An Olympic-inspired mental health programme is helping students build resilience and confidence through sport.
Devenish College in Fermanagh is taking part in Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good mental health athlete mentorship scheme, run in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust.
The programme, now supporting 24 post-primary schools for the 2025/2026 academic year, brings some of Northern Ireland’s top athletes directly into the classroom to deliver mental health workshops and sports mentorship.
Devenish College will take part in Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good programme for the 2025/26 academic year, joining 23 other schools (Image: Youth Sport Trust)
Athlete mentors, including Olympic steeplechase runner Kerry O’Flaherty, four-time Paralympic champion Michael McKillop MBE, Olympic hockey player Shirley McCay MBE, and Commonwealth athlete Ciaran Chambers, lead sessions to help students manage stress, build self-esteem, and develop resilience.
Gordon Cruikshanks, regional managing director at Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “Through our Sport for Good programme, we are proud to invest in the future of our young people.
“By partnering with the Youth Sport Trust and bringing some of Northern Ireland’s most inspiring sporting heroes like Kerry O’Flaherty directly into classrooms, we want to show pupils how physical activity can support their well-being.
“We’re delighted to support another 24 schools this year, equipping them with both the mental tools and the physical sports equipment they need to thrive.”
Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good programme this year.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful sport can be not just for physical fitness, but as a vital tool for mental resilience and well-being.”
Each participating school also receives £1,000 in new sports equipment to support ongoing physical activity.
The Sport for Good programme, established in 2019, has supported nearly 200 schools and sports clubs across Northern Ireland and delivered more than £400,000 in funding to date.
