Mid Ulster Ladies 'Educate and Empower'

Aim

Community-driven project using football to build confidence, skills and leadership; creating safe spaces to learn, grow and become empowered

Who are we?

We are Mid Ulster Ladies Football Club, a long-established, community-based women’s and girls’ football club located in rural Mid Ulster. Founded over 25 years ago, our club has grown into a thriving hub for female football development, now supporting over 200 members from age 3 upwards.

Across more than two decades, we have built a strong pathway for women and girls at all stages of their football journey. From our popular early-years programmes introducing young girls to the basics of the game, to our youth and senior teams competing at various levels, we are committed to providing quality coaching, a supportive environment, and opportunities to develop both skills and confidence.

With increased financial support, we aim to further expand our dedicated girls’ academy. We aim to ensure even more young players in rural Mid Ulster have access to the training, development, and encouragement needed to progress and thrive both on and off the pitch through our new initiative ’Educate and Empower’.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Mid Ulster Ladies is delivering the Educate and Empower programme between January and March 2026 in order to continue strengthening our club and meet the needs of our expanding membership. We are crowdfunding to support several key initiatives, including:

• A free 6-week extracurricular football programme in three local nursery schools, encouraging early participation and introducing more young girls to the sport they may otherwise not have access to. Our offer of a reduce free will pre sustained participation and reduce the burden for lower income families.
• A new coach-mentoring programme for girls aged 14–17, giving participants the opportunity to gain their Grassroots Coaching qualification and begin their journey as future female leaders and coaches within the club.
• Additionally training and development for our current coaches, ensuring every player receives high-quality, modern, and supportive coaching. This funded will allow us to further train our coaches beyond our financial capability. In turn it will help to support the recruitment of new players and development and retention of skilled volunteers.
• Enhanced wellbeing support for our members, including mental health workshops, menstrual education sessions, and free menstrual products for all players.
• First aid awareness courses for our players, empowering them with essential skills for player safety and injury response.
• Strengthening our chaplaincy services, offering confidential emotional and pastoral support to all members of the club.

Your support will help us remove barriers, expand opportunities, and continue building a positive, empowering future for women’s and girls’ football in our community. Together, we can make an even greater impact - on and off the pitch.

How we’ll spend the money raised

All funds raised will be used directly to deliver programmes and support services that expand access, improve wellbeing, and strengthen development pathways for girls and young women across Mid Ulster. Specifically, funding will support:

1. Free 6-Week Nursery Schools Programme (£2000)

• Coaching delivery and session resources
• Age-appropriate equipment
• Transport and staffing costs
• Half-price vouchers for our Little Dribblers programme to increase participation and assist lower-income families
• Hire costs of facilities

2. Coach Mentoring Programme for Ages 14–17 (£1000)

• Fees for participants to complete their Grassroots Coaching Qualification
• Mentor support, training resources, and practical coaching opportunities
• Leadership development workshops
• Equipment
• Hire costs of facilities

3. Training and up-skilling of Existing Coaches and volunteers (£3000)

• Coaching course fees
• Access to updated coaching materials and modern development tools
• Support for volunteer and coaches to progress within the club
• New updated club kit

4. Wellbeing and Education Support (£1000)

• Professional facilitation of mental health workshops
• Menstrual health education sessions and the ongoing provision of free menstrual products for all players
• Resources and materials to support a comfortable, inclusive training environment
• Hire costs of facilities 
• Refreshments for participants 

5. First Aid Awareness Training (£1200)

• Delivery of first-aid sessions for players
• Purchase of first aid materials and equipment for teams
• Hire costs of facilities
• Refreshments for participants 

6. Strengthening Chaplaincy and Pastoral Support (£800)

• Development of chaplaincy services to provide confidential emotional and pastoral support
• Training and resources to ensure the service remains accessible and effective
• Private room hire to facilitate service

Additional costs include:

• Media coverage for all events (£500)
• Printing of flyers (£300)
• Projector and screen for project delivery (£200)

Every pound raised will go directly into expanding opportunities, improving safety and wellbeing, and supporting the long-term development of girls and women in our community.

Community impact

The Educate & Empower Project will deliver significant social, educational, and wellbeing benefits to girls, young women, and families across rural Mid Ulster. By expanding access to football, strengthening female leadership pathways, and enhancing holistic support for our members, this project will create lasting positive change for our community.

Our extracurricular involvement will provide access to football that some children wouldnt otherwise get. Our offer of a reduce free to our’Little Dribblers’ programme will in turn provide young girls, sustained participation to engage with physical activity and improve motor skills from an early age.

Alongside sporting development, the Educate & Empower Project addresses crucial wellbeing needs. Mental health workshops, menstrual education sessions, and the provision of free menstrual products ensure that girls are supported holistically and are not excluded from participation due to stigma or financial limitations. In addition, the expansion of our chaplaincy services provides confidential emotional and pastoral support to players, coaches, and families, strengthening the community’s support network.

Collectively, these initiatives will foster greater inclusion, improved wellbeing, and enhanced opportunities for girls and young women throughout Mid Ulster. By supporting this project, funders are investing not only in sport, but in the long-term social, emotional, and leadership development of an entire community.

How you can play your part

There are three 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!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made