ARUC and MFA launch fund to help 160 children join football nurseries

Around 160 children from families facing social and financial difficulties will be given assistance to attend football nurseries under a new agreement signed between the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) and the Malta Football Association (MFA). The scheme will cover up to €250 per child, enabling more youngsters to take up football in nurseries across various localities in Malta. Under the agreement, ARUC will provide 75% of the funding, while the MFA will contribute the remaining 25%. Applications for the programme will be assessed by a dedicated committee. The agreement was signed at the football nursery in Sliema, where officials from both entities said the initiative is aimed at helping children from challenging social backgrounds while also promoting sport as a healthy lifestyle choice and an alternative to harmful habits. Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said the agreement strengthens ARUC's mission of using its resources to promote sports and social activities as the best alternatives to help young people avoid vices, including drug use. She said the initiative also reflects ARUC's wider goal of reducing cannabis consumption and limiting the harm associated with its use through prevention and responsible controls. ARUC chief executive Joey Reno Vella said the authority was pleased to be collaborating with the MFA, Malta's largest sporting association, in what he described as a practical and concrete initiative that promotes healthier, more natural choices over cannabis use. He added that the agreement reinforces ARUC's commitment to drug abuse prevention and builds on its ongoing partnership with Sedqa in educational and awareness programmes about the dangers of drugs. MFA Senior Vice-President Matthew Paris described the project as another important collaboration with the government in support of sport, saying its social dimension was especially significant because it would widen access to football for children who might otherwise be excluded.
2026-03-28 16:14:00