Ballymacash and 2025 IYC

On the 27th November, we found ourselves in Lisburn, at the heart of Ballymacash Sports Academy, a community co operative.
We heard about their bold plans: expanding their facilities, opening doors wider to the community of their Bluebell recovery room and community gym facility, and installing solar panels to cut electricity costs. But the vision goes beyond bills: it is about becoming a beacon of innovation, showing what is possible when a community decides to lead the way.
What struck me most was not just the bricks and football pitches, but the invisible work happening behind the scenes: building trust with local schools, weaving connections with other community groups, embedding volunteer teams throughout the whole enterprise, and nurturing relationships with everyone that make the Academy more than just a place to play.
In our conversations, we zoomed out from Lisburn to the bigger picture: the global co operative movement. This year, under the banner “Co operatives build a better world”, we are reminded that co ops aren’t just local initiatives. They are engines of sustainable development, inclusive growth, and resilience: three million strong across the globe.
Ballymacash Sports Academy is one of them. As a member owned and member run enterprise, it empowers people to achieve their aspirations collectively, while strengthening the social fabric of the community.
And if you ask them what drives their work, the answer is: “How can we do better for our members and the communities around us?”
That spirit, practical, hopeful, and deeply rooted in people, is what makes Ballymacash Sports Academy not just a sports co op, but a story of community in action.
In the photo, the newly elected Board of Directors with the very capable staff.