Looking back at the beginning of our Journeys programme as we cross the mid-way point, we are so proud of all of the young people who have taken part! youtu.be/HhUL4iGD1hY?si=K--M…

George Best would have turned 80 today ❤️ “When they remember me, I hope they remember the football.”

Have a look. What a result @boysmodelschool @81% best Secondary school A level results in N.Ireland AND coming in ahead of some of Belfast’s most prestigious Grammar schools. Well done staff, boys & parents 👏👏

Fascinating book by David Gallagher #Methodism #peacemaking . Especially interested in the role of Rev John Stewart, Woodvale Methodist & NILP in 1970’s discussions with UVF. Ahead of his time …

Springboard hosted a Good Relations roundtable at Queen’s University, uniting youth workers, academics, and young people to explore community cohesion, peacebuilding, and the impact of youth work across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. @SEUPB @Economy_NI @GovIE

We're delighted that so many young people were ready to progress into employment, education or training after completing a Springboard programme last year. springboard-opps.org/our-imp…

A final piece of advice from Holly Butcher - written the day before she passed away from cancer at just 27: “It’s a strange thing knowing you’re going to die young. At 26, I thought I had time… To fall in love. Start a family. Grow old. But cancer doesn’t care about plans. Now, I understand how fragile life really is. Every single day is a gift, not a guarantee. I’m not writing this to scare you. I’m writing to remind you: really live. Stop stressing over little things. Be kind to your body- move it, nourish it, stop criticizing it. One day you’ll wish you had appreciated it. Go outside. Look at the sky. Feel the sun. Just be. Spend less time chasing “stuff” - more time making memories. Don’t skip moments with people you love. Laugh more. Write a note. Tell someone you love them. Complain less. Give more. Helping others brings more joy than anything you can buy. Be present. Put your phone down. Show up - really show up. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need a perfect body, or a perfect life. Just follow what makes your heart light up. Say no to what drains you. Make changes when you need to. And please - donate blood. I wouldn’t have had that extra year without it. And that year gave me memories I’ll hold close… forever. Thank you for reading this. Live your life well. And maybe… we’ll meet again someday.” Holly 🩷 Repost & share Holly’s important advice. ❤️

Coming together to unpack ideas around culture and identity has led to a lot of personal reflection during sessions with the #ACCEPT programme. #culturalcompetence #PEACEPLUS @SEUPB

Let’s go Rory ⛳️

Young people at Springboard had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn to discuss the impact of the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement, 28 years on.

Last year we launched Peace Walls: An Impact Report Capturing Youth Voices at @UlsterUni From Belfast’s Cupar Way to Cyprus, 16 young people journeyed across divides, finding hope and common ground. Read more here: springboard-opps.org/publica…

Our 1st XI will host Bready at Ballygomartin Road in the first round of the Irish Senior Cup. Put it in your diary & let’s get a big crowd in! #WeAreWoodvale

🇾🇪 The Legendary Norman Whiteside Norman Whiteside grew up on the Shankill Road in Belfast during the height of The Troubles. At around seven years old he was already scoring ten goals in a single game against boys almost twice his age. The talent was there for all to see. He was spotted by Bob Bishop, the same legendary scout who had brought George Best and Sammy McIlroy to Old Trafford. United moved quickly. A few days before Whiteside was old enough to sign schoolboy terms with United, he was offered a trial at Liverpool, causing United's chief scout to fly over to Belfast to immediately offer him the schoolboy contract. But there was no need for panic. There was only ever going to be one outcome. What few people know is that when that call came through confirming United's interest, Norman was standing in the Oval Office in the US. One Monday he was at the Theatre of Dreams, and the next Monday he was in the Oval Office with President Jimmy Carter. He made his United debut in April 1982, still only 16, coming on as a second-half substitute for Mike Duxbury against Brighton, becoming the club's youngest first-team player since Duncan Edwards in 1953. A few days later he scored his first senior goal against Stoke City. Then, that same summer, came something even more extraordinary. At 17 years and 41 days, still not legally old enough to buy a drink from his local off-licence on the Shankill Road, he displaced Pelé as the youngest footballer ever to appear at a World Cup. The record still stands today. Back at Old Trafford that season, he didn't just survive at the highest level, he thrived. He missed only three of United's sixty games in 1982/83. In the League Cup final at Wembley, with millions watching, the 17-year-old beat Liverpool centre-half Alan Hansen to score, becoming the youngest scorer in that final's history. United fans started calling him the "Scourge of the Scousers." Then came the FA Cup final replay against Brighton, where he became the first player of any age to score in both domestic cup finals in the same season. He was 18. 1/3 #NormanWhiteside #MUFC #ManchesterUnited

🇾🇪 Happy heavenly Birthday to Jackie Blanchflower, born today in 1933 🧵 John "Jackie" Blanchflower left Belfast as a 16-year-old in May 1949, signing for Manchester United from the Belfast junior club Boyland. He had briefly been on the books at Glentoran before making the journey across to Manchester, a young lad from Northern Ireland arriving at a club that was quietly building something extraordinary. His first appearance in a professional game came on 24th November 1951 against Liverpool, away at Anfield. By 1953–54 he had become a real fixture in the side, playing 27 out of 42 league games and scoring 13 goals as an inside-forward. Nicknamed "Twiggy" by his teammates, he was renowned for his versatility. Possessing a good touch with both feet, his only real deficiency was a lack of pace, but what he had in abundance was football intelligence. He began as a left-half, switched to forward when Duncan Edwards took that position, and then Matt Busby recognised his reading of the game and aerial ability and moved him to centre-half. A player that could comfortably play in four different positions, was rare then and it is now. He scored 27 goals during his time at the club, most of them during his time as a forward, and helped the club win the league title in 1956. Then came the 1957 FA Cup final at Wembley. After just eight minutes, United's goalkeeper Ray Wood left the field with a fractured cheekbone following a clash with Aston Villa's Peter McParland. With no substitutes permitted, Blanchflower pulled on the goalkeeper's jersey in front of 100,000 people. He did everything he could, but United lost 2–1, both goals scored by the very man who had put Wood out of the game. There was something else that doesn't get talked about enough. It was actually Jackie Blanchflower who recommended Harry Gregg to Matt Busby, the signing that brought one of United's greatest ever goalkeepers to Old Trafford in December 1957. Jackie had a good eye for talent as well as everything else. He was a key player in Northern Ireland's successful 1958 World Cup qualifying campaign. A place at the World Cup in Sweden, the first time Northern Ireland had ever qualified was waiting for him. Then came February 6th, 1958. Jackie Blanchflower was seated towards the rear of the plane in a card school with teammates Ray Wood and Liam Whelan. When the plane crashed, he suffered a fractured pelvis, crushed kidneys, multiple fractures to his arms and legs, and a nearly severed right arm. 1/2 #MUFC #Blanchflower #ManchesterUnited

📣 Our final Attendance Matters consultation events take place next week. Have your say on pupil absence and help shape the draft Attendance Matters Strategy. 👉 Register to attend: education-ni.gov.uk/articles…

Sweden is committing more than €100 million to a sweeping classroom overhaul: replacing tablets and screens with traditional printed textbooks to help reverse falling student performance and sharpen focus. After more than a decade of embracing digital-first education, Swedish authorities are now pivoting back to paper-based learning. Official data and recent studies cited by the Ministry of Education show that prolonged screen use in class has been linked to shorter attention spans, weaker reading comprehension, and reduced critical-thinking abilities. Research consistently finds that reading on illuminated screens requires greater mental effort and invites more distractions compared to the calm, linear experience of physical books—factors believed to have contributed to declining academic outcomes in recent years. Under the new plan, every student will receive printed textbooks for all core subjects, restoring books as the central learning tool. Digital devices and online resources will remain available as supportive tools, but they will no longer dominate daily instruction. This bold €100 million investment signals Sweden’s leadership in rethinking the role of technology in education. It underscores a broader, growing recognition worldwide: while screens provide speed and access, the hands-on, distraction-free engagement of physical books supports deeper concentration, stronger memory retention, and more effective long-term learning. By choosing paper over pixels, Sweden is charting a path toward a more balanced, evidence-informed classroom future—one that puts proven pedagogical principles ahead of unchecked digital trends.

Wow, 1st intimation of a coming season #camellia #Spring

facebook.com/share/1AWpQtRaj… … for the day that’s in it #11 (by any other name😞)….

Missed beyond measure 😞