Ulster Rugby and its supporters are within touching distance of hitting a £25,000 fundraising target for Mencap's Big Step Forward Appeal, which seeks to build, equip and run a new centre for children and families with a learning disability in Northern Ireland.
Since September 2014, Mencap has been Ulster Rugby's Official Charity Partner and it is hoped the fundraising target will make it 'over the line' at a Family Open Day at Kingspan Stadium on Friday, July 31.
All proceeds from this event will help Mencap reach its current appeal target of raising at least £1.7m towards its new Children and Families' centre in Newtownbreda, which will open in early 2016.
Activities at this special event will include skills sessions with Ulster Rugby players and coaching staff, an introduction to tag rugby, fitness sessions and zorb ball races.
Families can also enjoy a climbing wall, go karts, crafts, inflatables, a petting zoo and a photo booth, with music and entertainment provided, along with outdoor food and a barbecue.
Since the announcement of the charity partnership, Ulster Rugby has delivered a number of fundraising initiatives for Mencap including match night collections, auctions and running the Belfast City Marathon relay.
"Currently, the total reached through our charity partnership with Mencap is £24,000, so we hope that one last push should bring funds beyond the target we set last September," said Fiona Hampton, Head of Sales & Marketing, Ulster Rugby.
"We hope the public will join us to celebrate the fantastic work of Mencap to date and help us raise as much as possible for a superb cause. We would like to thank Ulster Rugby's supporters for their ongoing generosity in making the partnership with Mencap so successful and hope to see families from across Ulster join us at Kingspan Stadium on Friday 31st July."
The Ulster Rugby Family Open Day will be held in the forecourt of Kingspan Stadium and the Club House and Heineken Quarter Bars between 3 and 6pm on Friday 31st July, with all rugby and fitness activities taking place on the Aquinas 3G pitch.
Tickets for the Ulster Rugby Family Open Day are priced at £5 for adults and £3 for children, with those less than five years of age entering for free. Click here to purchase tickets and to find out more about Mencap's Big Step Forward Appeal visit www.mencapbigstepforward.org.