Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £5,000 of match funding
St Brigid's P.S Altamuskin PTA FUNSport Initiative
Omagh, Fermanagh and Omagh, United Kingdom
Aim
We're launching a new "FUNSport" youth multi-sport programme in Altamuskin, providing 50+ children with opportunities to try new sports
Who are we?
Saint Brigid's Primary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was established in 2018 as a constituted, not for profit community group and registered charity based in the rural community of Altamuskin, County Tyrone
The PTA was formed by parents, staff and local volunteers who recognised the need to support children, families and the wider community through additional educational, recreational and wellbeing opportunities.
Our charity works in partnership with Saint Brigid's Primary School while also serving the broader rural community surrounding Altamuskin. Our aim is to enhance opportunities for children and young people, strengthen community connections and address rural isolation by providing accessible local programmes and activities.
The PTA delivers a range of initiatives that support education, health, wellbeing and social inclusion within the community. These include the following:
- Extracurricular educational initiatives,
- Reading schemes,
- Outdoor learning programmes
- Sensory and Special Educational Needs (SEN) supports.
We also organise creative activities such as drama, music and art programmes, alongside mental health and wellbeing initiatives designed to support children and families surrounding our rural community.
In addition, our charity promotes active lifestyles and social participation through extracurricular sports and recreation opportunities for children, as well as community festivals and local sports events that bring families and residents together. As a rural community group, we recognise that access to arts, leisure and wellbeing services can be limited locally.
The nearest towns providing regular access to such facilities are Omagh (14 miles away), Dungannon (17 miles away) and Monaghan across the border. This distance can create barriers for many families, particularly for children and young people
Through our work, Saint Brigid's PS PTA seeks to reduce this rural disadvantage by delivering accessible programmes and activities locally, helping to improve educational opportunities, wellbeing and community participation for families living in the Altamuskin area.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to launch a new 12-week FUNdamentals programme that will give children aged 5 to 11 in our community here in rural Altamuskin the opportunity to try a wide range of sports in a fun, safe and inclusive setting.
Many local families face practical and financial barriers when accessing organised sport in our rural community because of lack of access to suitable opportunities, with suitable activities often requiring travel to larger towns in Omagh, Dungannon or Monaghan. Our new project will bring new opportunities directly into the community, helping children who may not currently take part in sport to become more active, build confidence, develop coordination and discover activities they enjoy.
Each week, participants will experience a different sport, including 2 weeks of basketball, mini golf, tennis, gymnastics, athletics and multi-skills. For example:
- September: 2 weeks basketball & 2 weeks mini golf
- October: 2 weeks tennis and 2 weeks gymnastics
- November: 2 weeks athletics and 2 weeks multi-skills
The programme will be open to children of all abilities and will be designed to encourage participation rather than competition. There will be 50+ children taking part directly in this new programme.
Crowdfunding will allow our charity to bring in qualified coaches and purchase project-specific equipment.
The project directly supports Sport NI’s aim to level the playing field by removing barriers, increasing participation and creating new, additional and accessible sporting opportunities for children and young people living in a rural area.
Sport NI Creating Opportunities
Our project aligns with Sport NI’s Creating Opportunities programme because it will deliver a new and additional 12-week sport and physical activity programme for children aged 5 to 11 in rural Altamuskin.
The programme is focused on increasing participation among children and young people, while also supporting people living in a rural area, both of which are priority groups under Creating Opportunities. Many local families have limited access to organised sport and often need to travel to larger towns. By delivering the programme locally, we will reduce barriers linked to distance, transport, cost and availability.
Our project will also help level the playing field by giving children who may not already take part in sport the chance to try a range of new activities in an inclusive setting. Each week, they will experience a different sport, helping them build confidence, improve movement skills and find activities they enjoy.
The project is not part of our routine school provision. It is a new extracurricular programme that will create additional opportunities for participation. Funding will support coaches and project-specific equipment, all directly linked to delivery. We will also use crowdfunding to involve families, people and supporters in helping more children access sport.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are looking to raise £7,692. Sport NI will contribute £5,000 of this if we raise the rest ourselves.
All funds raised will go towards the following:
Coaching Costs- 2 coaches, 4 hours per week (2 x 2 hour sessions) £35 per hour for 12 weeks= £3,360
Indoor facility hire at Altamuskin Community Centre 4 hours per week @ £45 per hour x 12 weeks= £2,160
Project specific equipment: Junior basketballs pack of 12 x 6 @ £50 each= £300; Mini Golf Starter Kits x 6 @ £191 each= £1,146; 3 x multi sport coaching packs @ £242 each= £726
Community impact
Our wider impact is seen in the difference our work makes to families living in a rural area with limited access to services and activities. By bringing opportunities into Altamuskin, we reduce the need for families to travel long distances and help ensure that cost, transport or location do not prevent children from taking part.
Our charity helps children become more confident, active and engaged, while supporting those with additional needs to participate more fully. Parents and families also benefit through stronger relationships, shared experiences and improved access to local support.
Our work creates more opportunities for volunteering and encourages parents, staff and residents to contribute to community life. This helps build local skills, strengthens connections and reduces isolation.
Overall, we help create a more inclusive and connected community where children and families have better access to opportunities, feel supported and are more able to participate in education, recreation and community life.
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!
This project successfully funded on 28th September 2026