Each week, the Bradford City FC Community Foundation runs free walking football sessions for participants with Parkinson's and other conditions impacting their mobility.
Delivered by our team of dedicated coaches, our Parkinson's Walking Football Sessions welcome a dozen players each week to take part in specialised sport in a safe, welcoming and inclusive space which is as much about making friends as it is about playing football.
Our current funding cycle is ending in April - and we need your support.
For just £50 a week, we can continue to run our Parkinson's Walking Football sessions, and make sure they are completely free to access. With your help, we can ensure that our attendees continue to get the support they need, continue to make friendships for life, and be part of the Bantams family.
Meet Steven:
Steven Fox is a 62 year-old participant at our weekly Parkinson’s Walking Football sessions. Steven is from the Harden area of Bradford, works three days a week as a technical support manager, and is a husband and a father.
Steven was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2023. The condition has manifested in the form of mobility issues, stress and anxiety, alongside problems with tendonitis in his wrists and ankles. He has a right-side tremor and struggles with both processing information and multitasking.
Before attending our sessions, Steven says that he lacked motivation. His mobility difficulties, spatial awareness, coordination issues and muscle stiffness led to a sense of lethargy and apathy in his day-to-day life.
Since attending our sessions, Steven has seen an increase in his energy levels, and he looks forward to participating in the football coaching each week. Skills he has demonstrated include ball control, multitasking activities, passing the ball, taking penalties and creating space on the field. Sessions regularly end with a friendly game amongst the participants, with Steven always playing a key role.
Steven states that he is more confident in undertaking complex tasks, his mobility has improved, he is regularly in a better mood, and he has a more positive outlook in general.
He appreciates the support it provides him, and the chance to socialise with people suffering with similar conditions.
Steven attended our first-ever dedicated Parkinson’s Walking Football session in April 2025, when he was joined by just three other participants. Now, in spring 2026, Steven is regularly joined by over a dozen of his fellow participants, each engaging in diversionary, inclusive, fun and accessible sport which continuously boosts their health and wellbeing.
When asked about the impact the project has had on his life, Steven said:
“I really enjoy coming to Walking Football. I appreciate the camaraderie of everyone who comes, including the coaches. I have made a lot of friends through this activity. I regularly give another person a lift to and from Walking Football, who also really enjoys it. I feel that this is a very valuable resource for people with Parkinson’s. When it started it was not widely publicised or attended, but with help from Bradford City FC Community Foundation and Parkinson’s UK Yorkshire the attendance has grown. The coaches are excellent, researching Parkinson’s and tailoring the training to challenge us, and I’d like thank Andrei, our coach, who always makes the sessions as fun and inclusive as possible.”
Andrei Condoiu, Steven’s coach at the sessions, said:
“Coaching on the Parkinson’s Walking Football project is one of my favourite parts of the job. The chats and the banter with our attendees each week is always fantastic, and I love helping them get stuck into the training and drills and games we play. Steven is a great example to everyone who comes down - he has taken his love for football and used it as a force for good, and you can see the impact it has on him each week. It has been a privilege to get to know him, and I look forward to continuing my journey with our ever-growing team here in the future."
