![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
DC14-445 September 23, 2014
Irish rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll explores positive role played by sport in Belfast Brian O'Driscoll is to feature in a powerful new BT Sport film which examines the impact sport is having in tackling social deprivation across Belfast. Brian O'Driscoll's True Champions takes the Irish rugby legend on an emotive personal journey where he witnesses the work of Active Communities Network, a youth and community development charity through which he comes to appreciate the power of mentors for those less fortunate than himself.
The film highlights how BT Sport customers, by signing up to The Supporters Club, are helping to build a better world through sport. Active Communities Network recently received a substantial grant from The Supporters Club, enabling them to deliver a sports-based employability project to 300 young people across North and West Belfast.
Brian O'Driscoll's True Champions, the latest in the BT Sport Films strand which tells compelling stories within sport and wider society, premieres on Monday October 13, at 9.30pm on BT Sport 1. O'Driscoll spends time in Belfast to experience first-hand the support offered by Active Communities Network and discovers how they are using sporting projects to help young people into employment
and training.
Active Communities Network's mission is to tackle poverty and social deprivation at the heart of neighbourhoods across the UK using sport and cultural programmes.
O'Driscoll encounters the impactful individual stories of two Belfast locals who have used sport to overcome challenges in their lives. He meets Jim Donnelly who is Active Communities Network's head of Programmes in Northern Ireland.
O'Driscoll also meets 20-year-old Fionnuala, an inspirational young woman from Ballymurphy who has come through Active Communities Network programmes and now trains young people to be sports coaches herself.
O'Driscoll, who retired from rugby at the end of last season, reflects on his own circumstances growing up -- and comes to further appreciate the power and influence of the mentors who are so crucial in the work of Active Communities Network.
Brian O'Driscoll's True Champions also takes O'Driscoll back to the rugby pitch with a touch rugby session with Ulster Rugby Club, who themselves work with Active Communities Network, with youngsters from across North and West Belfast with O'Driscoll hearing their individual stories before giving them a very special master class in the finer points of rugby.
O'Driscoll said: This film has taken me on an incredibly revealing journey. Throughout my playing career I have witnessed the impact that sport can have on the world. Meeting the inspiring kids and project workers involved in Active Communities Network has taken that appreciation up a notch. Thanks to BT Sport's The Supporters Club they will be able to do even more across Belfast and I am privileged to have seen and listened to these youngsters' hopes, challenges and aspirations.
Fionnuala Conlon, Sports Development intern Belfast, Active Communities Network, said: I grew up, and still live in, West Belfast and it can be easy for kids to go down the wrong path as there can be a lot of negative distractions. My Daddy was a positive role model when he used to do sports with me when I was growing up and the Active Communities Network staff have been the same since.
Sport and the accreditations offered to me gave me the confidence and drive to be where I am today and led me to believe in myself more, grow as a person, all while showcasing my skills to employers. It was fantastic to meet Brian O'Driscoll and to show him our community here. He was very interested in the work we do, the issues that young people face, how the programme uses sport to get young people interested and how it provides them with skills which can be used throughout their lives.
Jim Donnelly, head of Programmes NI, Active Communities Network, said: We started off delivering a small programme working in Ballymurphy and Whiterock, and we were getting some really strong outcomes in relation to young people's life skills development. The Supporters Club funding has allowed us to expand our reach into a wider area taking in North and West Belfast.
Our work, thanks to the viewers of BT Sport through The Supporters Club, has allowed us to build bridges between young people and the business community, plug the skills gaps and help young people into employment which ultimately not only benefits the individual themselves but the wider community.
Having a legend such as Brian O'Driscoll come down to visit us, our young people and to see our local communities was inspiring not only for the young people but for ourselves as seasoned community workers.
Brian O'Driscoll's True Champions is the eighth film produced by BT Sport Films to showcase the work of The Supporters Club following the August broadcast of Supporters United, where former Celtic and Everton defender Alan Stubbs travelled to Glasgow to meet with young cancer patients who have benefited from the work of the young person's cancer charity, Clic Sargent.
The Supporters Club has raised more than £3 million from BT Sport customers and BT since launching in June 2013. This has so far been used to fund 18 sport-inspired community projects ten in the UK and eight overseas, with over 89,000 people now signed up to the initiative. To donate, BT Sport customers can simply add £1, £3 or £5 to their monthly bill.*
Notes to editors
* The Supporters Club fund is managed by Comic Relief, registered charity No. 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
About The Supporters Club
The Supporters Club aims to build a better world by bringing people together through sport
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...