St Michaels Magheralin Fit for the Future Project

Aim

Upgrading facilities to boost participation and accessibility. Renovating clubhouses, changing rooms, and outdoor spaces for community sport

Who are we?

St Michaels GAC is a GAA Club in Magheralin, formed in 1962 providing Gaelic Games, and overall health, wellbeing, fitness and social support to the rural Magheralin community. 

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen was in fact a member of our club and played for us in his younger days, before focusing full time on swimming.

The Club organise, promote and compete in Gaelic Games and community activity for all, regardless of age, gender, background or ability within the Magheralin and outlying rural areas. 

The Club is driven by an unmistakable amateur and volunteer ethos to better our rural community for those living within it. We continue to aim to strengthen the local rural community spirit, build trust not just with ourselves but with others, provide a sense of place for all within the local community, improve people’s physical and mental well-being, build confidence in who we are as a rural community and where we are from and to partake in our games, sporting and community activity throughout our community. 

Our facilities are a central part of our rural community and are utilised by many wider community groups.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are crowdfunding to raise £30,000 to improve and modernise our community sports facilities here in Magheralin – the home of Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen! There hasnt been any upgrade works done to our clubhouse facilities changing toilets etc in over 30 years! They are outdated and no longer are fit for purpose. 

As part of our redevelopment plan, we want to update our outdated clubhouse, upgrade changing rooms and toilets, and repurpose existing outdoor spaces to create a more inclusive and accessible environment for everyone in Magheralin.

Through this project, we will:

• Upgrade changing rooms and toilets to modern, inclusive standards
• Repurpose outdoor areas into a new health and wellbeing space for all
• Renovate the clubhouse, including new energy-efficient windows to reduce costs and improve sustainability

This fundraiser will make our facilities safer, more accessible, and future-proof. With Sport NI’s 65% investment and our community’s support, we can build stronger facilities for a stronger future.

We are applying to Sport NI’s Olympic Legacy Fund, which supports projects that enhance local sports facilities and participation. Sport NI will contribute up to 65% of the total cost, meaning we must raise the remaining 35% through community fundraising and crowdfunding. This local contribution demonstrates our commitment as a community club, ownership of our project, and long-term sustainability – all key priorities for the funder.

Our facilities are used every week by hundreds of players, families, and community groups, including users of our walking trail and community-run gym. Regular partners include Ballymacmaine Community Association, St Patrick’s PS Magheralin (located beside us), Magheralin Youth Club, and Rowandale Integrated School. However, our indoor facilities are outdated and no longer meet demand. The changing rooms and toilets require major upgrades to provide safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces for girls and boys. These improvements will particularly benefit women (whose membership has grown by 20% in recent years), children, older members, and people with disabilities.

Crowdfunding allows us to involve the whole community directly in this project, reflecting our values of inclusion, volunteerism, and local pride in Magheralin. Every contribution helps unlock Sport NI’s match funding and ensures the upgrades meet local needs.

We are a growing GAA club at the heart of Magheralin, offering youth teams, senior football, and community health and wellbeing programmes. Our membership continues to grow, especially among young people and female players, but our facilities are under real pressure.

Here are some images of our current outdated facilities:

How we’ll spend the money raised

Transparency is central to our crowdfunding campaign. Every contribution will go directly towards improving our facilities to create a modern, inclusive, and energy-efficient clubhouse that benefits our entire community. Below is a clear breakdown of how the £30,000 will be used:

• Replace existing windows with new double-glazed, energy-efficient units – £3,500: To improve comfort, reduce heat loss, and cut running costs throughout the year.
• Supply and install new heating controls – £2,500: To improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure consistent heating for users.
• Modernise existing changing rooms – £7,000: Full refurbishment to provide safe, accessible, and gender-inclusive facilities for players and teams.
• Refurbish men’s and ladies’ toilets – £7,000: Upgrade fixtures and fittings to modern standards, improving hygiene and accessibility.
• Expand outdoor space – £10,000: Add roof coverings and new access doors to connect the area to the clubhouse, creating a versatile, all-weather social, community and training space.

Total Project Cost: £30,000

Sport NI’s Olympic Legacy Fund will contribute up to 65% of this total, with the remaining 35% raised through our crowdfunding campaign. Every donation helps us modernise our facilities, increase participation, and create a welcoming environment for everyone in Magheralin.

Community impact

Our club is at the heart of the Magheralin community, and this project will make a real difference to everyone who uses it. Every week, hundreds of players, families, and community members come through our gates — not just for GAA, but for a wide range of local sporting health and wellbeing activities. Our facilities are also used by Ballymacmaine Community Association, St Patrick’s Primary School next door, Magheralin Youth Club, and Rowandale Integrated School. The upgrades will make the club safer, more welcoming, and accessible for everyone.

The new changing rooms and toilets will allow us to host more girls and youth activities, while the refurbished clubhouse and outdoor space will be suitable for both sport and community sporting use all year round. It means local schools can continue to use our facilities for their main base for PE, after school sport and events sport days etc, and community groups will have a reliable, high-quality space for meetings, training, and activities.

The repurposed outdoor covered space will become a year-round hub for physical activity, social connection, and community wellbeing. It will allow us to expand our existing programmes and introduce new ones designed to meet the needs of all ages and abilities. For example, we will deliver 6 new community yoga, pilates, and mobility sessions, along with outdoor circuit training for our dads and lads programme and mixed fitness levels. The space will also host our popular “Mothers and Others” programme, giving women of all backgrounds a supportive environment to stay active, socialise, and build confidence through sport (this also includes our mums programme every Thursday morning where mums meet up for a walk and talk and light exercise / stretching).

We plan to run regular Walk and Talk initiatives, encouraging those new to exercise or seeking social connection to get involved in light, accessible activity that supports both physical and mental health- Particulary targeting new comer families in our commyunity. The repurposed area will also be used for family fitness mornings, active ageing sessions, and youth wellbeing workshops, working in partnership with Ballymacmaine Community Association, St Patrick’s Primary School, and Rowandale Integrated School.

Importantly, the covered design means activities can continue throughout the year, regardless of weather. It will also support health and wellbeing events, including first aid courses and mental health awareness sessions through its connection with our clubhouse. Overall, this new space will create measurable improvements in participation, wellbeing, and community engagement across Magheralin.

Outside of sport, our walking trail and community-run gym already bring people of all ages together to stay active and connected. The improved outdoor covered area will provide an all-weather space for exercise classes, social events, and health programmes.

This project also builds on our previous crowdfunder (and Sport NI funded), Girls Can Play Too, which helped us grow female participation at the club. These facility improvements are the next step — providing the right environment for that growth to continue and ensuring our facilities meet the needs of everyone.

Sport NI saw themselves the wider community use of our facilities during a site visit not that long ago!

We want St Michaels Magheralin GAA Club to remain a place where the whole community feels welcome and involved. By improving our facilities now, we’ll secure that for the future and make sure the club continues to play a positive role in local life for many years to come.

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!

From all at St Michaels Magheralin GAA Club – thank you for your support.

Funding method

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