Project Objectives: • Establish Futsal (5-a-side indoor football) Education Centres (Hubs) in the cross border region that will deliver Futsal & education to socially marginalised groups;• Establish pan disability (multi-disability groups playing on the one team) clubs in Ireland. Both the• The Hubs will each hold a year-long course for 30 participants and will use Futsal to engage target groups in further education. Established clubs will be engaged & assisted to offer pan disability football within the Hubs to develop an ethos of inclusivity.• Joint research will be conducted during the project in order to determine its impacts. It will highlight social and community changes and how the project will positively impact on communities.• A major part of the content is delivery of coaching sessions by participants within the community to targeted groups.• The project will facilitate the exchange of best practice and knowledge transfer amongst the Football Association of Ireland, the Welsh Football Trust, key stakeholders and local communities. Project Aims: • To conduct a feasibility study to assess the need for local football led Hubs;• To establish Hubs which would show best practice; develop an exchange programme; and promote and establish community forums;• To research the effectiveness of Futsal in disadvantaged areas as a tool towards social inclusion;• To integrate pan-disability football into mainstream football clubs;• To jointly manage the project and roll out effectively in both regions. Achievements: A key element in the roll out of Project FUTSAL was to examine the impact of the project on participants and the communities in which the hubs were based. The research was designed to specifically examine the impact and influence that football can have on social inclusion and the regeneration of communities. This is perhaps the first time that a longitudinal study of it’s kind has been undertaken.In this regard, the Football Association of Ireland and the Welsh Football Trust engaged the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth to carry out the research on Project FUTSAL.Based on the findings of this research, it is possible to identify a number of strengths of Project FUTSAL: • Positive outcomes for participants. As well as academic and sporting awards, improved levels of health and fitness in addition to improved confidence, self-esteem, motivation and subjective agency signifies improved wellbeing for participants.• Particularly strong in engaging participants – opening up of employment opportunities, personal development pathways including advancement to further education, contributing to improved agency and improved employability in the longer term.• The volunteer dimension of the programme has made a valuable contribution to community development and regeneration.• The commitment to pan-disability training has created a resource for local clubs wishing to engage in pan-disability football.• Football was particularly successful as a ‘hook’ in attracting and retaining students across Project FUTSAL hubs• Positive working relationships with education providers and local authorities contributed significantly to the success of Project FUTSAL in Ireland.• The adult education approach taken in the project has been successful, with participants reporting that Project FUTSAL compared favourably with other experiences of education. . With an average of 25 participants commencing in each of the seven hubs, there was a 38.3% full award rate in 2012/2013, and a 33.7% full award rate in 2013/2014, considerably higher than the 2012 national average of 22.7% for full major award achievements by individuals undertaking Level 5-6 awards (ESRI, 2014).• Project FUTSAL represents value for money, in that its positive outcomes can be assessed as representing potential public expenditure savings.• Project has the potential to inform adult education and sports inclusion policy at a local and national level in both Ireland and Wales.• Project FUTSAL has provided participants with very positive subjective experiences. Almost all participants surveyed post-programme in Ireland (95%) would recommend the project.