MU Foundation white
Back
Our Projects

Disability and Inclusion

The Foundation's disability and inclusion programme aims for equal sport and physical activity opportunities for disabled people, their friends and family. Find out more about these projects below.
Foundation - header content block image - Disability and Inclusion
Foundation - header content block image - Ability Counts

Ability Counts

Ability Counts is our PAN-disability football programme for players with disabilities aged 5-25 and their friends and family, held every Friday evening at The Cliff Training Ground. These sessions are supported by MUDSA (Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association).

Offering young people and adults with disabilities the opportunity to play, volunteer or coach with Manchester United, Ability Counts focuses on players with a sensory, physical or neurological disability. We have sign communicators present at all sessions.

Sessions run weekly on Fridays at The Cliff Training Ground, Lower Broughton Rd, Salford M7 2HU.

  • 7.00-7.45pm: Mixed group, ages 5-11

  • 7.00-7.45pm: Girls only group

  • 7.45-8.30pm: Mixed group, ages 12-16

  • 8.45-9.30pm: Mixed group, ages 16-25

There are also a number of opportunities for the team to compete against other teams including the Greater Manchester Ability Counts League. For more information regarding the league please visit: https://fulltime.thefa.com/

Please bring shin pads and suitable clothing and footwear for participation on a 3G pitch.

Please email matt.pilkington@mufoundation.org for more information about attending a session.

Foundation - header content block image - disability and inclusion

Powerchair football

Our Powerchair Football team works in partnership with Altrincham Town FC and helps to promote football opportunities for wheelchair users. Our team was first launched in September 2017.

Project info:

We run weekly sessions at BeActive Urmston, open to wheelchair users of all ages.

Venue: BeActive Urmston, Kingsway Park, Urmston, Manchester M41 7FJ

Thursdays, 4-6pm This session is for more advanced players, with access to their own powerchairs.

Saturdays, 10am - 12pm This is the development session for beginners who have access to their own powerchairs.

There are also a number of opportunities for the team to compete against other teams including the Muscular Dystrophy National Leagues which are run by the Wheelchair Football Association. They were formed in 2005 to govern the sport of Powerchair Football in England. The WFA is recognised by the Football Association as the sports lead organisation and our laws are sanctioned by them.

For more information, please email matt.pilkington@mufoundation.org, or visit: https://www.thewfa.org.uk/.

Inclusive Street Reds

Inclusive Street Reds offers free and inclusive football sessions, which enable disabled and non-disabled children to participate together, in community settings across Manchester. All session times and locations are listed in the dropdown below.

Within Greater Manchester, there is limited extracurricular provision for disabled children. Therefore we feel that combining both disabled and non-disabled children at football sessions will help shape a more inclusive society.

Inclusive football and positive activities for young people.

Sessions run on every Monday starting 9th September 2025. Mixed session (ages 8-12): 5pm-6pm Mixed session (ages 12-18): 6pm-7pm

If you wish to register for this session, please email matthew.pilkington@mufoundation.org for more information.

Sessions run on every Thursday starting 11th September 2025. Mixed session (ages 12-18): 5pm-6pm

To register for Inclusive Street Reds, please complete a form below:

Venue: Great Academy Ashton, Broadoak Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, OL6 8RF Key contact: Matt Pilkington Head coach: Anisa Ali

Sessions run on every Wednesday starting 10th September 2025. Mixed session (ages 8-12): 5pm-6pm

To register for Inclusive Street Reds, please complete a form below:

Venue: Manchester Academy, Moss Lane East, Moss Side, Manchester M14 4PX Head coach: Ronan Duffy

Sessions run on every Tuesday starting 9th September 2025. Mixed session (ages 12-18): 5.30pm-6.30pm

To register for Inclusive Inclusive Street Reds, please complete a form below:

Venue: The Oldham Academy North, Broadway, Royton, OL2 5BF

Key contact: Matt Pilkington

Head coach: Tom Stuttard

Foundation - Partner SEND schools image

Partner SEND schools

Manchester United Foundation delivers a wide-ranging inclusion programme which includes working in eight partner schools that specialise in working with young people living with special educational needs and disabilities [SEND]. These encompass primary schools, high schools and colleges.

The Foundation operates on a child-centred, place-based approach, ensuring a sustained and long-term impact on the young people we serve. Inclusion is at the heart of all of our work, including across our partner SEND schools, which forms part of our aim to involve more disabled young people in sport across Greater Manchester.

A full-time delivery officer is employed by Manchester United Foundation to work in each of our partner SEND schools during school term-times, providing unique educational and enrichment opportunities to school pupils, while working towards jointly agreed objectives.

To achieve our aims, we provide young people with opportunities to participate, support and volunteer in physical activity. Our main focus is centred around fun and inclusivity.

Partner schools