Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £3,990 of match funding
Clogher Éire Óg GFC – Get Active Clogher
Clogher, Mid Ulster, United Kingdom
Aim
To get young people in rural Clogher active through fitness and football, building confidence, skills and friendships.
Who are we?
Clogher Éire Óg GFC is a rural GAA club based in the Clogher Valley, County Tyrone. We were formed in 1938 and have been part of the local community for over 85 years.
We currently have around 240 members, including 140 young people. Each week, our volunteers provide Gaelic Games coaching and activities for children, young people and adults from Clogher and the surrounding rural areas.
Our club is about more than football. We have two pitches, a clubhouse and hall, a shared community gym and a walking track. These facilities are used by our own members but are also an important resource for the wider community, including our local primary school, playgroup, community association and other local sports clubs.
Being based in a rural area, we know that young people do not always have the same range of activities on their doorstep that they might have in a larger town. Our aim is to keep providing affordable and welcoming opportunities locally, where young people can get active, meet others and feel part of their community.
We are an inclusive club and welcome people regardless of their age, gender, background, ability or previous experience of sport. Our volunteers are proud that, more than 85 years after the club was formed, Clogher Éire Óg continues to be a place where local people can play sport, exercise, meet others and get involved in community life.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to run a new 8 week fitness and football programme for around 20 young people aged 11 to 15 from Clogher and the surrounding rural area, this Autumn.
The programme will run for 2 hours each week, giving every young person up to 16 hours of structured activity over the 8 weeks.
We already have a strong youth section at Clogher Éire Óg, but we know organised football isn't for every young person. Some have never played before, some may have stopped taking part and others might simply not have the confidence to walk into an established team training session. Living in a rural area can also mean there aren't as many activities available locally.
This won't be extra training for one of our existing teams. It will be a separate programme where young people of different abilities can come along, get active, try football and build their confidence without feeling under pressure to already be good at sport.
Weeks 1 and 2: Getting started
The first two weeks will be about getting everyone settled in and, most importantly, enjoying being active.
Our two coaches will introduce the group to simple fitness activities focusing on movement, balance, coordination and agility. We'll also work on basic football skills such as passing, catching, kicking and ball control through games and small group activities.
We'll use the new agility ladders, hurdles, coordination rings and skipping ropes to create different activity stations. This means the 20 young people can be split into smaller groups and everyone can stay involved rather than waiting for their turn.
At the start, we'll ask each young person to set themselves a simple goal for the 8 weeks. That might be getting fitter, improving a football skill, meeting new people or simply managing to come along every week.
Weeks 3 and 4: Building fitness and skills
Once everyone has settled in, we'll start building on what they learned in the first two weeks.
Using our pitches, shared community gym and walking track, our coaches will introduce age appropriate fitness circuits covering strength, stamina, agility and coordination. Exercise mats, resistance bands, medicine balls, aerobic steps and other fitness equipment will be used to keep the circuits varied and allow activities to be adapted for different abilities.
On the football side, we'll work on passing, catching, kicking, ball control and movement before putting those skills into small sided games. Our four new portable training goals will allow us to create two smaller playing areas so that more young people can be involved and get more time on the ball.
We'll also spend some time chatting with the young people about staying active, healthy habits and why exercise is good for both physical and mental wellbeing. We want this to be practical and relaxed rather than sitting everyone down for a classroom lesson.
Weeks 5 and 6: Working together and seeing progress
By Weeks 5 and 6, we want the group to be comfortable with each other and starting to notice their own progress.
We'll introduce more pair and team challenges where young people have to communicate, work together and encourage each other. We'll continue using the fitness stations and small sided games, gradually making the activities more challenging as the group develops.
We'll also repeat some of the activities from the beginning of the programme. It might be completing a fitness circuit more comfortably, improving their coordination or being able to do something with a football that they couldn't do in Week 1.
The important thing for us isn't who is the fastest or the best footballer. We want each young person to be able to look back and see the progress they have made themselves.
Weeks 7 and 8: Building confidence and finishing together
In the final two weeks, we'll give participants a bit more responsibility. Those who feel comfortable will get the chance to help lead a warm up, demonstrate an activity or take a small leadership role within their group.
We'll finish the programme with fitness challenges and a friendly small sided football tournament using the portable goals, giving everyone the opportunity to take part.
At the end of Week 8, we'll bring the 20 young people together to recognise what they have achieved over the programme. We'll provide some light refreshments and ask them what they enjoyed, what they didn't enjoy and what activities they would like us to provide in the future.
The aim is that every young person finishes the 8 weeks having had a positive experience of being active, whether that leads to them getting involved in football, continuing with fitness or simply having more confidence to take part in sport in the future.
What will the money pay for?
It will pay for two qualified coaches to plan and deliver the weekly sessions, as well as the additional fitness and training equipment we need to make the programme different from our normal football training. This includes four portable small sided goals, exercise mats, resistance bands, medicine balls, agility ladders, hurdles, coordination rings, skipping ropes, aerobic steps and reaction balls.
The four portable goals are particularly important as they will allow us to split the 20 young people into smaller groups and run two small sided games at the same time. The agility and fitness equipment will also allow our coaches to set up different activity stations, keeping everyone involved regardless of their starting ability or previous experience.
Part of the funding will support two club volunteers to undertake additional youth sport, fitness or coaching development. They will support our qualified coaches during the programme and give us two more volunteers who can help deliver activities for young people after the funded 8 weeks have finished.
We will also use a small amount for local promotion and refreshments. We will promote Get Active Clogher through local schools, community groups and families to help us reach young people aged 11 to 15 who aren't already regularly involved in organised sport. Water, fruit and light snacks will also be provided for the 20 young people following each 2 hour session.
We already have our pitches, walking track, shared community gym, clubhouse and football equipment here at Clogher Éire Óg. Rather than buying more of what we already have, the funding will allow us to add the coaching and additional fitness equipment needed to use our facilities in a different way.
By the end of the 8 weeks, we want around 20 young people to have completed up to 16 hours of activity each, improved their fitness, learned new skills, made new friends and grown in confidence.
If some of those young people finish the programme wanting to keep playing football, keep exercising or simply be more active than they were before they started, then for us the project will have achieved what we set out to do.
Every donation to our Crowdfunder will help us make that happen, with Sport NI's Creating Opportunities funding helping the money we raise go even further.
How Does Get Active Clogher Meet Sport NI's Criteria
Get Active Clogher is about giving young people aged 11 to 15 another way to get involved in sport and physical activity in our rural community.
We already have around 140 young members at Clogher Éire Óg and we're proud of our youth section. But we also know there are young people locally who aren't involved in a sports club, have stopped playing sport or simply don't feel confident enough to join an established team.
This project is our way of reaching some of those young people.
Something new for our club
Get Active Clogher is not additional training for one of our existing football teams. It will be a separate 8 week programme for around 20 young people aged 11 to 15, with one 2 hour session each week. This will give each participant up to 16 hours of structured physical activity between September and the end of November.
The sessions will include fitness, football, small sided games, agility and coordination activities and team challenges. We also want to give young people opportunities to build their confidence as the programme progresses.
Reaching young people who aren't currently involved
We particularly want to encourage young people aged 11 to 15 who don't regularly participate in organised sport.
This could be someone who has never played Gaelic football before, someone who played when they were younger and stopped, or simply a young person who doesn't feel confident walking into an established team training session.
To reach beyond our existing teams, we will promote the programme through local schools, community groups and families across Clogher and the surrounding rural areas. The 20 places will not simply be offered to our current players.
Young people will not have to be a member of Clogher Éire Óg, play for one of our teams or have previous football experience to take part.
Making activity easier to access locally
Living in the Clogher Valley means young people don't always have the same range of activities available locally as those living in larger towns. Getting to activities outside the area can also depend on parents or family members being available to provide transport.
We already have our pitches, walking track, shared community gym and clubhouse here at Clogher Éire Óg. Get Active Clogher will use these facilities to provide the full 8 weeks of activity locally.
Building confidence as well as skills
We don't want the programme to be about who is the best footballer.
During the 8 weeks, each young person will set a simple goal and have the chance to see how they progress. They will work in pairs and groups, take part in team challenges and, towards the end of the programme, get the opportunity to help lead warm ups and activities.
For one young person, progress might mean improving their fitness or learning a new football skill. For someone else, it could simply mean having the confidence to come along every week, meet new people and enjoy being active.
What happens after Week 8?
We don't want the final session to simply be the end of the project.
At the end of the programme, we will ask the 20 young people what they enjoyed, what they didn't enjoy and what activities they would like to see provided locally in the future. This will help us understand what works for young people who aren't normally involved in the club.
We want the young people involved to finish the 8 weeks feeling more confident about being active and knowing what opportunities are available to them locally. Some may decide to get involved in football at the club. Others may want to continue exercising or find another activity they enjoy.
We are also using the project to develop two of our club volunteers through additional coaching development. This means we will have more people within the club with the skills and confidence to support this type of activity after the funded 8 weeks are over.
For us, Creating Opportunities is about giving young people aged 11 to 15 who aren't currently involved in organised sport the chance to come through our gates, give something new a go and hopefully find an activity they want to keep doing.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are aiming to raise £6,140 to deliver Get Active Clogher, our new 8 week fitness and football programme for around 20 young people aged 11 to 15 from Clogher and the surrounding rural area.
We need to raise £2,150 through our Crowdfunder, with Sport NI's Creating Opportunities fund providing £3,990 towards the project.
We already have footballs and other equipment from previous projects, so we will use this funding for the additional coaching, fitness and training equipment needed to make Get Active Clogher different from our normal team training.
Qualified fitness and football coaching: £1,920
2 qualified coaches x 3 hours per week x 8 weeks x £40 per hour = £1,920
This includes 2 hours of programme delivery each week and 1 hour for session planning, setting up the different activity stations and recording participant progress. Two coaches will also allow us to split the 20 young people into smaller groups based on their experience and confidence.
Portable small sided training goals: £800
4 portable training goals x £200 = £800
The four moveable goals will allow us to create two smaller playing areas and run small sided games at the same time. This will keep more young people involved and give everyone more time on the ball rather than having 20 participants playing in one large game.
Agility and coordination equipment: £600
6 agility ladders x £35 = £210
12 adjustable agility hurdle sets x £20 = £240
5 coordination ring sets x £30 = £150
Total: £600
These will be used for the movement, balance, footwork, coordination and agility activities included throughout the 8 weeks. They will also allow our coaches to create several activity stations for smaller groups.
Fitness and circuit equipment: £600
20 skipping ropes x £10 = £200
10 aerobic exercise steps x £30 = £300
10 reaction balls x £10 = £100
Total: £600
These will be used for fitness circuits, individual challenges, partner activities and group games, helping us keep the sessions varied across the 8 weeks.
Exercise mats: £500
20 exercise mats x £25 = £500
This will provide one mat for each participant for stretching, mobility, core strength and age appropriate bodyweight activities in our shared community gym.
Strength and resistance equipment: £420
20 resistance band sets x £12 = £240
6 light medicine balls x £30 = £180
Total: £420
These will be used for supervised, age appropriate strength, mobility and movement activities as part of the fitness circuits.
Coach and volunteer development: £600
2 club volunteers x £300 = £600
Two club volunteers will undertake relevant youth sport, fitness or coaching development and support our qualified coaches during the programme. This will also leave the club with two additional volunteers who can help us continue providing activities for young people after the funded 8 weeks have finished.
Participant refreshments: £200
20 young people x £1.25 per session x 8 weeks = £200
Water, fruit and light snacks will be provided for the young people following each 2 hour session.
Youth recruitment and local promotion: £200
200 programme flyers x £0.50 = £100
10 posters for local schools and community venues x £10 = £100
Total: £200
We will use these to promote Get Active Clogher through local schools, community groups and families across the Clogher Valley. This will help us reach young people who aren't already regularly involved in organised sport rather than simply filling the programme with our existing players.
First aid and programme safety: £300
2 fully stocked sports first aid kits x £75 = £150
Reusable ice packs, sports tape, dressings and replacement first aid supplies = £150
Total: £300
These will be available throughout all 8 sessions and will support the safe delivery of the different football, fitness and circuit activities.
Total project cost: £6,140
Sport NI Creating Opportunities: £3,990
Amount to be raised through our Crowdfunder: £2,150
Community impact
Clogher Éire Óg has been part of the Clogher Valley since 1938 and today we have around 240 members, including 140 young people. While Gaelic Games are at the heart of the club, our facilities and volunteers support people well beyond our own teams.
Our grounds are used throughout the year by people from Clogher and the surrounding rural communities. We have two pitches, a clubhouse and hall, a shared community gym and a walking track. These facilities are used by our members but also provide an important local resource for our primary school, playgroup, community association, other local sports clubs and community groups.
This is particularly important in a rural area like ours. There are fewer facilities and organised activities available locally than in larger towns, and travelling elsewhere is not always easy, particularly for young people who depend on parents or family members for transport. Having facilities here in Clogher gives local people somewhere close to home where they can exercise, play sport, meet others and take part in community activities.
Get Active Clogher will add to this by providing a new opportunity for around 20 young people, aged between 11 and 15, who are not regularly involved in organised sport. Over 8 weeks, they will have access to one 2 hour session each week, giving each young person up to 16 hours of structured physical activity.
We will promote the programme through local schools, community groups and families so that we reach beyond the young people already playing for our teams. We want to make it easier for someone who has never played before, has stopped taking part in sport or simply lacks the confidence to join a team to come through the gates and give it a go.
The impact will hopefully go beyond the 8 weeks. We want young people to become more active, improve their fitness, learn new skills, make friends and feel more confident taking part in group activities. We also want them and their families to become more familiar with the facilities and opportunities that are available locally.
The equipment purchased through the project will stay at the club and can be used to support future youth and community activities. The feedback we collect from the 20 participants will also help our volunteers understand what young people who aren't currently involved in organised sport would like us to provide in the future.
For us, the biggest impact would be seeing young people who might otherwise have stayed away from organised sport finding something they enjoy and continuing to be active after the programme finishes. It also means making better use of the facilities we already have and ensuring Clogher Éire Óg continues to be a place that the whole rural community can use and feel welcome in.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways you can help us reach our target and make Get Active Clogher happen.
1. Make a pledge. Every donation, big or small, will help us provide 8 weeks of fitness and football activities for young people in our local community.
2. Spread the word. Share our Crowdfunder with your family, friends and on social media. The more people across Clogher and the surrounding area who hear about the project, the better.
3. Offer a reward. If you're a local business, you can support us by donating a product, voucher or service that we can offer as a reward. We'll be happy to recognise your support.
4. Fundraise for us. You could organise a sponsored walk, challenge or your own fundraising activity to support the project. Get in touch with us through the 'contact project' button and we'll help you get involved.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th October 2026 at 10:26am