active-play-partnerships

Co-create active play projects that get children moving

Rebound Sports works with eligible organisations to design practical, fundable active-play projects for children, young people and communities.

Our focus is simple: helping organisations create more opportunities for movement, play, social connection and inclusive physical activity — indoors, all year round.

Outdoor play matters. But in Ireland, weather, access, confidence, facilities and traditional sporting barriers can limit participation. Interactive indoor active-play systems can complement outdoor play by creating fun, inclusive and weather-resilient ways for children and young people to get active.

Why This Matters

Children need more ways to move, connect and play

Across Ireland, many children and young people are spending more time on screens and less time in active, social, physical play. Traditional sport works well for some children, but not for all.

Some children lack confidence. Some are not drawn to team sports. Some communities have limited access to suitable facilities. Some youth and community settings need activities that work indoors, in bad weather, and across mixed ages and abilities.

Rebound Sports helps organisations respond to that challenge by turning available indoor spaces into interactive activity environments where children can move, play, compete, learn and connect.

Our Co-Creation Approach

We help eligible organisations shape fundable projects

Rebound Sports does not see itself simply as an equipment supplier. We work with partners to shape active-play projects that are practical, measurable and aligned with funding priorities.

We can help eligible organisations develop project concepts around:

• Accessible active play for children and young people
• Weather-resilient indoor movement spaces
• Inclusive play for children who may not engage with traditional sport
• Youth wellbeing, confidence and social connection
• Community-based physical activity programmes
• Intergenerational play and family activity
• School, youth club and community centre activation
• Creative use of underused indoor spaces

The strongest projects are usually co-designed with a local organisation that understands the community need and can lead the funding application.

Who We Want to Partner With

Eligible partners may include

We are interested in speaking with organisations that are already working with children, young people, families or communities, including:

• Registered charities
• Community and voluntary organisations
• Youth services
• Schools and education partners
• Family resource centres
• Sports and recreation organisations
• Local development organisations
• Community centres
• Social enterprises with eligible not-for-profit structures
• Local authorities or agencies supporting community wellbeing

For some funding streams, the lead applicant may need to be a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation. Rebound Sports can support the project design, technology, implementation and activity model, while the eligible organisation leads the community delivery and funding application.

The Project Concept

Interactive active play, indoors and all year round

Rebound Sports provides interactive physical activity systems that use projection, movement, gaming and play to create engaging activity experiences.

These systems can support:

• Children's active play
• Physical literacy
• Social gaming
• Group challenges
• Team-based movement
• Inclusive activity sessions
• School and youth programmes
• Community wellbeing initiatives
• Family-friendly events

The aim is not to replace outdoor play. The aim is to add another layer of active-play infrastructure that works when outdoor activity is limited, when facilities are underused, or when children need a different route into movement.

Why This Can Fit Funding Priorities

Designed around outcomes, not just equipment

Funders increasingly want to support projects that demonstrate social impact. That means the project cannot simply be "buy a system." It needs to show how the system will be used to create meaningful outcomes.

Together with partners, Rebound Sports can help shape projects around:

• Increasing physical activity
• Reducing sedentary behaviour
• Supporting mental health and wellbeing
• Building confidence through play
• Creating social connection
• Supporting inclusion and participation
• Making activity more enjoyable for children who are less engaged by traditional sport
• Helping communities make better use of existing indoor spaces
• Creating scalable models that can be replicated in other communities

This aligns well with the type of criteria seen in recent Irish active-play and social innovation funds, where projects are expected to address a social issue, be innovative in an Irish context, show evidence of testing or delivery, and have potential to scale or replicate.

Example Project Models

Possible co-created project ideas

Active Play Hub for Children and Families

A community centre or youth organisation creates a regular indoor active-play programme for children and families using interactive movement games, group challenges and supervised sessions.

Inclusive Movement Programme

A charity or community organisation develops activity sessions for children who may not participate in traditional sport, including children with lower confidence, additional needs or limited access to organised activity.

School and Community Active Play Partnership

A school, community centre or youth partner creates a shared-use model where the system supports PE, after-school activity, holiday programmes and community access.

Youth Wellbeing Through Movement

A youth organisation develops structured activity sessions using interactive play to support confidence, connection, emotional wellbeing and positive peer engagement.

Rural Weather-Resilient Play Space

A rural community organisation creates an indoor active-play facility that gives children and families access to movement and play throughout the year, regardless of weather.

What Rebound Sports Can Bring

Practical support from idea to delivery

Rebound Sports can support partner organisations with:

• Project concept development
• Active-play model design
• Equipment specification
• Budget input
• Implementation planning
• Demonstrations and site suitability discussions
• Activity programming ideas
• Impact measurement suggestions
• Sustainability and revenue-generation thinking
• Support material for funding applications

We can also work with partners to identify whether a fixed installation, mobile system or phased approach is most appropriate for their setting.

What We Need From Partners

Strong local partners make strong projects

The best projects will come from organisations that already understand the children, families or communities they serve.

We are particularly interested in partners who can bring:

• A clear local need
• Access to a suitable space
• A relationship with children, young people or families
• An ability to lead or support a funding application
• A commitment to running regular activity sessions
• A willingness to measure participation and impact
• A desire to scale, replicate or share learning

Funding Readiness

Preparing now for future funding rounds

Many funding opportunities open with short application windows. The organisations that are ready in advance are usually in the strongest position.

That is why Rebound Sports is inviting early conversations with eligible organisations now.

Together, we can shape the project concept, define the community need, estimate costs, identify delivery partners and prepare the outline of a fundable proposal before the next relevant funding opportunity opens.

Recent Irish social innovation funds have supported multi-year projects with cash grants and non-financial supports such as accelerator participation, strategic planning, impact management, communications and fundraising support.

Call to Action

Interested in co-creating an active-play project?

If your organisation works with children, young people, families or communities, we would be happy to explore whether an interactive active-play project could fit your goals.

This is not a hard sell. It is a project-development conversation.

We want to understand your community, your space, your target group and your funding ambitions. From there, we can help shape a practical concept that may be suitable for future funding applications.

Start a Co-Creation Conversation ...

Will Hogan
Rebound Sports
Email: will@reboundsports.ie
Phone: 087 2549010