Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has visited three sports clubs in Donaghadee to highlight how grassroots sport supports health, wellbeing and social inclusion across generations. The visit showcased volunteer-led initiatives including an inclusive rugby team for children with additional needs and a recently merged cricket club working to secure the sport’s future locally.
The Minister toured facilities at Donaghadee Rugby Football Club, Ards and Donaghadee Cricket Club, and Donaghadee Football Club, meeting volunteers, coaches and players to discuss the challenges facing community sport in the coastal town.
Minister Praises Volunteer Dedication
During the visits, Minister Lyons emphasised the central role of volunteers in sustaining local sport. He said:
“It has been a pleasure to visit these clubs in Donaghadee and meet the volunteers and participants who give so much of their time to ensure that sport is open and accessible to everyone. Clubs like these are at the heart of their communities and play a key role in helping people stay active, improve their health and build confidence and friendships.”
At Donaghadee Rugby Football Club, the Minister met members of the Seaside Sharkies, an inclusive non-contact tag rugby team for male and female players aged eight and over with additional needs. The team represents one example of how local clubs are working to broaden participation beyond traditional boundaries.
Olympic Legacy Fund Supports Cricket Equipment
The Minister devoted particular attention to Ards and Donaghadee Cricket Club, which formed recently through the merger of two historic clubs to preserve cricket locally. The club received more than £4,000 from the Department for Communities through the Minister’s Olympic Legacy Fund, delivered by Sport NI in partnership with Crowdfunder UK.
The funding will be used to purchase a ball stopping net system, a mobile cricket cage and bowling machines with balls—equipment aimed at supporting the club’s growing junior section and multiple senior teams.
Minister Lyons said:
“It is extremely positive to see directly how funding is making a difference. Investment through programmes such as my Olympic Legacy Fund supports clubs to grow, improve their facilities and provide better experiences for players and the wider community. Seeing the benefits first-hand reinforces just how important this support is.”
The Olympic Legacy Fund represents a £2.136 million investment programme using a crowdfunding model. Clubs must raise between 25% and 35% of project costs from their local communities through Crowdfunder UK to unlock matched funding of up to £32,500 per project. The fund aims to improve the quality of offering at club and community sports facilities while leaving a lasting legacy from Northern Ireland athletes’ success at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Active Living Strategy Commitments
The visits form part of the Department’s delivery of the Active Living Strategy, which seeks to create “a vibrant, welcoming, enjoyable, inclusive and successful sector for everyone.” The strategy emphasises lifelong participation, disability inclusion, and addressing barriers faced by underrepresented groups.
Concluding his visit, the Minister thanked volunteers and club officials for their dedication:
“None of this would be possible without the commitment of volunteers. Their hard work ensures that people of all ages can enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits of sport. Supporting that work remains a priority through the delivery of our Active Living Strategy.”
Questions of Equity and Scale
While the £4,000 equipment grant addresses immediate needs, the visit raises broader questions about infrastructure investment and funding distribution. The Department’s own social media channels have drawn criticism from local residents regarding perceived underinvestment in Donaghadee’s publicly funded sports facilities compared to other towns of similar size.
The crowdfunding requirement itself may present barriers. While clubs in areas of “high social need” can access enhanced 75% match funding (rather than the standard 65%), they must still secure significant local contributions within a six-week window. This model may disadvantage clubs in communities with lower disposable incomes or smaller populations, despite the strategic goal of increasing participation among disadvantaged groups.
Comparative context highlights the scale of investment challenges. While Northern Ireland’s Olympic Legacy Fund totals £2.136 million, the Republic of Ireland announced record core funding of €33.36 million for sporting organisations in 2026, including €12.66 million for Local Sports Partnerships. Across the UK, the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is investing £98 million in 2025/26, though only eight projects in Northern Ireland currently benefit from this programme.
What to Watch For
The Department has not specified how it will measure whether these micro-grants translate into sustained participation growth or long-term club viability. With Ards and Donaghadee Cricket Club explicitly formed through merger to secure the sport’s future, scrutiny will likely focus on whether equipment funding alone can sustain a merged entity previously struggling for survival.
Key questions arising from the announcement include:
- Will £4,000 for equipment prove sufficient to ensure the long-term sustainability of the merged cricket club, or does the entity require more substantial capital investment to survive?
- How will the Department ensure equitable distribution of Active Living Strategy resources to coastal towns that appear to lag behind other areas in facility provision?
- Does the crowdfunding requirement create barriers for clubs in less affluent communities that may struggle to raise 35% of project costs locally, even with the enhanced rate for high social need areas?
- How will Sport NI measure whether these investments actually increase participation rates among underrepresented groups, including children with additional needs?
- Given that older people represent a growing proportion of disabled people in Northern Ireland, how will grassroots clubs adapt facilities to accommodate ageing participants while maintaining youth development?
Applications for the Olympic Legacy Fund remain open through Sport NI and Crowdfunder UK, with clubs required to meet crowdfunding targets and secure minimum numbers of unique supporters based on project value.