Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £3,990 of match funding
Augher Stars Rural Community Football Initiative
Augher, Mid Ulster, United Kingdom
Aim
We'll deliver a new rural introduction to football programme in Augher, giving our rural population the opportunity to try football out
Who are we?
Our Club is a voluntary amateur soccer club based in Augher, County Tyrone. Reformed in 2016, the Club has 100+ members and currently caters for youth football and 2 senior teams, playing in the Fermanagh and Western league. Our Club enables sports and physical activity by providing regular football and physical activity opportunities for those living within the isolated rural community of Augher and the surrounding Slieve Divena area through coaching sessions as well as competitive matches throughout the year.
The aims and objectives of our Club are:
- To offer coaching and competitive opportunities in football
- To promote the club and sport within the local community
- To ensure a duty of care to all members of the Club
- To provide our programmes and services in a way that is inclusive and fair for all.
Our Club strives to provide opportunities that improve opportunities in sport for better physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
The Club works hard to develop local community links, for example our volunteers focus much of our efforts with local community groups and organisations to ensure everyone has access to sport and wellbeing activities. A major aim of the Club moving forward is to encourage more participation from parents, local families and supporters
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are fundraising to raise £7,980 to deliver a new rural introduction to football programme in Augher, running three times per week until the end of March (8 weeks). This project is new and additional (our previous crowdfunders was for older people, youths and girls specifically).
We will do half on the pitch and half of the programme indoor. This new project is for rural residents who couldnt take part in our previous projects as they were very specific to certain demographics youth, girls and older persons. Our new programme has been developed to respond to limited local opportunities for people living in isolated rural areas to take part in regular physical activity.
Many rural residents face barriers such as travel distance, cost and lack of beginner friendly options to try football- We live in a strong GAA area so soccer often plays second fiddle. This programme will remove those barriers by providing free, local and structured football opportunities in a safe and welcoming environment.
Participants will take part in organised come and try football sessions designed for beginners and those returning to activity. Sessions will focus on basic football skills- passing, dribbling, shooting, movement, coordination and simple small sided games. Activities will be non competitive and delivered at a pace suitable for all abilities.
Each week, participants will build confidence, improve fitness and develop social connections through regular attendance and group based activity. The programme will also encourage family involvement and help participants progress into ongoing club activity if they wish.
Funding raised will cover facility hire, qualified coaching, equipment and refreshments. Without fundraising support, the club cannot deliver this programme, as we do not have the funds to absorb these additional costs. This project will create new opportunities for rural residents to get active, connect locally and experience football in an inclusive and supportive setting.
This project aligns strongly with the Sport NI Creating Opportunities programme by delivering a new and additional participation initiative that supports levelling the playing field for people living in rural areas.
Augher is a small rural community where access to regular sport and physical activity is limited by distance, transport and cost. This programme directly addresses these barriers by providing free, local and structured football opportunities three times per week up to the end of March.
The project focuses on engaging rural residents who are not currently participating in organised sport. Sessions are designed as entry level come and try activities, ensuring individuals with no previous football experience can take part confidently in a supportive environment.
By offering non competitive, inclusive sessions, the programme enables new participants to return to physical activity, improve fitness and build confidence. It also creates clear pathways into ongoing club involvement, helping to grow participation and long term membership.
The project supports Sport NI objectives by increasing participation, engaging under represented rural communities and providing new solutions to physical inactivity. It strengthens community connection by encouraging local families and residents to take part together and supports the club to develop new ways of engaging people beyond traditional teams.
This programme is time bound, clearly targeted and fully aligned with Creating Opportunities outcomes.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We want to raise £7,980. Your contributions will help us cover the costs of equipment, coaches, refreshments, promoting the programme and so on. More specifically, our budget is as follows:
Coaching Costs over 8 weeks to end of March 2026, 2 hours per session 6 hours per week @ £35 per hour x 2 coaches= £3,360
Indoor hire provision for half the programme (24 hours) £45 per hour= £1,080
Project Specific Equipment total £2,699.50: Pro-Alu Foldable Football Goals @ £144.95 each x 10= £1,449.50; Mitre Match Footballs @ £25 each x 40= £1,000; Super Dome Marker Cones 20 Pack x 10 @ £25 each= £250.
Promotion Costs= £300
Refreshment budget £540.50
Every little bit helps AND Sport NI will contribute half of our target if we raise the other half. Your support will have a huge impact on our rural community. Together, we can create a new football programme that brings opportunities to rural residents who haven't played football before.
Community Impact
Augher Stars is the only soccer club serving the rural areas of Augher, Clogher, Aughnacloy and Ballygawley. This means our club plays a key role in providing local access to sport for residents who would otherwise need to travel long distances to participate.
This project will strengthen our community impact by delivering new come and try football opportunities three times per week for rural residents who are not currently involved in organised sport. It will create accessible entry level activity for beginners, those returning to exercise and young people with limited local options.
The programme will help reduce isolation, improve physical health and increase social connection within a dispersed rural community. Regular sessions will provide routine, structure and positive engagement during evenings and weekends.
The club also has a strong track record in widening participation. In 2023 and late 2024/25, we successfully delivered Sport NI supported crowdfunded programmes for girls, older persons and youths football programmes, which significantly increased participation locally. This new programme builds on that success by extending access to football to a wider rural audience and strengthening long term community involvement.
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 16th March 2026