Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £5,000 of match funding
Ederney GAC - From Sideline to Starting Line
Enniskillen, Fermanagh and Omagh, United Kingdom
Aim
To increase female participation in GAA by creating new opportunities for women & girls to get involved in playing, coaching and refereeing.
Who are we?
Eadarnaigh Naomh Seosamh is a Gaelic Football Club based in the rural village of Ederney, County Fermanagh.
Woven into the very fabric of the community, Ederney St Joseph’s GAC, we have been providing high quality sporting, social and recreational activities for young and old for almost 100 years. Our club works together with local charities, community groups and other sports associations to ensure everyone has the best possible opportunities to improve their physical and mental health and overall wellbeing – from keep fit classes, walking clubs, litter sweeps, plus coffee mornings and seasonal events.
Our proud volunteers provide opportunities for over 150 youth members to play football, hurling and camogie. We cater for kids as young as 3 years old with fundamental games, right through all youth levels offering developmental and competitive team games.
We consider ourselves extremely fortunate and are very grateful for our state of the art facilities, including two playing fields, changing facilities, indoor studio and gym for over 16s - however we know that none of this would be possible without our strong community spirit and dedicated members.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are excited to launch this Crowdfunding Campaign to 'level the playing field' for women & girls to play, coach, referee and volunteer within our club.
With your support, we can significantly impact our rural community here in Ederney and the surrounding communities, inspiring more women & girls to get involved in football and the GAA going forward.
This Winter, we are launching a new programme to retain and recruit new female players across all age groups, especially those aged 12-25 and 30+ (return to sport). We want to train and upskill women to become coaches, referees and club leaders.
Your donation will help provide a 12 week female-first space where beginners feel confident and supported. Female-only 'Give it a Go' sessions for 2 hours per week of taster training camps, focused on fun, fitness and learning basic skills. Open to all levels.
In addition to a 6-8 week women's Gaelic fitness programme with light skills training. To include childcare options to encourage mothers to attend. Ending with a 'Blitz to Brunch' social game.
As well providing a funded pathway to coaching and refereeing courses for women (LGFA/GAA).
Every little donation will help us to achieve our objectives and the good news is that Sport NI will match every pound raised up to a maximum of £5,000.
Together, we can LEVEL UP THE PLAYING FIELD, through this NEW and exciting programme for women & girls in our rural community.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Our target is to fundraise £10,000, donations will help to cover the costs for:
1) Programme delivery & coaching: Subtotal: £2,500
- Hire qualified female coaches for taster sessions & fitness programmes.
1 Day (£150) x 12 weeks = £1,800
- Invite inspirational female guest speakers for workshops.
4 Guests Speakers across the 12 weeks (£175) = £700
2) Training and development: Subtotal: £2,500
- Coaching course fees (e.g. LGFA/GAA Foundation or Level 1 for 5x participants).
5 participants x £175 = £875
- Referee certification support.
Allowance to assist travel and other expenses = £125
- Safeguarding and First Aid training.
5 participants x £300 = £1,500
3) Equipment & kit: Subtotal: £2,000
- Balls, cones, bibs, agility ladders, tackle bags.
12 balls x £45 = £540
4 tackle bags x £30 = £120
Allowance for new cones, ladders, bibs etc = £140
- Starter kits (e.g. jerseys or t-shirts for participants).
40 jerseys x £30 = £1,200
4) Promotion & outreach: Subtotal: £1,000
- Design & print of flyers. (£500)
- Social media advertising. (£250)
- Filming/editing a promo video for recruitment. (£250)
5) Inclusion & Support: Subtotal: £2,000
- Venue hire for indoor facilities.
12 days hire x £100 = £1,200
- Childcare/travel support for participants.
Allowance to assist childcare/travel and other expenses = £400
- Refreshments & materials for social blitz day.
40 refreshment pack x £10 = £400
This funding will enable the club to run an inclusive, welcoming female-focused programme that not only brings new players to the GAA, but also builds female leaders in coaching, refereeing and club involvement.
Community impact
Our Crowdfunder Campaign will have a wide-reaching and lasting impact on our local and surrounding communities by addressing a clear gap in female participation in Gaelic games. Currently many women & girls in the our area are on the side lines - whether due to lack of confidence, opportunity, or visibility - and this new programme aims to change that.
By offering free and welcoming female-only sessions, alongside accessible training and leadership pathways, we will:
- Empower women & girls to engage in physical activity, some for the first time in years.
- Create a safe, social and inclusive space that supports wellbeing, confidence, and lifelong friendships.
- Develop a new generation of female coaches, referees, and club leaders - ensuring that our club and sport better reflect the community it serves.
- Strengthen links with local schools and community groups, helping girls see a place for themselves in sport from an early age.
- Support inclusion by offering transport or childcare bursaries to those facing barriers.
This initiative will not only grow participation but also deepen community pride and connection. Our club will become more than a sporting venue - it will be a hub where women & girls feel welcome, seen, and supported.
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!
With your support, we can bring the objectives of Sport NI's Creating Opportunities programme to life, making a lasting impact on the women and girls who participate and the wider community.
This project successfully funded on 21st November 2025