Who We Are

North London United strives to support young people with Down Syndrome achieve an active, healthy, and safe lifestyle through an inclusive football community. 

* Help the participants to become better players

* Help the players engage socially and make new friends

* Coach our participants and help them develop physically, strengthen their muscle tone, and improve their coordination, skills and balance

* Provide a safe environment for players to engage socially outside of typical carer and educational settings

* Use sport to develop participant wellbeing

* Promote education and inclusion of Down syndrome in the local and wider community

NLU was founded in 2013 by Coach H after a mother of a child with Down syndrome approached him asking to start a DS specific football project. Coach H worked through the logistics that were needed to develop a club committed to safety and fun.

After some research into the Down Syndrome Association and its inclusion model with football clubs across the UK, Coach H self-funded the start of North London United. Eight players came to the first session and the club has been steadily growing and improving ever since!

Each week our small team of coaches deliver a structured session tailored around the various abilities within the group.

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Sessions start with a group warm-up that targets physical areas of development most common to people with Down Syndrome - low muscle tone, agility, balance, coordination, and speed. 

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With the group split up (based on age and individual ability), the main part of the session involves coaching practical elements - Passing, Turning, Dribbling, Shooting, Running with the ball.

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To conclude each session the group finishes with a match or a set of games. 

All activities in the session are delivered in a safe environment with safeguarding at the forefront of everything we do. 

The North London United coaching team is comprised of dedicated volunteers with a diverse range of expertise. We have coaches who have been with the club since the beginning and bring in new faces as the club grows.

All coaches are equipped with skills to facilitate and deliver safe and engaging sessions to cater to the individual abilities of each player. 
 

One year after forming, NLU was approached by Arsenal FC to run our football sessions at their newly constructed community hub.

Arsenal FC also keen to support and be involved with the local community,  partnered with NLU. We are still running our sessions at the hub over ten years on.