Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities provided £5,000 of match funding
St Michael’s Killean – Active for Life
Newry, Newry, Mourne and Down, United Kingdom
Aim
A new 16-week programme helping 20+ older people aged 65+ get active, socialise and develop new skills through sport.
Who are we?
St Michael’s Killean is a rural GAA club based on the outskirts of Newry in South Armagh. Formally ratified in April 2022, we have quickly developed into an important sporting and community hub for local people.
We serve a small rural community of around 350 homes, with a local primary school attended by approximately 129 children. We have a newly refurbished, floodlit football pitch and club facilities, providing an important local space for children, young people, adults and older people to participate in sport, physical activity and community life throughout the year.
We are an inclusive Club and welcome people from both within and outside the traditional GAA community. We also have a strong relationship with Armagh LGFA, who share our pitch, and work alongside local schools, pre-schools, community groups and local people to encourage greater participation in sport.
As a volunteer-led Club, local coaches, volunteers and committee members are at the heart of everything we do. Our previous successful Crowdfunder supported a 16-week youth development programme, creating new opportunities for 100+ young people and supporting the development of 10+ volunteer coaches.
We now want to build on that success by creating a new 16-week programme for older people, giving them opportunities to get active, try walking football and Gaelic games, socialise and develop new skills. We also want to create a pathway for older participants, including parents and grandparents of our younger members, to become coaches, volunteers and leaders within the Club.
Our ambition is for St Michael’s to be a Club for the whole community, where people can stay active, connected and involved at every stage of life.
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to raise £7,700 to deliver a new 16-week older persons programme at St Michael’s Killean, creating a new opportunity for 20+ older people aged 65+ from our rural community to get active, try walking football and Gaelic games, socialise and develop new skills.
The programme will provide a 2-hour structured activity session every week for 16 weeks, giving each participant access to 32 hours of sport and physical activity and creating at least 640 potential participant-hours across 20 participants.
Our 2 coaches will each be funded for 3 hours per week – 2 hours delivering the session and 1 additional hour for preparation, equipment set-up and close-down. The programme will also include 12 specialist older persons fitness and mobility sessions.
Weeks 1–4 – Getting Active
The first 4 weeks will provide a friendly introduction to walking football and adapted Gaelic games. Our coaches will use 12 Gaelic footballs, 8 walking footballs, 30 bibs, 4 sets of marker cones and 2 portable goals to introduce passing, movement, shooting and small-sided activities at a comfortable pace.
Participants will also be introduced to gentle strength and mobility exercises using 20 exercise mats, 30 resistance bands, 10 balance pads, 10 foam rollers and 10 lightweight exercise balls. The focus will be on getting people moving, building confidence and making activity enjoyable and social.
Weeks 5–8 – Building Fitness and Skills
During the next 4 weeks, participants will develop their walking football and Gaelic skills through passing drills, shooting, movement exercises and small-sided games.
Our fitness and mobility equipment will be used to progressively introduce strength, balance, flexibility and coordination activities. The specialist older persons fitness sessions will complement the weekly coaching and help participants learn exercises and techniques they can continue using beyond the programme.
Weeks 9–12 – Playing, Volunteering and Developing New Skills
During Weeks 9–12, participants will progress into more structured walking football and adapted Gaelic games, including small-sided matches and team challenges.
We will also begin our coach and volunteer development programme. 4 older participants or local volunteers will be supported to develop their coaching skills, while dedicated volunteer and leadership workshops will introduce opportunities to help with our youth teams, Club activities and the wider running of St Michael’s.
Weeks 13–16 – Building a Lasting Legacy
During the final 4 weeks, participants will continue developing their walking football, Gaelic games, fitness, strength and mobility skills.
Our 4 developing coaches and volunteers will be encouraged to begin putting their new skills into practice by supporting sessions and exploring opportunities to help with our younger teams. 4 volunteers will also receive first-aid training, and across the project we will deliver 2 dedicated volunteer and leadership workshops.
By the end of the 16 weeks, we aim to have engaged 20+ older people aged 65+, provided 32 hours of structured activity per participant, generated at least 640 potential participant-hours, developed 4 new coaches/volunteers, provided first-aid training for 4 volunteers, and delivered 2 volunteer and leadership workshops.
The £7,700 raised will fund £2,880 of programme coaching, £1,020 of walking football and GAA equipment, £1,300 of fitness and mobility equipment, £600 for 12 specialist fitness and mobility sessions, £1,700 for coach and volunteer development, and £200 for local promotion and recruitment.
Most importantly, we want the impact to continue beyond Week 16, with more older people staying active and socially connected and new coaches and volunteers continuing to contribute to St Michael’s and our younger generations.
How Our Project Meets Sport NI's Criteria
Our new 16-week older persons programme directly supports Sport NI’s Creating Opportunities aim of levelling the playing field by creating a new opportunity for people aged 65+ to participate in sport and physical activity in our rural South Armagh community.
Creating a new opportunity
This is a new and additional 16-week programme and is not part of St Michael’s existing team training or routine Club activity. We will provide a 2-hour structured activity session each week, with our coaches also receiving an additional hour for preparation, equipment set-up and close-down.
Supporting older people
People aged 65+ are one of Sport NI’s priority groups. Our project will specifically reach older people in our community who may not currently participate in regular sport or structured physical activity.
Walking football and adapted Gaelic games will provide a more accessible introduction to sport, while specialist fitness and mobility sessions will help participants improve their strength, balance, movement and confidence.
Supporting our rural community
St Michael’s is based in a small rural community in South Armagh of around 350 homes. People living in rural areas are also identified as a priority group within Creating Opportunities.
By providing the full 16-week programme locally at St Michael’s, we want to make it easier for older residents to access regular physical activity and become more connected with other people in their community.
Developing new coaches, volunteers and leaders
Our project goes beyond participation. We want older people to become a bigger part of the long-term life of St Michael’s.
Through the project, we will support 4 older volunteers through coach development, provide 2 volunteer and leadership workshops, and support 4 volunteers through first aid training.
This will create pathways for older participants, including parents and grandparents of our younger members, to help with youth teams, support Club activities and potentially become more involved in leadership and Committee roles.
Creating a lasting impact
Our aim is that the impact continues beyond the 16 weeks. The football, fitness and mobility equipment purchased through the project will allow us to continue providing appropriate activities, while the new skills developed by our volunteers will strengthen the Club's capacity to provide opportunities in the future.
By the end of the project, we want to have more older people participating in regular physical activity, 4 newly developed volunteers, stronger links between generations within our Club and a clear pathway for participants to remain active and involved with St Michael’s after the programme finishes.
This project will help us level the playing field by giving older people in our rural community a new opportunity to participate in sport, not only as players, but also as coaches, volunteers and leaders.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We want to raise £7,700 to deliver our new 16-week older persons programme at St Michael’s Killean. The funding will directly support the delivery of walking football, Gaelic games and fitness activities, alongside equipment and training to help more older people become active coaches and volunteers within our Club.
Here’s how we’ll spend the money raised:
Programme Coaching – £2,880
- 2 coaches × £30 per hour × 3 hours per week × 16 weeks = £2,880
Walking Football & GAA Equipment – £1,020
- 12 Gaelic footballs × £20 = £240
- 8 walking footballs × £20 = £160
- 30 training bibs × £6 = £180
- 4 marker cone sets × £35 = £140
- 2 portable training goals × £150 = £300
Fitness & Mobility Equipment – £1,300
- 20 exercise mats × £20 = £400
- 30 resistance bands × £10 = £300
- 10 balance pads × £20 = £200
- 10 foam rollers × £20 = £200
- 10 lightweight exercise balls × £20 = £200
Specialist Older Persons Fitness Sessions – £600
- 12 specialist fitness and mobility sessions × £50 = £600
Coach & Volunteer Development – £1,700
- Coach development for 4 older volunteers × £250 = £1,000
- 2 volunteer and leadership workshops × £200 = £400
- First aid training for 4 volunteers × £75 = £300
Promotion & Recruitment – £200
- 500 programme recruitment flyers × £0.20 = £100
- 20 local recruitment posters × £5 = £100
Total Project Cost – £7,700
Sport NI Match Funding – £5,000
Community Crowdfunding – £2,700
Community impact
St Michael’s Killean is at the heart of a small rural South Armagh community of around 350 homes. Our new programme will create a new local opportunity for 20+ older people aged 65+ to get active, socialise, develop new skills and become more involved in Club and community life.
The programme will run for 16 weeks, providing a 2-hour structured activity session every week. Each participant will therefore have access to 32 hours of sport and physical activity, creating at least 640 potential participant-hours across 20 participants.
Our 2 coaches will each be funded for 3 hours per week – 2 hours delivering the session and 1 additional hour for preparation, equipment set-up and close-down. Sessions will include walking football, adapted Gaelic games, strength, balance, mobility and fitness activities designed to give older people an accessible introduction to regular physical activity.
The project will also help tackle rural isolation by giving older people a regular activity within their own community for 16 consecutive weeks, providing opportunities to meet others, build friendships and become more connected with St Michael’s.
A major part of our project is creating a pathway from participant to volunteer. We will support 4 older people to develop as new coaches or volunteers, provide first-aid training for 4 volunteers, and deliver 2 dedicated volunteer and leadership workshops. Participants will be encouraged to use these new skills by helping with Club activities, supporting our younger teams and exploring wider leadership and Committee roles.
This will also benefit the wider Club, particularly our younger members. Older participants, including parents and grandparents, will have an opportunity to become more active themselves while developing skills they can use to support our youth teams and other Club activities.
By the end of the project, we aim to have delivered 16 weeks of activity, 32 hours of activity per participant, at least 640 participant-hours, 20+ older participants aged 65+, 4 newly developed coaches/volunteers, first-aid training for 4 volunteers and 2 volunteer and leadership workshops.
The equipment purchased and skills developed will remain within St Michael’s beyond the 16-week programme, helping us create a lasting opportunity for older people to remain active, connected and involved in our rural community.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways you can help us reach our £7,700 target and create this new opportunity for older people in our community.
1. Make a pledge. Every donation, big or small, will help us deliver our new 16-week programme and get more older people active and involved in St Michael’s.
2. Spread the word. Share our Crowdfunder with your family, friends and on social media. The more people we reach across Killean and the surrounding area, the greater the impact we can make.
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. We’ll be delighted to recognise your support.
4. Fundraise for us. Get involved by organising your own fundraiser, sponsored activity or community challenge and help us work towards our target.
By supporting our campaign, you will help us give 20+ older people aged 65+ a new opportunity to get active, socialise and develop new skills, while helping us develop new coaches and volunteers who can continue giving back to St Michael’s and our wider rural community.
This project successfully funded on 12th November 2026