Sun, Fun & Community Spirit: Highlights from our Summer Event

A group of local children out having a great time participating in the activities. Wait… Is that Spider-Man?

A Special Thank You!

We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who contributed towards making this event exceptional - to include: The Calf Lane Kitchen, Coleraine Castles, Norman Dougherty, The Causeway Giants, The Army Reserve, Dave our Archery Instructor, our amazing volunteers and Lynas Food Outlet in Coleraine.

Event Highlights

On Sunday, July 20th, we held our annual Summer Event - and we were thrilled to have had a beautiful summer day, despite the weather forecast predicting otherwise... The smiles and laughter shared by both children and adults - alongside the lively energy that filled the air - served as clear indicators, for us, of the events success.

Our Annual Events Team is dedicated to creating exceptional and family-friendly days that overflow with a wide variety of fun activities for the residents of the communities that we serve. We sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed the event and - above all - found it fun.

We look forward to welcoming you all back to our next event…

( Click on any thumbnail in the gallery below to view or download the full image. )

It was a pleasure collaborating with the Causeway Giants and the Army Reserves, and we’re excited to share this experience with you. In the section below, we’ll feature insights from both organisations and also highlight some further memorable moments from the event.

The Causeway Giants

Written By Devon Murphy Jones from Causeway Giants American Football Team

A Quick Recap of Our Visit

Some of the Causeway Giants showed up on Sunday to Focus on Family’s Summer Event. First up was a tackling warm-up challenge with the best in session winning spot prizes. Then the guys enjoyed meeting and greeting kids in attendance and even had a face off with the Army while there. After this, the youth of Ballysally showed their catching prowess with some impressive catches. Great day was had by all and the guys discussed plans to hold a follow up session some time soon. The day was finished up with a cheeky refreshment and thanked the organisers for the invitation along to this very worthwhile event.

Giant vs Soldier - The Ultimate Showdown!

Who won? You decide….

Guardians of the Cornfield!

The Causeway Giants were a great hit with the children, and the challenges that they organised truly inspired many of the local kids. Building on this momentum, we’d like to draw focus to their new partnership with the County Antrim Stags, with specific emphasis on the launch of their new youth team.

See below -

We’re proud to announce a youth partnership between the Causeway Giants and the County Antrim Stags to develop an exciting new youth American football team in County Antrim! Open to ages 15–18 — this is your chance to get involved, build skills, and be part of something special. Get in touch with us through our Facebook page to register your child’s interest, we can’t wait to see the next generation take the field!

The Army Reserves

Written by Sgt Kerry Steele from The Army Reserves

Vehicle Display & Young Recruit Benefits

Many thanks for having us at your event. It was great getting to meet some of the people from the local community and give them an idea of some of the things that we get up to at the weekends. The two vehicles that we had with us today, were the Close Support Tanker (the larger of the two vehicles) and the Support Vehicle (the smaller one).

Pte Phillips joined the regiment at 18 years old whilst he was a student at the NRC. Since joining the Army Reserves just over a year ago he has passed his car test and ADR (Hazardous Good Licence) and is now getting paid to learn to drive a lorry. He was also able to use his experiences in the Army Reserves to help him gain full time employment in a local manufacturing company.

Minimum commitment is 27 Days per year…
Annual Tax Free Bonus
Reserve Pension
Paid to Play Sports

SGT Kerry Steel and one of her team, stood beside the colossal Close Support Tanker.

The Army Reserves garnered significant attention as they arrived on Sunday, and understandably so - the Close Support Tanker along with the Support Vehicle are impressive sights. Kerry and her team were outstanding, actively engaging with families throughout the event. The children were thrilled to get trying on the various hats and armour, and we noticed that it wasn’t just the kids who were eager to climb aboard… It was wonderful seeing so many adults enthusiastically participating, exploring the vehicles, and taking photos to capture the moment. They also brought with them sweets for the kids, which was a lovely gesture.

Thank You for Everything!

We’re delighted to announce the continuation of our collaborative work with The Causeway Giants and The Army Reserves. Collaborative efforts like this exemplify the power of teamwork between non-profit organisations and their community partners. These partnerships help to foster stronger, more connected communities and they enable us to expand our reach, achieve greater impact and serve the needs of our service users more effectively. Collaborative partnerships are mutually beneficial - partnering with a non-profit offers many advantages for organisations and these include: strengthening community impact, enhancing brand reputation and demonstrating social responsibility. These collaborations foster mutual growth, improve public perception and highlight the commitment - for all involved - to generate positive societal differences.

Watch this Space!

We’ll keep you informed of any further developments in our announcements.

If you have any photos that you’d like to share of the event, featuring The Causeway Giants, The Army Reserves or just from the event itself - please share with us by tagging Focus on Family or simply add #fof to the caption when uploading on social media platforms.

Let’s Work Together!

If you are interested in exploring a collaborative project or partnership with us CLICK HERE!

Ending on a Positive Note

Here are some more videos from the event on Sunday! Enjoy!!

A Truly Fantastic Day

We look forward to seeing all of you at our next event! Thanks for coming!