Derry clubs encouraged to apply for Fibrus 'Play it Forward' Fund

The £50,000 fund, which is now in its second year and is available to sports clubs from NI and Cumbria, is designed to support grassroots sports in regional and rural communities, offering up to £1,000 per club to help with equipment, kits, improving facilities and subsiding training fees.

Thirty clubs in NI received funding support in 2023 including Ballinamallard Youth Soccer Development, who used the funds to support their girls’ programmes, and St Brigid’s Camogie club in Armagh, which used the funds received from Fibrus to run a 10-week programme encouraging more local children to get involved in the sport.

Enniskillen Ladies Hockey club received £1,000 to help with pitch hire costs, allowing them to provide free, accessible and local hockey coaching for individuals aged 7 and upwards. Strangford Coastal Rowing club also benefitted from the funding, using it to purchase life jackets, which help keep membership fees low and reduced barriers which could deter young people from taking part.

And now the company is hoping to encourage more local Derry clubs to apply for their share of the funding. Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus, said: “Investing in local communities is one of our core missions at Fibrus and our Play it Forward Fund allows us to play a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of children.

“Sports and clubs are intrinsic to the communities in which we operate, and we are committed to supporting these communities wholly, through both digital connectivity, but also to ensure clubs have access to essential funds to support children’s sports in their area. After such a good response to the Fund last year, we are delighted to continue this initiative in 2024 to support grassroots community sports organisations. We are looking forward to the positive impact it will have on local communities in the upcoming year”.

The 2024 Play it Forward Fund comes on the back of Fibrus’ announcement earlier this year that it was making an additional £120,000 of funding available across NI and Cumbria through the Fibrus Community Fund, to alleviate digital poverty, underlining the broadband provider’s commitment to the local community.

The next round of funding is now open and will close on July 5th. To learn more about the full eligibility criteria and how to apply to the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund, visit //fibrus.com/play-it-forward-fund/.