Mary Peters Trust funding initiative helps Lisburn athlete Hannah progress her coaching career

Set up by the Trust and the family of David Magill, who passed away in November 2021 aged 86, the coaching initiative aims to help young athletes take up coaching courses relevant to their chosen sport.

During his lifetime David had made a huge contribution and impact within the worlds of sport, business, local community, and volunteering. David was an all-round sports person, excelling in pole-vaulting and winning the Irish Youth Championship in 1954.

His widow Joan, daughters Joanne and Denise and the wider family wanted to establish the David Magill Coaching Awards programme as a tribute to a much-loved husband, dad and grandfather.

Lady Mary Peters said: “At the Mary Peters Trust we are constantly seeking new approaches and different initiatives to help local athletes strive to compete with the best in the world.

"We are very much indebted to the Magill family and wholeheartedly thank them for their financial endowment and their work in establishing these new coaching awards.

“It has been wonderful to meet our cohort of 15 athletes drawn from disability sport, badminton, athletics, gymnastics and netball and we wish them all well as they embark on their various coaching courses.

"We look forward to hearing how their new qualifications help them develop in their specific sports and how as new coaches they can support athletes of the future to fast-track towards success.”