The popular McDonald’s Fun Football Centres are returning with 15 centres across Northern Ireland.
The centres, delivered by McDonald’s in partnership with the Irish FA Foundation, will provide children aged five to 11 with the opportunity to try football for the first time.
Fun Football sessions are designed and delivered in a safe, fun and pressure-free environment by Irish FA accredited coaches.
The sessions include introductory activities perfect for kids who are new to the game, helping them to develop their all-round skills. They are free of charge and all participants receive a Fun Football Activity Book.
Fifteen venues across Northern Ireland are set to host the first tranche of the free four-week sessions this year. And included in the schedule are special sessions for kids from ethnic minorities as well as for children with disabilities.
The McDonald’s sessions kick off at Willowbank Sports Facility in Belfast on Sunday 25 February (2pm to 4pm). It’s a session for children from ethnic minorities and it will also run on the following three Sundays.
The others include Shankill Leisure Centre in Belfast (27 Feb to 19 March), Tolerton Sports Zone in Dunmurry (28 Feb to 20 March), Annagh 3G in Portadown (1-22 Mar), Lincoln Courts Community Association in Derry-Londonderry (for ethnic minorities, 1-22 Mar), Roe Valley Leisure Centre in Limavady (4-25 Mar) and Dungannon Leisure Centre (4-25 Mar).
Sessions will also be running at Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney (5-26 Mar), Avoniel Leisure Centre in Belfast (6-27 Mar), Enniskillen’s Lakeland Forum (6-27 Mar), Bangor Aurora (7-28 Mar), Killyleagh FC 3G (7-28 Mar), Damolly FC in Newry (8-29 Mar) and Coleraine Leisure Centre (9-29 Mar).
And the Valley Leisure Centre in Newtownabbey will host Fun Football activities for children with disabilities from 6 to 27 March.
Run in partnership with the Irish FA, Scottish FA, Football Association of Wales and a network of football coaching providers in England, the McDonald’s programme was relaunched post Covid in May 2022 with the aim of providing over one million kids aged five to 11 in the UK with the opportunity to enjoy free football coaching over a four-year period.
McDonald’s and its partners are on course to deliver more than 10.5 million hours of Fun Football over those four years, making it the largest grassroots participation programme in the UK.
Registration is now open for the upcoming McDonald’s Fun Football Centres in Northern Ireland. To register please click here.
