The Irish FA has received funding of over half a million pounds from the National Lottery Sport NI Sports Systems Investment Programme.
The programme is designed to help governing bodies increase participation and develop pathways for success at the highest level of their sport.
Welcoming the funding, Irish FA Director of Women’s and Girls’ Football Angela Platt said: “The Sport NI Sports Systems Investment Programme funding of £550,000 per year will help the Irish FA to advance volunteer and club development to increase opportunities to participate in football and enhance the elite boys and girls pathways to develop future talent for international honours and competition.
“We are grateful for the support and partnership of Sport NI and the National Lottery to help us achieve the wide-ranging benefits of football for all in Northern Ireland.”
Sport NI interim CEO Richard Archibald said: “The National Lottery-funded Sport NI Sports Systems Investment Programme is making an incredible impact on sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland.
“Sport NI believes in the power of sport to change lives and we are delighted to work with governing bodies like the Irish Football Association to ensure they have the resources and expertise necessary to grow and support their sports to compete with the best in the world.”
The Sports Systems Investment Programme supports whole sports systems, from community and club level to high performance on the world stage.
It has a focus on making sport more inclusive and accessible for everyone in Northern Ireland and providing more opportunities for under-represented groups, including women and girls, people with a disability and in areas of social deprivation.
Image: Welcoming the funding package are Sport NI interim CEO Richard Archibald, Irish FA Girls’ Elite Youth Academy manager Danielle McDowell Tuffey, Northern Ireland Women’s U19 internationals Daisy and Gracie Conway and Sport NI chairperson George Lucas.
