Uxbridge Amblers Walking FC was established in 2014 from a Just Play session.

The Club has grown to deliver recreational and competitive walking football to 75 members aged over 50 years at two weekly sessions. They have also developed a community Walking Football Get Active programme with the London Borough of Hillingdon for men and women.

Recognising the health and well-being benefits of Walking Football, the club’s Dementia and Parkinson’s Walking Football sessions, Forget Me Not FC, have developed into an FA award-winning project delivering for 50 participants each week.

We recently took some time to discuss the club’s latest successful funding applications with Club Secretary, Mick G:

What funding did Uxbridge Amblers receive via the Football Foundation and how has this funding positively impacted the club since the equipment has been in use?

Our Club’s fundraising activities are extensive to ensure we can keep our sessions affordable, and we can offer high quality walking football by investing not only in developing our people but in appropriate equipment.

A key part of our fundraising is seeking funding opportunities from Professional Organisations and with the support and guidance from Middlesex FA we explored the funding options from the Football Foundation.

Our wish list of equipment has definitely increased as our club grows. Balls, bibs, first aid kit and a defibrillator are now joined by club kits, cones and training goals.

The opportunity to apply for funding for a storage container with the Football Foundation was very timely as all our equipment was not in one place. The 70% funding matched by our 30% of the total cost of the container meant our budget returned more for the money invested.

The Club has grown to deliver recreational and competitive walking football to 75 members aged over 50 years at two weekly sessions. They have also developed a community Walking Football Get Active programme with the London Borough of Hillingdon for men and women.
Recognising the health and well-being benefits of Walking Football, the club's Dementia and Parkinson's Walking Football sessions, Forget Me Not FC, have developed into an FA award-winning project delivering for 50 participants each week. — Pic credit: Uxbridge Amblers Walking FC

We also had the opportunity to deliver extra sessions on a grass area at our club base, the Uxbridge Sports Club, and the funding from the Football Foundation for sets of goals has meant we can grow our Dementia and Parkinson’s walking football project and hold competitive walking football training sessions.

What made the Club decide to apply for this funding and how important are facilities and equipment for a grassroots club like Uxbridge Amblers?

The storage Container has now given us an easily accessible kit and equipment central storage hub for all our coaches and session activators, ensuring good time management and the right equipment is available at the right time.

Taking the opportunity to use a new grass area for additional sessions was not viable without equipment and the Football Foundation’s funding for goalposts has resulted in the club offering additional walking football sessions for all our groups.

As an FA Accredited Club we are focused on delivering a consistent but flexible range of Walking Football sessions to a wide range of community groups at affordable prices and the Football Foundation funding has been a fantastic boost to our club financial planning at a very challenging time.

How did you find the application process and was there anything that required additional support from the Football Foundation or the County FA during this process?

The funding application process on the Football Foundation website was a user friendly experience and support was always on hand from the Football Foundation team and the Middlesex FA staff to guide us through the various stages of application.

For more information on what the Football Foundations Fund: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/looking-for-funding

If you’re interested in applying for any of these funding opportunities and would like some support with your application, please contact Niki, Club & Facilities Support at Middlesex FA: Niki.koumi@middlesexfa.com

Source: https://www.middlesexfa.com/news/2026/jul/01/uxbridge-amblers-walking