Strabane Athletic Creating Opportunities in Sport

Who are we?

We are a voluntary Community Amateur Sports Club based in Strabane, that caters for the needs of hundreds of people of all ages from Strabane and surrounding areas on a weekly basis through our football coaching programmes, and wider community initiatives. 

Our vision is: 

"Working to ‘inspire’ and raise the aspirations of our local community in Strabane through an inclusive and quality offer of sport & community activities and provision”

Our mission is: 

“To enhance the health, happiness, and wellbeing of our local community in Strabane. Through fostering healthy lifestyles, promoting lifelong learning via sports, and facilitating access to opportunities, we aim to empower individuals to thrive”  

We start from under 6 years old, with our First Touch Development Centre which is our FUNdementals programme. We have programmes running nearly every day of the week Monday to Friday, and then matches Saturday and Sunday.

All of our youth programmes are focused on child friendly activities and development, stimulating football and sport, fun, educational and challenging for all. 

Our senior men participate in the Ballymena & Provincial Football League (BPFL) division 1, with our reserve mens team competing in the North West Junior League, division 1. Our senior ladies particpate in the Northern Ireland Women's Football Association (NIWFA) division 1.

Our club has a large youth setup (both boys & girls) and have multiple teams at various age groups participating in the Derry & District Youth Leagues.

We also have a community football scheme in place for juniors and we compete in the local Foyle Cup (youth level), every Summer.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are Strabane Athletic FC and are excited to launch this Crowdfunding Campaign to get more people into sport and exercise in our community. From January 2025 to end of March 2025, we’re launching a new programme of community sports and exercise. The programme is designed to offer fun and active winter sports and physical activities for residents of Strabane, to get more people active more often! 

Our goal is to create an environment in Strabane where everyone can enjoy staying fit and healthy while accessing sporting programmes in our border community, regardless of where people come from and challenges faced. 

We also want to use this crowdfunding to encourage more of our volunteers to gain sporting qualifications and for older people and girls, for example, to join our club.

We will deliver a 6 week walking football programme for older people, a 6 week "dads and lads" football programme, and a similar "mothers and others" initiative for 6 weeks (all new programmes_. 

We will deliver a new "Football For All" Programme for all abilities with focus on Fun for all for those who have never played football before. 

- 3 - 7 year olds will focus on FUNdamental Movement program focusing on fun games. 

- 8 - 16-year-olds - Community Football program that caters for those not actively involved in structured training or games; this will be a non-selective program that focuses on Fun Football Games. 

We will also deliver a 6 week new Physical Fitness through Football for kids with a disability.

We will also deliver a 12 week Yoga and Pilates initiative for older people. We will also bring in expert facilitators to deliver a physical fitness programme for young people for better mental health through sport in our border community.

To make this happen, we need your support through our crowdfunding. Your donations will help us cover the costs of project specific equipment, upskilling opportunities for our volunteer coaches, expert facilitator costs, refreshments, and promotional costs to ensure the programme reaches all across our Strabane community. 

Sport NI will match every £1 raised, up to £5,000. So, every little bit helps, and your support will have a huge impact on our community here in Strabane, getting more residents active and into sport! 

How we’ll spend the money raised

All of our funds raised will go towards the delivery of this programme, for example equipment specific to the programme and project legacy, facility hire and coaching costs.

Community impact & Creating Opportunities Alignment 

Our programme aligns with Sport NI’s Levelling the Playing Field priorities, including:

• Increasing participation levels in underrepresented groups.
• Supporting deprived communities like Strabane to address deprivation and isolation.
• Building resilience within the sporting sector through volunteer development and innovative programme delivery.

1. Levelling the Playing Field

Our programme directly addresses the need to make sport more inclusive and accessible, targeting groups traditionally excluded from participating in sport and physical activity. Key features include:

• Older Adults: The Walking Football Programme and Yoga & Pilates initiatives focus on engaging older people, encouraging physical activity, and fostering community connections.
• Women and Girls: The "Mothers and Others" initiative specifically targets women who may not traditionally participate in sport, providing a supportive and welcoming environment.
• People with Disabilities: The Physical Fitness Through Football programme for children with disabilities ensures inclusivity and promotes equal access to sport.

2. Creating New Opportunities

Our programme is a new initiative designed to bring fresh opportunities to the Strabane community:

• It introduces new activities (e.g., Walking Football, Yoga, and targeted programmes for mental health and disability).
• It encourages community participation, reaching groups who may not currently engage with sport or physical activity.
• The programme promotes volunteer development, enabling more community members to gain coaching qualifications and contribute to future activities.

3. Increasing Community Participation in Sport

The programme offers a diverse range of activities catering to various age groups and abilities, encouraging broad participation:

• Activities like "Dads and Lads Football" and "Mothers and Others" appeal to family members and create pathways for lifelong involvement in sport.
• Expert-led physical fitness initiatives for young people support their mental health and well-being, addressing critical barriers to participation.
• By delivering accessible, fun, and non-competitive activities, the programme encourages more people to join and stay active.

4. Connecting Communities

Sport NI prioritises initiatives that bring people together, and our programme aligns with this objective by:

• Promoting social inclusion in a deprived border community like Strabane, where access to sports opportunities is often limited.
• Engaging diverse groups (e.g., older adults, young people, women, and children with disabilities) to foster connections across generations and backgrounds.
• Providing a platform for community volunteering, enhancing collaboration and shared ownership of local sports activities.

5. Targeting Underrepresented Groups

The programme focuses on several underrepresented groups highlighted by Sport NI:

• Older Adults (65+): Tailored activities like Yoga, Pilates, and Walking Football directly address their needs.
• Young People (11–18 years): Initiatives like the mental health-focused physical fitness programme provide valuable support for youth.
• Women & Girls: Dedicated programmes like "Mothers and Others" break down barriers to participation for women.
• People with Disabilities: The football programme for children with disabilities ensures that all abilities are represented.

6. Volunteer Upskilling and Future Planning

To build long-term capacity within the community, the programme includes:

• Coach Education: Volunteers will receive training in areas such as FA Level 1 Coaching and Mental Health Awareness in Sport.
• Sustainability: By upskilling local coaches and volunteers, the programme creates a framework for future initiatives beyond the current funding cycle.

7. Innovation and Creativity

The programme is new and introduces innovative approaches to engage the community:

• Activities like "Walking Football" and "Mothers and Others" are designed to reduce barriers to participation by focusing on inclusivity and fun rather than competition.
• The integration of mental health-focused fitness programmes reflects modern needs and priorities, emphasizing overall well-being alongside physical activity.

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!