The union of Charities Buying Group and Team Grassroots to establish the NWFA is to help with the expansion of walking football communities in the UK
This is to support teams and individuals who participate in walking football and those individuals looking to participate and teams looking to start up.
The purpose of The NWFA is to promote and facilitate the playing of Walking Football in the UK for the purpose of fun, social interaction, physical exercise and competitive leagues and tournaments.
We want to promote more participation in the sport, working towards having an impact on physical and mental wellbeing and maintaining the ethos of having fun making new friends’ social interaction from playing kick about games through to competitive games.
Walking football is an inclusive sport that encourages the older
generation to create relationships and become part of a community.
The sport gives older people, who may not have regular social activities,
an opportunity to interact with others, make friends, and exercise.
Although the game mirrors the traditional rules and regulations of
football, evident changes are incorporated to make the ball game
inclusive. That is why tackling is non-contact only, kick-ins replace
throw-ins, and there is absolutely no running involved.
The game is also often played on small pitches with smaller goals and
six-a-side teams
Even though the game was designed with men over 50 and women over 40 in mind, all ages are welcome to play walking football. The game has a multitude of different age groups who participate in the sport, as there is no immediate contact or running involved. However, similar age groups will play against one another to make matches fair.
There are countless physical and mental health benefits for players of walking football. Playing the sport can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes.
The game can also change and/or improve postural balance, blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate, blood sugar levels and bone density.
Being part of a team also improves an individual’s mental health, as the game gives people a sense of purpose and belonging. In addition to regular matches, players can become involved in various roles that are necessary for the games to go ahead, such as planning and training.
