Name: James McGeough 
Age: 19
From: Newtownbutler 

Hobbies and Interests: GAA, basketball and boxing 

What are your hopes for your future?
At the moment, I’m studying an NVQ Level 3 Electrical Qualification, so in the near future I’m hoping to finish this course. After that I am hoping to move away from home, to America or maybe even Canada, as those countries have always seemed very appealing to me. 

How did you get involved in the Uniting Erne East programme? 
A few of my friends have been involved in the programme for quite some time, and they encouraged me to come along. It sounded like a good programme so I thought I would give it a try and I’ve been part of the programme since September 2017.

What were you doing in your local area before being involved in this programme? 
Before I joined the programme, my participation in my local area was quite limited apart from playing football for my local team and helping out with a few other local activities. That immediately changed when I joined the Uniting Erne East programme, as I now help with various different activities that help unite young people from different backgrounds on a weekly basis. 

What does being a United Champion mean to you? 
Being a United Champion means a lot to me, as it gives me opportunities to take part in amazing events to help out local charities and communities, such as The Aisling Centre in Enniskillen. We recently held a Family Fun Day in aid of the Aisling Centre and we raised over £400 for the youth services that they provide.

What benefits do you think the programme has for the Erne East area?
I believe the programme has brought many benefits to the Erne East area. Firstly, it has brought together the group of United Champions who have been completing valuable leadership training and development and I have made some very close-knit friendships within this group. Along with this, the programme has helped to bring together groups of children that come from different backgrounds and communities. For example, at the minute the group is running an 11 to 16 year old programme which is uniting children that attend different schools and youth groups. Along with this we recently ran a Multi-Cultural event in Lisnaskea Library to help promote different cultures within our local community and beyond.

Did you have any pre-conceptions about people from different backgrounds before you became a United Champion?
Honestly, I’d have to admit that I did have some pre-conceptions about people from different backgrounds when I was young, but I feel that as I’ve got older I have grown out of these prejudices and joining the group has really helped me to put these pre-conceived ideas behind me. 

What are your hopes for the future of the Erne East area? 
My hopes for the area going into the future is that the Uniting Erne East group can stay together and keep up the good work that they’ve been doing since they formed, and that in the future a person’s background will have no bearing on someone’s opinion of them. 

What would be your key message for good relations? 
I think one of the main things to remember in promoting good relations is to never judge a book by its cover. A person’s personality is what really matters and not their background.

The United Champions are a steering group of 16-24 year olds from the Erne East area of Fermanagh who are spreading positive good relations messages through sports and creative activity and are working towards becoming the next generation of community leaders.