Community Partnership Projects
At PFA Northern Ireland, we are committed to supporting our members, their families, and the wider community through meaningful initiatives that create real impact.
The Primary School Programme
Our Primary School Programme delivers vital messages to young people across Northern Ireland. Together with our partners, we promote respect for girls through White Ribbon, provide nutrition advice with the support of Sports Medicine NI, and raise awareness of gambling harms in partnership with Gambling With Lives and our players group. By engaging children at an early age, we aim to build healthier habits, stronger values, and safer communities for the future.
The Man On Initiative
The Man On Initiative focuses on mental wellbeing by breaking down stigma and providing safe spaces for conversations. Led by players Jeff Hughes, David McDaid, and Johnny McMurray, this project hosts community kickabouts at local clubs, encouraging people to connect, share, and support each other through football.
Players Against Dementia Campaign
Through our Players Against Dementia campaign, we stand alongside former players and their loved ones affected by dementia and other illnesses. This project raises much-needed funds and awareness, ensuring those who gave so much to the game receive the support, recognition, and care they deserve.
Our Projects & Initiatives
At PFA Northern Ireland, we believe in leveraging the power of sport, education, and community to deliver meaningful social impact. Below is a deeper look at the work we support:
The Primary School Programme
We partner with trusted organisations to deliver early interventions that build healthier and more respectful communities. Key pillars include:
- Respect & Gender Equality (via White Ribbon)
We align with the White Ribbon campaign—which promotes a pledge to “never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls”—to embed respect, consent, and gender equality in young minds. whiteribbonni.org+2PSNI+2
We help deliver tailored content to primary schools, using educational resources designed to challenge harmful attitudes and empower children as change-makers. Education Partnership - Nutrition & Healthy Habits (via Sports Medicine NI)
Through collaboration with Sports Medicine NI, our programme delivers evidence-based nutrition advice, healthy eating workshops, and interactive sessions aimed at equipping children with the knowledge to make better food choices. - Gambling Awareness (via Gambling With Lives & Players Group)
We work in partnership with Gambling With Lives and our own Players’ Group to raise awareness around the risks of problem gambling.
This includes educational talks, resources, and peer-led conversations in schools, designed to shift attitudes before harmful patterns take hold.
By engaging directly with children and educators, our aim is to plant seeds of respect, health, and responsibility from a young age.
The Man On Initiative
Men’s mental health is too often neglected—so we support Man On, a programme that tackles stigma and builds connection through sport and conversation.
- Mental Wellbeing & Peer Support
The programme is led by footballers and advocates Jeff Hughes, David McDaid, and Johnny McMurray. Through their lived-experience credibility, they lead open dialogue on mental health and encourage vulnerability as a strength.
PFA NI works alongside them to provide structure, promotion, and coordination of the initiative. - Community Kickabouts & Safe Spaces
Weekly open-football sessions (often 5-a-side style) are held at local clubs—welcoming men of all backgrounds, whether they play regularly or not. After the game, participants are invited to relax together, talk, and build meaningful connections.
In 2025, Man On partnered with the PSNI to host free sessions in Coleraine, bringing men together to break down stigma, improve wellbeing, and foster trust in communities. - Bridging Sport & Community
These sessions serve multiple purposes: they promote physical health, encourage regular social interaction, and reduce isolation—especially in male cohorts where seeking help is often stigmatized.
Players Against Dementia Campaign
We stand in solidarity with former players and their families affected by dementia or other neurodegenerative illnesses. Our goals are threefold: support, awareness, and advocacy.
- Fundraising & Support Services
We help raise funds to help with family-support systems. Within football, similar initiatives like PFA’s “Brain Health Fund” and Alzheimer’s Society-backed projects help ex-professionals access virtual clinics and “memory clubs.” Alzheimer’s Society - Through collaboration with the global PFA network, clubs, and medical experts, we work to embed long-term caregiving structures for former players and families