sharing their experiences in focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The core research team consisted of Dr Brendan Coyle, Dr Conor Murray, Dr Gavin Breslin, Dr John Bell and Dr Philip McCready.

This report explores each core objective of the programme and research, highlights examples of good practice along with potential areas for improvement, and proposes a series of recommendations to feed into future iterations of the programme.