Who are we?
Formed in 2023, we are the only handball club in the North Coast of Ireland. We are proud to bring the sport of handball to the North Coast since forming in 2023, an area where there is no existing tradition of the game. Despite these challenges, we have successfully grown a strong membership of 40+ adults who come together twice weekly for social handball sessions.
Our group is cross-community, reflecting the inclusive nature of the sport. Our members come together not just for the love of the game but also for the social aspects, to learn a new sport, and for the sense of community that our Club brings.
We don’t currently own our own facilities, so we rent a local hall to accommodate our weekly sessions. However, through the dedication and support of our volunteers and self-funding to date, we have been able to fund a full-size handball wall, a key piece of infrastructure that has allowed us to enhance the quality of our training and programmes.
Our ambition is to continue growing the club, and we see the development of a juvenile section as the next step, once the club is further established.
As we continue to expand, we are determined to grow handball’s presence here in the North Coast. With the nearest clubs located in Tyrone and Belfast, we see ourselves as leading the way for the sport on the North Coast, committed to building a foundation that will inspire future generations to embrace handball.
Why are we crowdfunding?
"Handball for All" is a new initiative that aims to introduce the sport of handball to diverse communities on the North Coast, specifically targeting young people (as a first introduction into Handball, which we want to lead to developing a new juvenile section) and women & girls (building on some of our previous social handball initiatives but creating a new programme that focuses on training and possible competitions).
Our Crowdfunding will allow us to offer a 12-week beginner handball programme, where we will break down barriers to participation and increase awareness and accessibility to this minority sport here in the North Coast.
Our project aligns with Sport NI's "Creating Opportunities" programme by focusing on inclusivity and community engagement, particularly for groups that have been traditionally excluded from sports participation.
Objectives:
Increase Participation: Introduce handball to at least 50 new participants over the winter months through a series of taster sessions and handball skill sessions.
Create a new youth section in our Club as a legacy of this Crowdfunded project.
Enhance Inclusivity: Provide tailored sessions for women and girls, and encourage their involvement in competing in handball, and also to get into coaching.
Develop Future Leaders: Create pathways for participants to progress into coaching (especially females), officiating, and club leadership roles, with a specific focus on women who have maybe been involved in our social handball programmes before.
Activities: Free Introductory Sessions: We will organise weekly free-to-attend sessions for young people, and link with local schools after school and extra curricular delivery.
Handball Coaching Clinic: We will bring in experienced coaches to deliver a series of skills workshops designed to inspire and engage new players (women in particular but also young people).
Youth Development: Collaborate with local schools to run after-school handball programme from our hall, targeting young people aged 11-18 (leading to the development of our new youth section thereafter).
Volunteer Development: We want to provide training opportunities for participants interested in becoming coaches or officials, with a focus on women in particular.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are aiming to raise £7,000. All money raised will go towards the following to allow us to deliver our 12 week programme, 4 hours per week:
Equipment (handbells @ £6.50 each x 100= £650, handball gloves @ £28 each x 50= £1,400, 50 sets of goggles @ £10 each= £500): £2,550
Coaching fees @ 4 hours per week by 12 weeks (2 coaches for 50 participants): £2,880
Venue hire 4 hours per week @ £30 per hour: £1,440
Marketing and promotion: £130
Community impact and Alignment with Sport NI Creating Opportunities:
Our 12 week project directly addresses Sport NI’s objective of improving accessibility for groups traditionally excluded from sport, particularly women, girls, and young people. It also helps develop a minority sport such as ours and helps us to develop a new youth section in our club (to date we have just been an adult club).
This project will be the first of its kind on the North Coast, providing handball to new audiences such as young people, and developing a fresh focus on inclusivity and leadership within our minority sport.
By focusing on targeted groups, we align with Sport NI’s focus on increasing participation among young people, women and girls, and those in rural areas surrounding portrush and wider North Coast area.
By supporting this Crowdfunding campaign, you will help us create a sustainable, inclusive programme that will grow the sport of handball here in the North Coast, and provide new opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds to engage in our sport.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!