Further Funding for Free Fun Football

British Blind Sport (BBS) is to continue working with McDonald’s Fun Football, delivering blind and partially sighted football to children aged 5-11 in England. 

The announcement follows a commitment by McDonald’s Fun Football to invest in grassroots football across the UK for a further four years.

For more than two decades millions of children have been given opportunities to play, while grassroots clubs, coaches and communities have benefited from investment, equipment, coaching and participation programmes.

At the heart of Fun Football is exactly what the name suggests: fun. For many children, it will be their first experience of the game, so sessions are designed to be enjoyable, welcoming and full of opportunities to play, laugh and build confidence.

Over the next four years, its grassroots commitments, with the help of its partners, will focus on creating more opportunities for children to play, removing barriers to participation, supporting grassroots coaches and volunteers and helping make football a more inclusive game for everyone.

At the heart of the commitment is a simple belief: football should be accessible to every child, regardless of experience, background or ability.

This means working with partners and communities to provide free opportunities in some of the most deprived communities across the UK, helping to remove financial and geographical barriers to participation.

And at a time when many families are facing continued cost-of-living pressures and local services are under increasing pressure, the commitment to making all Fun Football provision free of charge is more important than ever.

Inclusion will be a particular area of focus, with the programme set to deliver a 235% uplift in Additional Needs and Inclusion sessions from where they currently stand, over the next four years.

This significant expansion will create more opportunities for children with additional needs to experience the benefits of football in welcoming and supportive environments.

The next four years will therefore be about more than delivering free football sessions. They will be about building a grassroots game that is stronger, more inclusive and more accessible for the future.

For further information on McDonald’s involvement in grassroots football and to find a Fun Football session, visit https://mcdonaldsfunfootball.co.uk/FunFootball or follow @FunFootballUK on social media. For details of specific BBS sessions, visit https://britishblindsport.org.uk/mcdonaldsfunfootball