Squash Ireland’s ambitious Northern Ireland club development plan

Squash Ireland has outlined ambitious club development targets in the project plan submitted to Sport Northern Ireland:

Club Development

Continue to aid and influence the growth of each of our existing clubs through individual club development planning support and the production of a published club development plan for 2025/26.

Expand upon the regional initiatives that have taken place to establish one newly formed club within NI by 2026.

“Our club development offering will have a major focus on increasing participation amongst some of our most underrepresented groups, including:

• Women and girls – Through our HIIT Squash, Disco Squash and Squash social programmes;
• LGBTQ+ – Through our In4Squash club support programme;
• International students – Through our development of the existing university clubs and new club start-ups.”

Program Development and Delivery

Increase the opportunity to access and participate in squash initiatives throughout Northern Ireland via the delivery of the brand new programmes across squash – Come & Try sessions (x3), 1-Wall Squash (x3) and Disco Squash for Teen Girls (x2).

Use the addition of these new programmes to provide a pathway into club membership, targeting a five per cent increase in club members by 2026.

“Our programme delivery project will target and impact new participants in our more rural communities within Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh.

“We will double our programme delivery from last year in relation to our disability squash offering across three separate regions of Northern Ireland (Belfast, Derry and Lisburn).

“Our involvement at the QUB PEC summer camp exposed children of all backgrounds to the sport of squash and promoted the sport within the local area.

“We will deliver three growth and retention initiatives across three of Northern Ireland’s most socially deprived areas.”