The Wellington Phoenix are celebrating the start of the sixth year of their groundbreaking Football For All programme.
The Phoenix, with funding from the Lloyd Morrison Trust, launched Football For All in 2020 with the aim of removing barriers for playing football and futsal such as registration fees, equipment costs, transportation difficulties and communication barriers.
The programme works predominantly with refugee and immigrant communities, lower socio-economic families, and local Pasifika and iwi.
Starting from a base of 47 participants in the Wellington region in 2020, Football For All, which is now run in partnership with Capital Football, saw 1,500 participants engaged in the programme last year across Te Whanganui-a-Tara alone.
It now spans the entire country with all six of New Zealand Football’s federations actively involved.
Football For All had its 2025 launch at Sky Stadium on Sunday, with hundreds of tamariki and rangatahi picking up gear for the new season.
Almost a thousand participants are enrolled in football this winter as a result of the programme, with more than 400 in the Capital Football region alone.
Hundreds more throughout Aotearoa will be able to play futsal this year because of Football For All.
Phoenix general manager David Dome says the programme is a big success story.
“What started five years ago as a small, localised initiative is now truly changing the landscape of football in Wellington and across New Zealand,” Dome said.
“It’s a testament to the vision of the Lloyd Morrison Trust and dedication of everyone involved, from our funders to the participating community groups and the football clubs themselves.
“There are so many people and organisations to thank, but I’d like to single out a few.
“Football For All simply wouldn’t be a reality if it wasn’t for the support of the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), the Lloyd Morrison Trust, Entelar Group, New Balance, New Zealand Police superintendent Rakesh Naidoo and the leadership of Capital Football’s Jess McFadyen, who is our programme director.
“Jess has been the driving force behind growing Football For All into the nationwide programme it is today. I’m excited to see where she takes it in 2025.”
Main image Priyanka Rao/Wellington Phoenix.
