Northern Ireland broadband provider, Fibrus, has launched its Play it Forward Fund for the third year running, with £50k available to local sports clubs across Northern Ireland and Cumbria.
Designed to support grassroots sports clubs in regional and rural communities, the fund provides up to £1,000 per club to help improve facilities or obtain essential equipment and sports kits. The Play it Forward Fund aims to reach beyond sports, empowering children in local communities to prioritise movement, health and wellbeing and reduce screen time.
Since launching in 2023, the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund has contributed £100,000 to sports clubs in both Northern Ireland and Cumbria, England, helping kids to switch off from their devices and get outside. In Northern Ireland, over £60,000 has been allocated to 63 local clubs.
In 2024, 33 clubs across Northern Ireland were selected for funding support. One of last year’s successful groups was Elite Taekwon-Do NI, a sports club based in Bangor that was established in January 2024. The funding from the Play it Forward Fund enabled the club to purchase new equipment, allowing existing students to progress in the sport and increase capacity, allowing more children to have the opportunity to join the club and try a new sport.
Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus, said:“We are committed to playing a role in improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people, so investing in local communities is very important to us. Our Play It Forward Fund is just one way we try to give back to the communities which we serve.
“I’m delighted to see a new batch of clubs, like Elite Taekwon-Do NI, benefitting from our sports fund. Since launching, we’ve had a fantastic response with applications increasing year on year. We know how important these clubs are to the local community but equally know how difficult funding can be for them to keep the lights on and grow. We’re incredibly proud to play a small part in bettering the community in which we operate and would encourage any clubs thinking of applying to do so.”
Dean Pritchard from Elite Taekwon-Do NI commented:“Our club has progressed from strength to strength within a short period of time. We are inclusive and open to all ages – we have students as young as five years old as well as more mature students. In the last year we have entered our team into five competitions both locally and nationally. Most recently in the Irish National championships in Limerick where we came away with three gold medals.”
“The money provided through the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund has been a massive help to us, as with every new club there are a lot of costs and receiving this support from Fibrus has helped us to be able to purchase equipment. This means that we can progress the students training and hopefully attract some new members to the sport.”
The 2025 Play it Forward Fund comes on the back of the recenty Fibrus Community Fund, which has just seen funding of almost £60k made available to community groups across Northern Ireland and Cumbria for the fifth year in a row.
The next round of funding for the Fibrus Play it Forward fund is now open, and applications close at 12 noon on Friday 3 October 2025.
To learn more about the full eligibility criteria and how to apply, please visit: www.fibrus.com/play-it-forward-fund/