MacBlair, in partnership with the Irish Football Association, has announced the first club to be supported through the MacBlair Building Support Fund.
Crumlin United will receive building materials through the fund that will help them enhance their Mill Road facilities.
One of Northern Ireland’s leading builders’ merchants, MacBlair is the official builders’ merchant partner of the Irish Football Association.
The Building Support Fund, as part of MacBlair’s partnership with the association, directly supports clubs through the provision of building materials for projects such as upgrading clubhouses, enhancing pitches or improving facilities. Up to £120,000 worth of materials will be awarded to clubs over the next three years.
MacBlair and the Irish Football Association have also set up the Club Support Fund. Through this initiative clubs can apply on the Irish FA website for an essential training equipment pack worth £1,000, including FIFA standard training balls, match balls, bibs, cones and kit bags.
Crumlin United FC is the first club to be supported through the MacBlair Building Support Fund.
The County Antrim club, which participates in the Northern Amateur League, applied for funding to enhance existing facilities by adding two toilets to changing rooms. The materials, including toilets and sinks, will be supplied by MacBlair Antrim.
The MacBlair and Irish FA judging panel were impressed by the club’s application, which underlined its ambition to continue to grow its over 400-strong membership and participate in increasingly higher levels of competition.
Crumlin United chairman Tom McPeake was presented with signage to mark the support by Julie Carson, MacBlair Marketing Manager, Chris Elliott, branch manager of MacBlair Antrim, and Stephen Garrett, Senior Commercial Manager at the Irish Football Association.
The Crumlin United chairman said: “We’re delighted to be the first club to benefit from the MacBlair Building Support Fund.
“As a club we need to continue to develop our facilities in line with our ambition to continue to welcome new members, play an important role in the local community and compete at the highest levels possible. These building materials from MacBlair help us improve the comfort and safety of our members.”
Julie Carson, MacBlair Marketing, said: “I am delighted to announce Crumlin United FC as the first recipient of support from the MacBlair Building Support Fund.
“It was obvious from the club’s application that it’s a well-run club that plays a major role in the local community and has a clear vision of how it wants to continue to improve both on and off the field. From our conversations with the club we’re confident it will benefit greatly from the building materials.
“We encourage other clubs across Northern Ireland to follow Crumlin United FC’s lead and apply for support through the MacBlair Building Support Fund.”
Stephen Garrett, Senior Commercial Manager at the Irish Football Association, said Crumlin United were deserving first recipients of funding from the MacBlair Building Support Fund.
He added: “The Irish FA is delighted to partner with MacBlair who have an evident passion for supporting grassroots football around the country. We strongly encourage other clubs to send in their applications to be in with a chance of being the next to benefit from this brilliant initiative.”
Club members across Northern Ireland can visit the MacBlair or Irish Football Association websites to apply on behalf of their club for building materials from the £120,000 fund.
Applications close on the last day of each quarter, with the next deadline being 31 December.
Image: At the announcement were: Stephen Garrett, Senior Commercial Manager, Irish FA; Patrick Carroll, Strategic Development and Risk Director, MacBlair; Tom McPeake, Chairman, Crumlin United FC; Chris Elliott, Branch Manager, MacBlair Antrim; Julie Carson, MacBlair Marketing, and Marty Flynn, Board Member, Crumlin United FC.
