Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities provided £5,000 of match funding
Friends of Garron Tower Health and Wellbeing Hub
Ballymena, United Kingdom
Aim
Creating new health, fitness and wellbeing opportunities for young people across the Glens of Antrim, helping everyone to participate.
Who are we?
Friends of Garron Tower (FOGT) is a registered charity bringing together past students, parents, supporters and members of the wider school family who are committed to supporting the young people of St Killian's College.
Our mission is "Unlocking Potential, Inspiring Futures."
Established in 2024, Friends of Garron Tower works to create opportunities that enhance education, wellbeing, personal development and participation for current and future generations of students.
Our work supports a wide range of initiatives including:
- extracurricular opportunities for students
- health and wellbeing projects
- sports participation programmes
- mentoring and careers initiatives
- support for students experiencing financial barriers
- projects that improve opportunities for young people in our rural community
As a charity rooted in the Glens of Antrim, we are passionate about ensuring that geography does not limit opportunity. Through this project, we want to provide young people with the same opportunities to improve their health, fitness and wellbeing as those living in larger towns and cities.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to create a new Health and Wellbeing Hub and deliver a new participation programme designed specifically to engage young people who are underrepresented in physical activity.
The project will focus on students aged 11-18, with particular emphasis on Year 11-14 students, an age group where participation in sport and exercise often declines significantly.
Many young people stop participating in organised sport during their teenage years. Others may never have found an activity that suits their interests, abilities or confidence levels. We want to create opportunities for these young people to discover that physical activity can be enjoyable, rewarding and accessible to everyone.
The Health and Wellbeing Hub will support a of new extracurricular Health and Wellbeing Programme for students aged 11-18.
The programme will provide structured after-school opportunities for students who may not currently participate in sport, alongside targeted initiatives designed to increase participation among girls and older students. The programme will consist of three strands:
1. PM Health and Fitness Club
A new after-school fitness club designed to increase participation in physical activity amongst students aged 11-18, particularly those who are not currently involved in organised sport. The club will provide a welcoming and supportive environment where students can improve fitness, develop confidence, build resilience and establish positive habits that support lifelong health and wellbeing.
2. Girls Get Strong Programme
One of the key aims of this project is to help level the playing field for girls and young women. While there are numerous opportunities for boys to participate in traditional team sports within the local area, opportunities for girls who do not wish to participate in GAA games or other team sports are more limited. This programme will provide dedicated extracurricular fitness, strength and wellbeing sessions that promote confidence, self-esteem, physical literacy and lifelong participation in physical activity.
3. Six-Week Fitness and Wellbeing Challenges
Throughout the year, students will participate in themed six-week blocks designed to maintain engagement and introduce a range of fitness activities.
These blocks may focus on:
- cardiovascular fitness
- strength development
- functional fitness
- Hyrox-inspired fitness challenges
- mobility and movement
- healthy lifestyle habits
- mental wellbeing and resilience
This varied approach will allow students of all abilities to experience success, discover new interests and develop positive attitudes towards lifelong participation in physical activity.
How Our Project Helps ‘Level the Playing Field’
This project has been specifically designed to support the aims of the Creating Opportunities Programme by removing barriers that prevent many young people from participating in physical activity.
The project addresses barriers including:
- limited access to fitness facilities within a rural area
- declining participation in physical activity among older teenagers
- limited alternatives for young people who do not enjoy traditional team sports
- fewer opportunities for girls to participate in strength and fitness-based activities
- financial barriers that prevent some families from accessing private gym facilities
- a lack of local fitness opportunities focused on health, wellbeing and lifelong participation
Our project will help level the playing field by:
- Creating new and additional opportunities for physical activity
- Increasing participation among children and young people aged 11-18
- Supporting girls and young women through dedicated programmes
- Engaging young people living in a rural community
- Providing opportunities for students who are not involved in traditional team sports
- Improving physical, mental and social wellbeing
- Building confidence, resilience and positive self-esteem
- Promoting lifelong participation in physical activity
Ultimately, this project is about ensuring that every young person, regardless of background, confidence level or sporting ability, can experience the benefits of being physically active.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Every pound raised through our Crowdfunder campaign will be invested directly in creating new participation opportunities through our Health and Wellbeing Hub.
Our fundraising target is £8,000. Through Sport NI's Creating Opportunities Programme, Friends of Garron Tower have applied for £5,000 of match funding. If successful, we will need to raise the remaining £3,000 through our Crowdfunder campaign to unlock the full project value. This is our budge breakdown:
Coaching and Programme Delivery: Qualified coaching to support the delivery of the new extracurricular Health and Wellbeing Programmes, 24 hours @ £35 per hour = £840.00
Strength and Conditioning Equipment: 2 x 20kg Utility Bars, £230; 2 x 15kg Utility Bars, £220; 2 x 100kg Bumper Sets, £400; 3 x Adjustable Benches, £440; 4 x Collars, £60; 2 x Wall Mounted Plate Storage, £66; Spotter arms, £112; Competition Sled, £210; Sled Rope, £70; 2 x Landmine Attachments, £80; Dumbbell Set (2.5kg-25kg), £530; Dumbbell Rack, £360; 10 Kettlebells (4kg-16kg pairs), £220; 3 x Slam Balls; £46; Bar Holder Storage, £78; Hex Bar; £138. Total £3260
Cardio Equipment: 1 x RowErg = £875; SkiErg = £945; 2 x BikeErg = £2080. Total £3900
The equipment purchased through this project will support thousands of student visits over its lifetime and provide a long-term resource that enables ongoing participation in physical activity. Most importantly, this investment will allow us to deliver a programme that encourages more young people to become active, develop confidence and establish healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Community impact
Although this project is focused on students, its impact will extend far beyond the school gates. Healthier, more confident and more physically active young people contribute positively to families, communities and society. By increasing participation in physical activity during adolescence, we hope to improve physical health, support mental wellbeing, build resilience and develop positive habits that continue into adult life.
This project is particularly important within the Glens of Antrim, where opportunities to access fitness facilities and structured wellbeing programmes are limited by geography and travel distances. The Health and Wellbeing Hub will provide opportunities that currently do not exist for many young people within our rural community.
By helping students discover enjoyable and sustainable ways to be active, we aim to create a lasting legacy of healthier lifestyles, improved wellbeing and greater participation in physical activity for years to come.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways you can help make this project a reality:
1. Make a Pledge
Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help create new opportunities for young people to improve their health, fitness and wellbeing.
2. Share Our Campaign
Please share our Crowdfunder with family, friends, former students and colleagues. The more people who hear about the project, the greater our chance of success.
3. Offer a Reward or Sponsorship
If you are a local business or supporter, we would love to hear from you. Donated goods, services and experiences help us create attractive rewards for supporters while promoting local businesses.
4. Fundraise With Us
Whether it is a sponsored walk, fitness challenge, quiz night or community event, every fundraising effort helps bring us closer to creating opportunities for young people across the Glens of Antrim. Together we can help level the playing field, improve wellbeing and create opportunities that will benefit generations of young people to come.
By pledging, sharing, sponsoring or fundraising, you will be helping Friends of Garron Tower create new opportunities for young people across the Glens of Antrim to become more active, improve their wellbeing and develop lifelong healthy habits.
Together, we can help level the playing field, remove barriers to participation and ensure that every young person has the opportunity to experience the benefits of physical activity, regardless of their background, ability or previous involvement in sport.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 10th November 2026 at 8:14pm