Image: Launching the McDonald’s Fun Football Centres are Northern Ireland senior women’s team captain Marissa Callaghan, McDonald’s franchisee John McCollum and Aaron Hughes, the Irish FA’s Elite Football Development Consultant.
McDonald’s has relaunched its popular Fun Football Centres in Northern Ireland this week as Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease.
The centres will be staged in three phases between now and September, with the first block of sessions being delivered across Northern Ireland throughout May.
The Fun Football Centres are delivered in partnership with the Irish FA Foundation and provide children in Northern Ireland with the opportunity to try football for the first time. McDonald’s is urging parents to register their children for one of the upcoming centres.
The sessions are free and are currently available to children aged between five and eight. Each participant receives a Fun Football Activity Book.
John McCollum, franchisee at McDonald’s, said: “Our partnership with the Irish FA on the McDonald’s Fun Football programme is so important to us and highlights our commitment to fostering the development of football for all in Northern Ireland.
“In what has been an incredibly difficult year, it is exciting to see plans being put in place for sporting activity in general to begin again but in particular the Fun Football programme which has some great activities planned over the next number of months.
“Fun Football introduces children and families from communities across Northern Ireland to coaching sessions and events, and we hope to support this for many years to come.”
Former Northern Ireland international Aaron Hughes, the Irish FA’s Elite Football Development Consultant, said: “McDonald’s Fun Football is a great starting point for boys and girls who would like to play football. They can learn about the game in a relaxed and fun environment.”
Marissa Callaghan, captain of the Northern Ireland senior women’s team, who last month qualified for the Women’s Euros in 2022, pointed out: “We want kids to enjoy playing the game and these interactive sessions are a great way to introduce them to football. They are shown the basics while having lots of fun.”
Through the McDonald’s Fun Football programme more than 75,000 children from across Northern Ireland will benefit from 250,000 hours of coaching, games and fun by 2022.
This year McDonald’s celebrates 30 years in Northern Ireland as well as the 20th anniversary of the McDonald’s Irish FA Grassroots Football Awards, which recognise the incredible work and commitment of football clubs and volunteers who give up their time and make a long-lasting impact on young people in Northern Ireland.
For more information or to register for a McDonald’s Fun Football Centre in Northern Ireland, click here
