Belfast Giants and Belfast Harbour Renew Community-Focused Partnership for 2025/26 Season
The Belfast Giants’ Healthy Lifestyle Programme has received a boost with Belfast Harbour confirming that it will renew its commitment as the club’s official community outreach partner in a collaboration dedicated to enhancing health and wellbeing opportunities for children and young people across Belfast.
Working in partnership for the fourth consecutive season, the renewed partnership will centre around the delivery of the ever-growing Healthy Lifestyle Programme. Established in 2005, the initiative is designed to encourage children and young people to make conscious decisions around their lifestyle choices. Delivered by Belfast Giants’ defenceman Josh Roach, the programme promotes the importance of looking after both physical and mental wellbeing, managing stress, maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting sufficient sleep.
Laura Small, Relationship and Business Development Manager at The Odyssey Trust, said: “We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with Belfast Harbour to deliver the Healthy Lifestyle Programme. As a club, we’re passionate about using the power of sport to make a positive impact, and this initiative allows us to engage directly with young people across the city, encouraging them to stay active, eat well, and look after their wellbeing.”
Building on the success of previous seasons, the extended partnership will allow the Giants and Belfast Harbour to reach more pupils across the Greater Belfast area, with the programme having been delivered to 5,638 pupils across 93 schools during the 2024/25 season. Over the last 20 years since the programme’s inception, thousands of students have benefited from the community-focused initiative, making health and fitness education engaging and accessible for young people at a crucial stage of their development.
Jenni Barkley, Community Engagement Manager at Belfast Harbour, commented: “At Belfast Harbour, we’re committed to advancing regional prosperity , but we are also committed to building a thriving and inclusive society. We are invested in delivering programmes that make a real difference to the health, wellbeing, and future of young people across Northern Ireland.
“We are delighted to once again partner with the Belfast Giants in the continued delivery of their Healthy Lifestyle Programme. Josh’s delivery of the programme makes it really relatable for young people helping equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead healthier, happier lives and to reach their full potential.”
There’s still time for schools to register for the 2025/26 delivery of the Healthy Lifestyle Programme, which is open to all primary schools in the Greater Belfast area. For more information or to sign up, please contact schools@belfastgiants.com.