Muscular Dystrophy UK and Disability Sport Northern Ireland (NI) join forces to host a free sporting event on Friday 18 April 2025.

The leading charity for more than 110,000 children and adults in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions is calling on children and their families in Northern Ireland, to join the free session on Good Friday.

The event will give children aged under 18 living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions (and their siblings) the opportunity to try different sporting activities, such as boccia, archery and accessible cycling.

Children will be fully supported with adaptations, so they can enjoy playing sports, learning new skills, and meet other children living with a muscle wasting and weakening condition. This event is for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory children.

There will be an opportunity for families to meet with others in muscle wasting and weakening community in Northern Ireland and find out more about the support Muscular Dystrophy UK can provide.

Participant at a previous Muscular Dystrophy UK disability sport event.

Credit: @MuscularDystrophyUK

Graham Hawthorne, Advocacy and Information Officer for Northern Ireland at Muscular Dystrophy UK said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with Disability Sport Northern Ireland to offer children aged under 18 the opportunity to try different sporting activities. It’s an opportunity for families to meet others in the muscle wasting and weakening community in Northern Ireland to engage in a fun filled day and find out how Muscular Dystrophy UK can offer support.”

Disability Sport NI is Northern Ireland’s main disability sports charity working to improve the health and wellbeing of disabled people through sport and active recreation. Terry Conroy, Performance Pathway Officer – Boccia for Disability Sport NI said: “We’re excited about working with Muscular Dystrophy UK to promote sporting opportunities to families who maybe haven’t engaged with us before. Other parts of the UK have been really successful with these kind of events and signposting participants to recreational, club and performance opportunities, so it’s great to be able to offer something similar in Northern Ireland.”

The event will take place between 10.30am – 1.30pm at South Lake Leisure Centre, 1 Lake Road, Craigavon Co, Armagh, BT64 1AS. The venue has a Changing Places toilet and accessible parking available.

Find out more and register your interest musculardystrophyuk.org/NISports. If you can’t attend this event Muscular Dystrophy UK will be holding the upcoming events including an Information Day (Weds 4 June), and an Accessible Beach Day in association with Mae Murray Foundation (Sat 21 June).