Little Rays Nursery Provide Youth Academy Training Kit

The partnership, which will run until 2021, provides the athletes and coaches in the Youth Academy programme with training kit, sponsored by Little Rays Nursery. We hope that this will strengthen the Youth Academy initiative and create more visibility for the athletes and the programme.

Catherine Ashford, the Events & Commercial Manager stated: “We are looking forward to working with Little Rays Nursery in the coming years as we strive for success. We are delighted to be able to provide our Youth Academy athletes with much needed training and warm up kit.”

Little Rays Nursery was established in 1993 and has bases in Lisburn, Moira and Ballymena. The family-run business cares for over 400 children and is owned by Coach and former Northern Ireland Long Jump Record Holder, Michelle Rea.

Launched in September 2014 by Laura Kerr (Coach Development Lead) and Tom Reynolds (Athlete Development Lead), the Athletics Northern Ireland Youth Academy supports 40 of Northern Ireland’s most talented young athletes (aged 15-21 years old) and their coaches through athletic development sessions, education and camps. The Academy creates the opportunity for these athletes to train and learn together on a weekly basis.

Laura Kerr said: "We aim to raise the profile of athletics in Northern Ireland and raise the potential of young athletes and their coaches by equipping them with the physical skills, mind-set and performance behaviours to reach their full potential.  In doing so we believe we will create a collective of junior athletes who will become successful seniors representing Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games and Great Britain or Ireland at major championships. We are very appreciative of the recent kit sponsorship and delighted to have partnered with a local company."