A school in Lisnaskea is among 24 schools to join a sports mental health programme by Lidl Northern Ireland.

St Kevin’s College secured its place in the Sport for Good initiative for the 2023/2024 academic year.

The programme aims to benefit more than 1,000 pupils across the region through dedicated mental health workshops and £1,000 worth of brand-new sports equipment for each participating school.

A team of Northern Ireland athletes, including Olympic hockey stars Shirley McCay MBE and Eugene Magee, four-time Paralympics athletics champion Michael McKillop MBE and Ireland badminton athlete, Ciaran Chambers will conduct the school workshops.

Ms McCay said: “I’m hugely proud to be a mentor for Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good programme for another great year.

"The Mental Health Athlete Mentorship programme has already made a real impact on thousands of students here in Northern Ireland, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to build resilience, self-esteem and better manage stress.

"Sport in general plays such an important role in empowering young adults to better manage their overall mental health, which is more important than ever."

The Sport for Good Mental Health Athlete Mentorship programme, which was developed in partnership with Youth Sport Trust, was launched in 2021 after research revealed that Northern Ireland has 25 per cent higher rates of anxiety and depression in the child and youth population compared to other UK nations.

Ivan Ryan, regional managing director for Lidl Northern Ireland said: "Feedback from schools and pupils that have benefitted from the mental health athlete mentorship programme is incredibly positive and it’s heartening to see the transformative impact that this bespoke initiative is having at a local level.

"I’m delighted to see a new squad of secondary schools secure their spot on this year’s programme and I’d like to thank every shopper that took the time to vote for their school."

Survey feedback from the 2022/23 programme showed that 81 per cent of participants felt that the Sport for Good programme boosted their overall confidence and 100 per cent of teachers reported that the programme helped improve their competence and confidence in their role.

Ali Oliver, chief executive officer of Youth Sport Trust said: "Experience has shown the huge positive impact our athlete mentors can have on the young people they work with, and we are looking forward to bringing this dynamic programme into the selected schools and following the progress of the students over the months ahead."