FAI Cadbury Kick Fit 2024 encourages fun, non-competitive football for women

Main feature image: Abbie Larkin at FAI Cadbury Kick Fit Launch

Cadbury is official snack partner of the Ireland Women’s National Team and supports women’s football from Grassroots to International level through its Cadbury Become a Supporter & A Half campaign.

Cadbury is today inviting women from around Ireland, who want to have fun, improve their fitness and meet new people this summer, to take part in the FAI Cadbury Kick Fit programme, a nationwide joint initiative in partnership with the Football Association of Ireland to drive participation in women’s football.

FAI Cadbury Kick Fit is part of the Cadbury Become A Supporter & A Half campaign, which encourages participation and drives awareness of women in football from grassroots to national level.

The Kick Fit programme was trialed last year and saw major success, with over 800 women across Ireland participating in the pilot programme. This summer, the 8-week programme will again offer a fun, non-competitive, social space for women to keep fit and meet new people. Each programme is managed by individual clubs and supported by FAI Development Officers and the FAI Women’s Football Programme Coordinator. The joint initiative also encourages the recruitment of female coaches and players to local clubs.

Newly appointed Cadbury ambassador and Ireland Women’s National Team player, Abbie Larkin, was on hand today to show her support commenting: “The women’s game has seen huge success in the past couple of years and as someone who has come through grassroots clubs myself, FAI Cadbury Kick Fit resonates with me and my journey. The people who supported me, the clubs, volunteers, coaches, refs throughout the country is what makes this game very special. I’m excited for people to experience the joy of kicking a ball for fun and remember, all you need is a pair of runners and you’re good to go”.

Cadbury Become a Supporter & A Half has directly supported women in football, from Grassroots to International level, since the partnership with FAI began in 2021 by driving awareness and encouraging participation to close the gap between numbers of men and women playing football. To date, over 50 Grassroots clubs* have directly benefited from Cadbury’s support, with many more set to benefit from the 2024 campaign.

Cadbury Ireland's Senior Brand Manager, Seamus Harahan, spoke about the ongoing commitment to women's football in Ireland at the launch of the FAI Cadbury Kick Fit initiative today: “Cadbury Become a Supporter & A Half reflects the brand's generous spirit by actively supporting the FAI's strategy to grow the women's game. Since the partnership began, Cadbury has worked directly with over 50 Grassroots clubs, demonstrating our dedication to increasing participation and closing the gender gap. This year, FAI Cadbury Kick Fit aims to get even more Grassroots clubs involved and support everyone who wants to play”.

Excited to kick off FAI Cadbury Kick Fit 2024, Pearl Slattery, FAI Programme Coordinator – Women’s Football said: "Last year's pilot programme went better than expected, and this year, we're aiming to go even bigger, reaching as many women as we can. We want every woman in Ireland to feel welcome, regardless of experience, to come along, have fun, and maybe even discover a new passion!"

Ready to get involved? Or need some more information, please visit https://www.fai.ie/play-and-participate/women-and-girls-football/fai-programmes/cadbury-kick-fit/ or for more information on Cadbury Become a Supporter & A Half see cadbury.ie/supporter or follow the conversation at @CadburyIreland on all social media.