Sport Northern Ireland Project Re-Boot: Activate has provided £5,000 of match funding
Carrickmore "Intergenerational Handball" Programme
Omagh, Fermanagh and Omagh, United Kingdom
Aim
Promote our Club to more younger and older people, to play handball through our new and innovative "Intergenerational Handball" programme
Who are we?
Carrickmore Handball Club is located at Termon Road, Carrickmore, Co Tyrone, BT79 9JR. The club is located 12 miles from Omagh town and is situated on the Termon Road in the centre of the village. Our club facilities include 1 x 40x20 Court and 1 x One-Wall Court, a viewing gallery and car parking facilities. Our club was established in 1989 and caters for all age groups within our rural community, and we have 50+ members and 20 volunteers. Our handballing alley plays host to many juvenile and senior handballing matches throughout the year, and visitors attend from across the island of Ireland. Most notably, we host the highly prestigious Paddy Grogan (PG) Memorial which attracts a wide crowd from the community and further afield. Carrickmore Handball Club has been an integral part of our rural community since its inception in 1989. The club’s facilities provide those able to avail of them physical and mental well-being, however, we do struggle as a community to engage with those most vulnerable, due to rural and social isolation. Many younger people in our community have struggled to integrate back into the community through sport, following the persistent lockdowns of Covid-19 lockdowns, with many choosing to not engage socially with friends and sporting initiatives an have fallen away from their clubs. Similarily, many older residents have limited mobility in comparison to younger generations and would love to partake in the sport once again, but no appropriate sporting initiatives are currently in place, ultimately leading to a feeling of disconnection from their families and friends.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are Crowdfunding because we want to deliver our new and innovative “Intergenerational Handball” programme, to encourage younger and older people across the wider Carrickmore and wider Termon community to take part in the sport of handball once again.
Younger age groups within the area have struggled following the opening up of communities again, with many isolating themselves from friends and family with increased social media activity over the course of lockdowns, resulting in physical inactivity and mental health issues. Older generations within the community who once helped build the club now struggle with rural and social isolation, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Without their initial and continued input, the club would have been as successful as what it is today. In light of this, our "Intergenerational Handball" initiative is a new targeted approach to supporting those younger and older generations into playing the sport again after 2+ years of Covid lockdowns and limited social and sporting interactions.
The initiative was initially planned just before Covid-19, however due to sustained lockdowns we could not fulfil the programme. With many residents from our wider community sadly being impacted directly by the pandemic, they continue to suffer from isolation and are discouraged in participating. Crowdfunding, will help us to cover costs to deliver our “Intergenerational Handball” programme over 12 weeks from the end of April to June 2023, such as external coaching costs, handball equipment, commemorative kits and marketing materials to promote the programme etc.
Your donations will also enable us to receive extra funding from Sport NI, because our "Intergenerational Handball" programme directly supports younger and older residents specifically to take up sport, it supports social isolated communities to engage in physical activity once again, promoting physical and mental wellbeing in rural areas across the wider Carrickmore and Termon community.
Covid Challenges
As noted, we planned to launch the initiative before Covid, however the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns delayed this.
Younger people within the area missed out on many activities and milestones within their lives, such as exams, going out with friends and engaging in sporting activities, leading to increase physical and mental ill health with long lasting impacts.
Many older generations within the community who once helped build the club still continue to suffer from social isolation due to safety concerns and lack of confidence. Therefore, our Crowdfunding will allow us to reach out and encourage those back into sport.
Many volunteering parents and grandparents were sadly lost to the club since Covid and we want to launch our innovate programme to encourage them back and restore confidence within the community.
During Covid our Club membership suffered with many families directly impacted by losses during the period and sustained social limitations.
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. If you want to run your own fundraiser to support us, 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!
How we’ll spend the money raised
If you make a pledge to our Crowdfunder page, all money raised will go directly towards delivering our "Intergenerational Handball" younger and older person’s programme. For example – External coaches across the 12-week programme dedicated to softly welcoming young and old residents back into the sport again, and slowly building confidence on the alley court within an appropriate environment. Money raised will also go towards purchasing new sports equipment such as Challenger 1 and 2 Handballs, Goggles and Commemorative Kits to support our programme and mark the occasion. Alongside this, money will be dedicated to promoting the new 12 week programme, through leaflets, social media posts and posters throughout the town.
Community impact
The main impact our Crowdfunder will have been that it will provide opportunities for younger and older generations alike within our rural community to access social and sporting initiatives in an appropriate environment dedicated solely to integrating them back into the club.
The programme will encourage younger people to take up the sport as a life long participation, and promote avenues of coaching and training roles within the sport of handball.
The Crowdfunder will also encourage and promote physical and mental wellbeing for those who have struggled the most over the last few years.
It will encourage community interaction and inclusion for those most socially isolated, through the act of participation in handball.
Overall the 12 week programme April to June will have a lasting and positive impact on our younger and older generations because it enhances community belonging and integrates them back into the community they once helped build and those who will eventually continue to build the club, at their own pace and increasing overall wellbeing.
This project successfully funded on 28th April 2023