Hi.

Warriors United is a Club with a difference! Every one of its 80 players has a learning disability, ranging from moderate to profound.

The Club, which is run by the charity Nottinghamshire Down Syndrome Support Group as part of their work in the community, and affiliated to Dunkirk FC, meet every week in both Mansfield and Nottingham to run sessions for the players to help them form friendships, stay active and of course to play football.

For more information about the charity, click here www.ndssg.org.uk

Everyone is welcome at our club regardless of their footballing ability or level and type of disability. We are a truly inclusive Club enabling everyone to succeed. For those who need it, our volunteers provide one-to-one support on the pitch, to enable the players to fully take part and not be overlooked in the match.

Warriors United enjoys a wonderful relationship with Nottingham Forest FC who have truly embraced our players, inviting them to meet the players, enjoy interviewing a manager, meeting the owner, attending Christmas parties and doing a Lap of Honour around the pitch at a Forest match! These opportunities have been amazing for our players and to show the general public that Football is for everyone.

This summer, we want to give our players another wonderful opportunity. – to go to the Special Olympics national games in Birmingham in August. Special Olympics is a worldwide organisation allowing people with learning disabilities to participate in sporting activities at their level. For more information, click here https://www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk/who-we-are/what-is-special-olympics-gb

After putting out an expression of interest to the Warriors, 26 of our adult players, and 24 of our junior players, put their names down to attend this amazing event. But this opportunity will come with a cost. And we would love to find a way to fund – or part fund - our footballers and their families to take part.

They - and the 12 volunteers coming to support them – will need football kit specific to the Special Olympics, and local overnight accommodation, as well as entry fees to the tournament and Special Olympics affiliation. We envisage the final total cost to be around £10,000.

We will ask the players, or parents, to pay something towards them participating in the event, but are aware that people’s budgets are stretched at the moment.

So we are looking for funding to enable Warriors United to go to the Special Olympics and do Nottinghamshire proud, as they represent the county on a national level.

We hope you may be able to help!