Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £3,990 of match funding
L'Derry Super Cup Open to All Sports Programme
Londonderry, Derry and Strabane, United Kingdom
Aim
This September, we’ll deliver a new first of its kind open to all football 10-week programme for all teenage boys across our partner teams.
Who are we?
We are a voluntary led cross community constituted football organisation primarily organising teams for L'Derry at the Super Cup competition each year. We are much more than just that though!
We are led by a Committee of volunteers from across Derry. Our aims and objectives are to support young people across the county by providing opportunities to play football for their County, and also provide regular social opportunities, opportunities to mix with others from different backgrounds & traditions (cross community), provide personal development opportunities, volunteering opportunities, opportunities to progress into future leadership roles, and opportunities to take part in health & wellbeing initiatives.
As well as young people, we also provide opportunities for adults and older people through volunteer coaching and administration opportunities. We provide opportunities for to enhance skills and gain new qualifications through coaching awards, as well as provide opportunities to take on leadership roles within the Committee.
Traditionally, Super Cup teams stop activity once the tournament ends and do not restart until trials begin the following year. With support from Sport NI Creating Opportunities, County Derry / L’Derry Super Cup will introduce a completely new 10-week autumn programme from September, focused on increasing grassroots participation rather than identifying or selecting talented players.
The programme will be open to all teenage boys, regardless of ability, previous playing experience, club membership or involvement in the Super Cup. There will be no trials or selection process. We will work with Derry City Youth Academy FC, Limavady United FC and Draperstown Celtic FC, alongside wider grassroots clubs and community networks, to reach young people who have limited opportunities to take part, are not currently involved in regular activity or may be at risk of dropping out of football.
By providing accessible weekly sessions after the tournament period, the programme will create additional opportunities for more young people to become active, enjoy football and remain involved in sport.
Why are we crowdfunding?
At County Derry / L’Derry Super Cup we recognise that our wider role can extend beyond preparing representative squads for one competition.
From September, we will launch a completely new 10-week autumn programme focused on increasing grassroots participation. We believe this will be the first programme of its kind delivered by a Super Cup NI team.
The programme will be completely separate from Super Cup trials, squad selection and tournament preparation. There will be no trials, talent identification or selection based on sporting ability. It will be open to teenage boys of all abilities, including those who have never played football, receive limited opportunities within football, have recently stopped playing or are at risk of dropping out of sport.
We will work with Derry City Youth Academy FC, Limavady United FC and Draperstown Celtic FC to reach teenage boys within grassroots football. We will also promote places through schools and community networks to reach young people who are not currently taking part in regular structured activity.
The programme will engage 60 teenage boys through two two-hour sessions each week for 10 weeks, providing 40 hours of additional sport and physical activity. We aim to recruit 15 participants through each of the three partner clubs, with a further 15 places promoted through schools and community referrals. At least 20 participants will be young people who are not currently taking part regularly, have recently left football or are considered at risk of dropping out.
Sessions will focus on enjoyment, participation, fitness and social connection. They will include small-sided games, teamwork activities and opportunities for every participant to try different aspects of football, including goalkeeping, attacking and defending, regardless of previous experience or ability.
Five practical workshops, delivered every two weeks, will cover nutrition, injury prevention, physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, confidence, resilience and leadership.
Participants will also be introduced to coaching, refereeing and volunteering as additional ways of remaining active and involved within grassroots football. These opportunities will not be focused on elite progression, but on helping young people build confidence, contribute to their clubs and develop a positive long-term relationship with sport.
With support through our Crowdfunder, we can provide new weekly activity after the Super Cup has ended, reduce the risk of young people dropping out and ensure that opportunities extend beyond a small number of selected county players.
Creating New Opportunities
Our new autumn programme will address the lack of accessible opportunities for teenage boys by providing:
Open and Inclusive Football Sessions: 2 weekly sessions open to teenage boys of all abilities, with no trials, talent identification or previous Super Cup involvement required.
Additional Grassroots Participation: 40 hours of new football and physical activity.
Targeted Community Outreach: Recruitment through 3 grassroots clubs, local schools and community networks in Derry, including referrals for young people who are inactive, receive limited playing opportunities or are at risk of leaving sport.
Enjoyable Physical Activity: Inclusive sessions based around small-sided games, fitness, teamwork and opportunities to try different football roles without grouping or selecting participants according to ability.
Health and Wellbeing Support: 5 practical workshops covering nutrition, injury prevention, recovery, mental wellbeing, confidence, resilience and leadership.
Alternative Ways to Participate in Sport: Introductions to coaching, refereeing and volunteering, helping young people understand that they can remain involved in grassroots football in different ways.
This project directly supports Sport NI’s aim of levelling the playing field because its primary purpose is to increase participation rather than develop selected players or prepare teams for competition.
It will create additional physical activity for 60 teenage boys, including at least 20 who are not currently participating regularly or are at risk of dropping out.
Although County Derry / L’Derry Super Cup will coordinate the programme, it will be completely separate from representative squad activity. No funding will support trials, talent identification, tournament preparation or competitive progression.
Our partnership with Derry City Youth Academy FC, Limavady United FC and Draperstown Celtic FC will help us connect with young people across different clubs and communities. Outreach through schools and community networks will extend the opportunity beyond those already recognised within football.
The programme will remove ability-based selection as a condition of participation and provide a welcoming environment in which teenage boys can become more active, build confidence, make social connections and enjoy football.
Beyond the Super Cup will create a new connection between the Super Cup and the wider grassroots community, ensuring that the benefits reach a broader and more inclusive group of young people.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We aim to raise £5,320. Sport NI will contribute £3,990, representing 75% of the total project cost, with the remaining £1,330 raised through our Crowdfunder campaign.
Funds raised will support the following:
Technical Coaching: 10 weekly two-hour sessions at £150 per session = £1,500
Positional Coaching Workshops: 8 specialist goalkeeper, striker and outfield coaching sessions at £125 per session = £1,000
Specialist Development Workshops: 5 workshops covering nutrition, injury prevention, mental wellbeing, leadership and sport-related careers at £160 per workshop = £800
Facility Hire (Bishops Field Creggan and other suitable facilities): Two hours per week for 10 weeks at £42.50 per hour = £850
Project-Specific Equipment: 20 Footballs, 20 bibs, 20 cones, 20 hurdles, 20 speed ladders, 20 resistance bands for use by 60 participants = £1,170
Total Project Cost: £5,320
Sport NI Request: £3,990
Crowdfunder Contribution: £1,330
Community impact
The programme will provide a distinctive new model for Super Cup football. While Super Cup teams traditionally finish activity after the tournament and do not restart until trials the following year, County Derry / L’Derry will continue engaging young people through a structured 10-week autumn programme from September.
The project will also move beyond the usual focus on selected county players. Through partnerships with Derry City Youth Academy FC, Limavady United FC and Draperstown Celtic FC, we will actively reach out to grassroots clubs and open places to 60 teenage boys from different communities, abilities and football backgrounds. Participants will receive weekly two-hour sessions, specialist positional coaching, physical wellbeing support and personal development opportunities that are not normally available within grassroots football.
Young people will also be introduced to coaching, refereeing, volunteering and sport-related careers, helping them remain involved in football even if they do not progress as players. This will strengthen links between Super Cup structures and local clubs, increase grassroots participation, develop future coaches and volunteers, and ensure the benefits extend well beyond a small representative squad.
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!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 27th September 2026 at 6:50pm