Belfast Football Club expands Play & Learn programme through Fibrus Community Fund
North Belfast based Community Football Company has received £2,000 from the Fibrus Community Fund, enabling the club to expand its offering to even more beneficiaries.
A solace for children in the north of the city, the Community Football Company offers a range of grassroots football schemes for children aged five to twelve years old.
A first-time recipient of the Fibrus Community Fund, the club has been able to acquire additional digital resources for its Play & Learn programme, which is a free wellness initiative combining soccer and a homework club to encourage digital literacy learning among participants.
Conor Stiobhard, Community Development Officer from the Community Football Company said: “This funding will transform our programme into a space where digital learning is not only possible but enjoyable. It will allow us to remove a major barrier to opportunity for these young people, helping them to catch up academically and build skills that will support them long after the project ends.”
Launched in 2021, the Fibrus Community Fund was established in partnership between Fibrus Broadband, a local Full Fibre broadband provider, and Community Foundation NI to help bridge the digital divide within local communities. The fund has provided over £230,000 to more than 130 community groups across Northern Ireland since its inception.
Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus said: “We are delighted to support the Community Football Company in its ambitions to create meaningful learning opportunities through its Play & Learn programme.
“Community and social inclusion have been central to Fibrus’ values from the very beginning and through our Community Fund, we are thrilled to support initiatives that help increase access to digital knowledge and skills. These projects provide an invaluable service to their community, and it is so important to support their great work.”
Órla Black, Director of Grants and Fund Development at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said: “The partnership between Fibrus and the Community Foundation continues to go from strength to strength. The current programme by the Community Football Company is just one example of an innovative and fun way to get young people connected, boost their learning opportunities and have a first-class football coaching session on top of it. This highlights the real meaning of the Fibrus Community Fund and shows where having meaningful impact can reach so many people."