Move, Run, Thrive

Aim

Creating opportunities for women and girls in Dungannon to get active, build confidence and participate, progress and lead in athletics.

Who are we?

Dungannon AC is a newly formed athletics club with a vision to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where people from across the local community can enjoy athletics, regardless of their age, ability or previous experience.

As a new club, we have an exciting opportunity to shape what Dungannon AC will become. A big part of that is making sure women and girls have opportunities not only to participate in athletics, but also to progress, volunteer and become future coaches and leaders within our club.

Our Move, Run, Thrive project has been developed to help us make that vision a reality.

We want to reach beyond those already involved in athletics and provide opportunities for women and girls who may be inactive, new to sport, returning after time away or simply unsure about taking that first step into a club environment.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are crowdfunding to launch a new programme specifically designed to increase opportunities for women and girls to become involved in athletics and physical activity in the Dungannon area.

Women and girls can face a range of barriers to participating in sport. These can include confidence, previous experiences of sport, concerns around health and safety, lack of opportunities and simply not knowing where to begin.

Move, Run, Thrive will help address these barriers by taking opportunities into the community rather than waiting for people to come to us.

The project will have four connected strands.

1. Starting Young

We will work with local schools to introduce girls to athletics through fun and inclusive sessions focusing on running, jumping, throwing and movement.

We plan to deliver 12 school-based sessions, introducing at least 120 girls to athletics and providing a pathway for those who want to continue participating.

The focus will be on enjoyment and confidence rather than competition or performance.

2. A First Step for Women

We will launch a new beginners' programme for women who are inactive, completely new to running or returning to physical activity.

Through 16 beginner-friendly sessions, we aim to support approximately 30 women to gradually improve their fitness and confidence in a friendly and supportive environment.

There will be no expectation that participants are already fit or able to run. The programme will be about helping women start at their own level and progress from there.

3. Supporting Female Health & Wellbeing

Alongside the physical activity, we will provide four specialist workshops covering important issues affecting women and girls in sport.

Topics will include nutrition and fuelling, mental wellbeing, personal safety and female health, including awareness of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).

These workshops will provide practical information and encourage positive conversations around participating in sport in a healthy and sustainable way.

4. From Participant to Coach

We also want to increase the number of women involved in coaching and volunteering.

Women interested in becoming more involved will have opportunities to gain practical experience, learn alongside experienced coaches and assist with the delivery of activities.

We aim to support at least six women to gain practical coaching or volunteering experience through the project.

By combining participation with coaching and volunteer development, we hope to create opportunities for women and girls to participate, progress and lead within athletics.

Our goal is to make athletics feel accessible, enjoyable and welcoming.

How we'll spend the money raised

Our target is to raise £7,700, which will be invested directly into delivering Move, Run, Thrive.

The money will allow us to take athletics into local schools, establish the women's beginners' programme, bring in suitable professionals to deliver our wellbeing workshops and provide development opportunities for women interested in coaching and volunteering.

Our proposed budget is:

£1,800 – Girls' school athletics outreach
Delivery of 12 introductory athletics sessions for girls in local schools.

£2,000 – Women's beginners' programme
Delivery of 16 new beginner-friendly sessions for women who are new or returning to physical activity.

£1,200 – Female health and wellbeing workshops
Four specialist sessions covering nutrition and fuelling, mental wellbeing, personal safety and female health/RED-S.

£1,000 – Female coaching and volunteer development
Practical mentoring and development opportunities for women interested in becoming more involved in coaching and volunteering.

£900 – Venue hire
15 hours of project-specific facility hire at £60 per hour.

£500 – Promotion and recruitment
Targeted promotion to help us reach women and girls who may not currently be involved in athletics or organised sport.

£300 – Participant and project resources
Materials and resources required specifically for the delivery of the programme.

Total project cost: £7,700

Every pledge, regardless of size, will help us turn these plans into real opportunities within our community.

Community impact

We want the impact of Move, Run, Thrive to extend well beyond the individual sessions we deliver.

At its heart, this project is about creating opportunities for people who may not currently see athletics or organised sport as being for them.

Through our school programme, at least 120 girls will have an opportunity to experience athletics in an enjoyable and supportive environment.

Our women's beginners' programme will provide approximately 30 women with an accessible first step into physical activity, helping them develop fitness, confidence and positive exercise habits.

The wellbeing workshops will help create greater awareness and open conversations around issues that are particularly important for females participating in sport.

Developing female coaches and volunteers will create an additional legacy. We want girls entering our club to see women not only participating, but also coaching, volunteering and leading.

Ultimately, we want to create pathways that continue after the funded programme ends.

For a girl, that journey might be:

School → Try athletics → Build confidence → Continue participating → Join Dungannon AC

For a woman, it might be:

Beginner programme → Become active → Build confidence → Continue running → Join Dungannon AC

And for some participants:

Participant → Volunteer → Coach → Role model

As a newly formed club, we have an opportunity to build this culture from the beginning.

Our ambition is for Move, Run, Thrive to provide the foundations for a lasting increase in female participation, coaching and volunteering within athletics in Dungannon.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways you can help us reach our target and make Move, Run, Thrive a reality.

1. Make a pledge.
Every pledge matters. Supporting us early will also help build momentum behind the campaign and encourage others to get involved.

2. Spread the word.
Share our Crowdfunder through social media, WhatsApp, workplaces, schools, clubs, friends and family. The more people we reach, the greater the impact we can have.

3. Offer a reward.
If you are a local business, you can support the campaign by donating a product, service or experience that we can offer as a reward to our supporters. It's a great way to support a local initiative while also promoting your business.

4. Fundraise for us.
Individuals, families, groups and businesses can organise their own fundraising activity in support of the project. Whether it's a sponsored run, challenge or another creative idea, every contribution will help us towards our target.

By supporting Move, Run, Thrive, you will be helping Dungannon AC create new opportunities for women and girls to get active, develop confidence and become more involved in athletics.

Together, we can help more women and girls in Dungannon participate, progress and lead.

Funding method

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