MSCNI MSCNI

🌍⚽ CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT THROUGH SPORT, CULTURE & GOOD RELATIONS 🤝🏾

What a fantastic day of sport, diversity and community connection as MSCNI marked the International Day for People of African Descent by bringing together people from different backgrounds and generations.

🏆 We hosted a special Novelty Match between our MSCNI Super League 2026 Champions, Yaqeen FC, and the 2025 champions, Northern Ireland Veterans Soccer Team Initiative (NI Vet). Yaqeen FC continued their impressive form and maintained their winning record.

🇿🇼 The day also featured the Windrush Legacy Cup, funded by the Home Office, with Zimbabwe NI taking on a Windrush Team made up of players representing different Commonwealth nations. Congratulations to Zimbabwe NI 🇿🇼, our Windrush Legacy Cup Champions! 🏆👏🏾

🇮🇳 We also celebrated our young people, with India NI Youths 🇮🇳 winning the Junior Super League, supported by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Congratulations to the young players for an outstanding achievement! 🏆⚽

Beyond the football, participants took part in an important Good Relations Workshop delivered by Brian Armstrong, creating space for conversations around respect, understanding, inclusion and building stronger relationships across our communities.
Today demonstrated exactly what MSCNI stands for: using sport and culture as powerful tools to bring people together, challenge barriers and create a stronger sense of belonging.

A huge thank you to all the players, coaches, young people, families, volunteers, partners and supporters who made the day possible.

💬 We don’t encourage competition, we encourage participation.

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🪇🪘🪊🎸🪘🪘🪇💃🏾🎙️
Welcome To African
Celebrating Heritage, Building Inclusion
We are delighted to reflect on the success of the African Cultural Festival 2026, organised by Multi-Ethnic Sports & Cultures NI (MSCNI) in celebration of the International Day for People of African Descent.

The festival brought together participants, community leaders, public representatives and organisations from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to celebrate African heritage while promoting intercultural dialogue, inclusion and positive community relations.

The programme featured:

🎙️Youth and Leadership Panel Discussions

💃🏾Cultural performances

🪘African music and drumming

🪇Art and cultural showcases

💃🏾Traditional attire parade

Intercultural networking and dinner

The event highlighted the important contribution of people of African descent to society and reinforced the value of creating spaces where communities can learn from one another and build lasting relationships.
Our sincere thanks go to every participant, volunteer, performer, partner organisation and guest who contributed to the success of the evening.

The festival forms part of the Intercultural Cross-Border Inclusion Programme (ICIP), delivered in partnership with the North West Migrants Forum (Lead Partner), Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), Donegal Intercultural Platform (DIP) and Rural Community Network (RCN)

We also acknowledge PEACEPLUS, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and supported by the European Union, the UK Government, the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive, for investing in programmes that strengthen inclusion, community cohesion and cross-border collaboration.

Together, we continue to build stronger, more connected communities through culture, dialogue and shared experiences.

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🏆⚽ WINDRUSH LEGACY CUP & COMMONWEALTH YOUTH & ADULT MATCHES 2026 ⚽🏆

Get ready for an exciting day of football, culture, community and celebration as Multi-Ethnic Sports & Cultures NI (MSCNI) brings communities together for the Windrush Legacy Cup & Commonwealth Matches, in celebration of the International Day for People of African Descent. 🌍🤝
👉🏽Sunday, 30th August 2026
⏰ 12:00pm – 6:00pm
📍 Coláiste Feirste, Belfast
🔥 FEATURED NOVELTY MATCH – 12PM
🏆 Yaqeen FC – MSCNI Super League Champions 2026
🆚
🏆 Northern Ireland Veterans Soccer Team Initiative – MSCNI Super League Champions 2025
The celebrations will continue with the Windrush Legacy Cup and Commonwealth friendly matches, bringing together players from different Commonwealth backgrounds and communities. 🌎⚽
✨ WHAT TO EXPECT
⚽ Competitive & Friendly Football Matches
🤝 Cultural Unity & Community Connections
👥 Youth & Adult Engagement

This is more than football. It is an opportunity to celebrate our shared heritage, recognise the Windrush legacy, strengthen friendships across communities and use sport to promote inclusion and belonging.
🌍 Uniting Cultures. Celebrating Heritage. Building Futures.
🙏 This event is part-funded by the Home Office.

Bring your family, friends and community along and join us for a fantastic day of sport, culture and celebration!

🚨 OFFICIAL MSCNI IMPERSONATION ALERT 🚨

Multi-Ethnic Sports & Cultures NI (MSCNI) wishes to alert our members, partners, community organisations and the wider public to fraudulent emails currently being circulated by an individual impersonating our Founder/CEO, Jahswill Emmanuel BEM.

We have been made aware that emails are being sent using Jahswill's name and identity, including from the following unauthorised email address:

📧 [email protected]

⚠️ This email address does NOT belong to Jahswill Emmanuel BEM or MSCNI, and the communications being sent from it have NOT been authorised by either Jahswill or MSCNI.
We strongly advise anyone receiving suspicious or unexpected communications claiming to be from Jahswill or representing MSCNI to:
❌ Do not reply to the message
❌ Do not click links or open attachments
❌ Do not provide personal, financial or organisational information
❌ Do not make payments, transfers or purchases requested through such messages
✅ Retain the original email and take screenshots as evidence
✅ Contact MSCNI through our recognised communication channels to verify any request
If you have received an email from this address, or another suspicious address using Jahswill's name, please let us know as soon as possible.

The matter is being taken seriously, and appropriate steps are being taken to document and report the impersonation to the relevant authorities.
We kindly ask our community partners and organisations to share this notice with their staff, trustees, members and networks to help protect others from potential fraud.

Thank you to everyone who has already brought these fraudulent communications to our attention and for your continued vigilance.

Multi-Ethnic Sports & Cultures NI (MSCNI)
Official Notice – 26 August 2026

MSCNI was delighted to attend The Legendary Queen of Jhansi – Rani Lakshmibai, a wonderful cultural and heritage event in celebrating India's 🇮🇳 80th Independence Day Anniversary organised by ImageNation NI at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Titanic Quarter, Belfast.🇮🇳

It was a fantastic afternoon filled with great cultural performances, history, storytelling and community connections, celebrating the remarkable courage and legacy of Rani Lakshmibai while showcasing the richness of Indian culture and heritage.

Our CEO, Jahswill Emmanuel BEM, was pleased to meet and engage with Ms Kiran Khatri, IFS, at the Consul General’s Desk; Caroline Keenan, Honorary Consul of New Zealand; Mukesh Sharma OBE DL; members of the ImageNation NI Board of Trustees; and many other community leaders and guests.

At MSCNI, we believe cultural celebrations like this play an important role in bringing communities together. They provide opportunities for people from different backgrounds to learn about one another, celebrate our diverse identities, build friendships and strengthen good relations across Northern Ireland.

A huge congratulations to Sanjay Ghosh and the entire ImageNation NI team, their Board of Trustees, volunteers, performers, partners and supporters for delivering such a colourful and meaningful event.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside organisations and communities that share our commitment to building a more inclusive, welcoming and united Northern Ireland where every culture is valued and celebrated. 🌍🤝
👏 Well done, ImageNation NI, on a fantastic celebration!🇮🇳

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⚽🔥 AND WE'RE OFF! – JUNIOR SUPER LEAGUE 2026 🌍🤝
Yesterday at Coláiste Feirste, our young people kicked off the first week of the 4-week MSCNI Junior Super League Football Tournament!
More than football, this programme is about bringing young people from different communities together to:
🤝 Build friendships
🌍 Celebrate diversity
⚽ Develop teamwork
💪 Grow in confidence
❤️ Promote respect and inclusion
🗣️ Strengthen Good Relations
A massive thank you to our amazing volunteers, coaches, referees, parents and young people for making Week 1 a success. 👏
Special thanks to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for funding the programme through the Community Cohesion Fund.

⚽ Different backgrounds. One pitch. One community.
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🎬🍿 A FANTASTIC CINEMA EXPERIENCE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE! 🌍🤝

Yesterday, we had a brilliant time at ODEON Belfast, where around 100 young people came together to enjoy a special cinema outing and watch the new Spider-Man movie! 🕷️🎥

This activity formed part of our MSCNI Junior Super League & Youth Community Cohesion Programme 2026 and provided another opportunity to bring young people from different cultural and community backgrounds together outside the football pitch.
Community cohesion is also about creating opportunities for young people to share experiences, make new friendships, have fun together and develop a sense of belonging. For some of the children and families involved, opportunities like this may not always be easily accessible.

A massive THANK YOU to our wonderful MSCNI volunteers who gave their time to support, supervise and ensure everyone had a safe and enjoyable experience. 👏❤️

We are also extremely grateful to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for funding this programme through the Community Cohesion Fund. Your support is helping us create safe, shared and inclusive opportunities where young people can connect across cultures and communities.

⚽🎬🌍 Beyond the pitch, we are building friendships, inclusion and stronger communities.

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Creating opportunities beyond the football pitch – MSCNI Young People Visit BBC Northern Ireland🎥🎙️

We were delighted to provide our young people with an inspiring visit to BBC Northern Ireland as part of MSCNI’s Junior Super League & Community Cohesion Programme.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to experience broadcasting behind the scenes, understand how television, radio and digital content are produced, and learn about the range of careers and pathways available within the media industry.

At MSCNI, we believe community cohesion is strengthened when young people from different cultural and community backgrounds have opportunities not only to play together, but also to learn together, experience new environments and develop aspirations for their futures.

We are extremely grateful to our facilitator Siobhan Brown, volunteers and the BBC crew for their warm welcome, hospitality and commitment to making the visit engaging and meaningful for our young people.

A special thank you also goes to our dedicated MSCNI volunteers, whose commitment and support continue to make these opportunities possible.

Finally, we acknowledge the invaluable support of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) for funding our Junior Super League & Community Cohesion Programme. Their support enables us to combine sport with education, good relations and shared experiences that encourage integration, confidence and positive relationships among young people from diverse backgrounds.

From the football pitch to the BBC studios, our aim remains the same: to empower young people, widen their horizons and help build a more connected, inclusive and united society.

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⚽❤️ More Than a Game. More Than a Festival.
Sportsmania Fest 2026, the Change Cup and the MSCNI Super League brought together hundreds of people from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to celebrate football, culture and community.

Following recent unrest, these events showed what's possible when people choose unity over division.
🌍 New friendships
🤝 Greater understanding
⚽ Respect and fair play
🎭 Cultural celebration
💙 Stronger communities
Our participants told us they left feeling welcomed, included and inspired, while guests praised the power of sport and culture to bring people together.

A huge thank you to our volunteers, partners, performers, community leaders and everyone who made this possible.
Delivered through the Intercultural Cross-Border Inclusion Programme (ICIP) and funded through PEACEPLUS, managed by SEUPB.

Together, we're building a more inclusive future, one game, one conversation and one community at a time.

FootballForAll Community

💙 TO THE HEARTBEAT OF SPORTSMANIA FEST 2026 – OUR INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS 💙🙏🏽

As we reflect on the incredible success of Sportsmania Fest 2026, the Change Cup, and the MSCNI Super League, one thing is abundantly clear:
None of this would have been possible without our amazing volunteers.
To every volunteer who gave up their time, energy, skills and passion, thank you.

From the early morning set-up to the final clean-up, from welcoming guests and registering participants to coordinating football matches, serving food, supporting performers, assisting families, managing logistics and working tirelessly behind the scenes, you gave your very best.

You didn't just volunteer, you served with compassion, professionalism and dedication. Your smiles, patience and willingness to go the extra mile created an atmosphere where everyone felt welcomed, valued and included.

You are the unsung heroes behind an event that brought together hundreds of people from many cultures and communities across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Through your selfless efforts, we celebrated not only football, but also friendship, respect, diversity and unity.
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to our community organisations, ethnic minority groups, sports clubs, coaches, managers, referees, performers, musicians, community leaders and every participant who contributed to making these events such a memorable success. Your collaboration and commitment continue to demonstrate the power of partnership in building stronger, more connected communities.

A special thank you goes to our ICIP Programme partners:

🤝 North West Migrants Forum (Lead Partner)
🤝 Multi-Ethnic Sports & Cultures NI (MSCNI)
🤝 Irish Network Against Racism (INAR)
🤝 Donegal Intercultural Platform (DIP)
🤝 Rural Community Network (RCN)

Together, we are creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds to meet, build friendships and celebrate our shared future through sport and culture.

Finally, we extend our deepest gratitude to PEACEPLUS, funded by the European Union, the UK Government, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive, and managed by