Dec 21, 2013
The European Commission has launched a long-awaited new sports funding programme.
Called Erasmus+, funding is open to not-for-profit sports organisations wishing to carry out pan-European grassroots sport projects.
The programme will allocate around €265 million over seven years, with €16.6 million available for the first round of projects beginning in 2014.
Projects must involve at least five organisations drawn from at least five different EU Member States. Applications close on 15 May 2014.
The specific objectives pursued by the Erasmus+ programme in the field of sport are to:
- tackle cross-border threats to the integrity of sport, such as doping, match fixing and violence, as well as all kinds of intolerance and discrimination
- promote and support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes
- promote voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity, through increased participation in, and equal access to sport for all.
If you are interested in finding our more about these funding opportunities for sports projects, more information can be found on the Erasmus+ website or in the detailed programme guide (the sport section begins on page 179).
Information Day- 4th February 2014
On 4th February 2014 the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) will organise an “Info Day” in Brussels to inform potential applicants about Erasmus+: Sport and its funding opportunities.
The day will be centred around different information sessions, presenting the policy priorities as well as practical advice and tips on preparing and submitting proposals.
Please note that advance online registration is obligatory, as the room capacity is limited and we would like to offer to as many organisations as possible the possibility to be represented (max 2 representatives per organisation).
Alternatively, you will also be able to join the live web streaming and the online chat. You may participate in a chat session as an individual (using your name or a pseudonym) or in your official capacity. All participants can also take advantage of the online partner search tool.
You will find all information about the programme on the DG EAC website. Please note that all presentations will be downloadable from the EAC website a few days before the Info day and, after the event, video recordings of all sessions will also be available.
For any further information, don’t hesitate to contact:
– the communication Team of the Executive Agency: Maria-teresa.De-Pasquale@ec.europa.eu
– the EACEA Erasmus+ Programme in the field of Sport : luciano.di-fonzo@ec.europa.eu
– the Sport Unit in DG EAC: paola.ottonello@ec.europa.eu
Dec 19, 2013
The Federation welcome the decision, outlined as part of the Revised Estimates process for the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport published on 19th December, to reverse by €2 million the reduction in current funding for sport announced in Budget 2014 on 15th October. We are pleased that the Government have listened to our concerns which have been reflected in an increased allocation for current funding for sport next year.
The current funding for sport, presently distributed through the Irish Sports Council, is particularly essential for the continued development of sport in Ireland supporting as it does the operations of National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) who play a key role in the management, operation and delivery of recreational and competitive sport across the country. These monies not only support jobs within these organisations but also facilitate projects and initiatives such as sports development programmes, coach education and training, volunteer support programmes as well as the development and management of our existing and future international athletes.
The Federation also welcomes the confirmation that further funding, details of which are to be announced in the next few days, is to be made available for a new round of the Sports Capital Programme providing welcome relief to sports clubs around the country who have been significantly impacted by the challenging economic environment. It is also good news that €13 million will be made available to develop the National Indoor Training Centre at the National Sports Campus – a facility that will provide for the first time a world-class base from which our existing and developing international athletes can train and prepare alongside the sport science, medical and administrative support already based at the Campus.
Since the onset of the recession, the Federation has consistently called for the protection of the current funding for sport to be prioritised whilst recognising the importance of capital funding through calls for the reinstatement of the Sports Capital Programme, which lay dormant for three years, and the completion of the National Sports Campus.
However, despite the overall increase in funding for sport in 2014 the on-going reduction of current funding remains a concern – this funding serving as it does as seed capital for the operation and development of sport in Ireland and highlights the need for a real debate on the role of sport in Irish Society with a view to examining ways of attracting additional and alternative revenues into Irish Sport. This is particularly important if sport is to play a significant role in other priority areas for Ireland including public health, job creation and tourism for example.
The Federation of Irish Sport is the representative body for Ireland’s NGBs and LSPs. 2.1 million Irish people participate in over 70 different sports across 12,000 clubs nationwide. Ireland’s sports clubs spend an estimated €818 million in the Irish economy on goods and services each year. Irish Sport also supports 40,532 jobs and contributes an estimated €2.4 billion to Ireland’s GDP each year. Sport contributes heavily to tourism with 254,000 Irish residents travelling domestically to sporting events in 2012 (up 11% on 2010). Sport is also a key driver in international tourism for example, recreational angling is estimated to generate revenues in excess of €755 million and golf €202 million with only 21% of that on golf-related activities.
Revised Estimates- Programme Expenditure- Sports and Recreation Services
Dec 19, 2013
SWIM FOR A MILE CHALLENGE SUPPORTED BY THE COCA-COLA THANK YOU FUND 2013
Wednesday December 18th 2013: Swim Ireland today announced details of its inaugural, all-Ireland ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’. The project will challenge members of the public to compete in a national event to swim for a mile. Swim Ireland will provide a free training programme, support, advice and motivation for all those wanting to take on the challenge.
A mile of swimming is the equivalent of a marathon in the water and is longer than any Olympic pool based race, making it the ultimate test in the sport.
The Challenge is being made possible through The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund and the Irish Sports Council’s Women in Sport Programme. Last month Swim Ireland won the top award in The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund of €25,000 which has helped to make the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’ a reality.
Supporting swimmers to go the distance, Swim Ireland is offering free swim training programmes available through the Swim for a Mile website and also free lane space and coaching at each of the five event locations from the start of the year right up to the event, making the challenge the perfect New Year’s fitness resolution for 2014!
With Swim Irelands expert support, participants will be able to hone their swimming technique, increase their levels of fitness and improve on a life-long skill – but most importantly be in prime shape to take on the mile challenge when the competition takes place in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Bangor and Dublin on 31st March to 4th April 2014.
Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport said: “This is a great initiative from Swim Ireland and a great way to get people swimming. Everyone should have an opportunity to take part in sport or physical activity, and swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. Well done to Swim Ireland for running this event which promises to be good fun and very rewarding.”
Today FM’s ‘The Last Word’ presenter Matt Cooper has come on board as an Ambassador for the Challenge. He has signed up to participate and will encourage listeners to ‘Swim for a Mile with Matt’. Speaking today Matt said: “I can outrun my children comfortably and they couldn’t keep up with me on the bike but in the pool they leave me behind comfortably and lap me continuously. They’ve learnt how to swim properly and now train regularly and compete in galas and they have gained so much from it. I don’t think I’ll ever get up to their level but they’ve pointed out how poor my technique is and how I need to learn how to swim correctly if I’m going to get enough enjoyment from it. So this is my 2014 challenge: I’m going to learn how to swim properly and train so that I can swim a mile in any session without collapsing. Committing to this event publicly will ensure that I do it, I hope! I’m really looking forward to the challenge and to working with Last Word listeners so we can all achieve it.”
Double Olympian and European Medallist Melanie Nocher is helping Swim Ireland to raise the profile of the Challenge, the first of its kind to take place on an all-Ireland basis. Melanie will be on hand to give advice and guidance to the public for the duration of the project, “I have always been passionate about swimming and showing others that you don’t have to be at an elite level to get involved. It is a unique sport in which people of all abilities and ages can get involved so Swim Irelands Challenge is the perfect platform to show this. I am excited about this initiative and the impact it’s going to have in terms of growing the sport and encouraging as many people to experience the benefits of swimming.”
Speaking at the launch Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland, said: “The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund was developed to lend financial support to groups with great ideas encouraging people to lead healthy and active lifestyles. Swim Ireland and its Swim for a Mile Challenge was such a worthy winner and now anyone who is interested can join in and take part. The team at Swim Ireland have put together a training schedule that is relevant even to a novice swimmer so there will be no excuses for anyone not to engage and participate next year. I even hope to do it myself!”
For more information about the Swim Ireland “Swim for a Mile Challenge” log onto www.swimforamile.com.
For more information, please contact:
Trish Mayon, Swim Ireland, 01-6251138/086-8094786
Event Dates & Locations
Cork: Leisureworld, Bishopstown- Monday 31st March 2014
Limerick: UL Sport- Tuesday 1st April 2014
Galway: Kingfisher, NUI Galway- Wednesday 2nd April 2014
Bangor: Aurora Leisure Centre- Thursday 3rd April 2014
Dublin: National Aquatic Centre- Friday 4th April 2014
Nov 29, 2013
The Federation talks to Declan O’Rourke, AIG General Manager about the company’s 5 year commitment to Dublin GAA…
What do you see as the benefits for a brand such as AIG in supporting Irish sporting bodies?
The Dublin GAA sponsorship is not the first time that AIG has invested in sports
sponsorship in Ireland. AIG has supported amateur golf in Ireland for almost 15 years and AIG is the official sponsor of the Golf Union of Ireland. In addition, we recently entered an insurance partnership with Tennis Ireland.
Sponsoring Dublin GAA is a further step towards raising our profile and boosting our business. Ultimately, we want people to
know our name and we want to improve the awareness around AIG and our core insurance products. The name on the jersey is of course great but it is about how we activate our partnership and how we bring it to life across our consumer and commercial divisions.
The sponsorship will also improve our brand. We want to be known as an insurance company that supports community based, participation sport, with all the health, personal and social benefits that brings to children and communities across the country.
This sponsorship is a clear statement that AIG is committed to both the Irish insurance market and the Irish community for the long term. It solidifies AIG’s track record of supporting amateur sport in Ireland.
Dublin GAA is one of the country’s most successful sporting brands, are there any particular aspect of their success that were attractive to AIG in developing this new partnership?
Dublin GAA has had a phenomenal amount of success over the last few years. Ladies football All-Ireland champions, Leinster and league hurling champions and of course All-Ireland football champions – this is just at senior level. When you consider underage titles at provincial and national level, it really has been a time of massive on field success. The success can also be seen at Feile level at both hurling and football.
Success in sport is built on teamwork, planning, tenacity, integrity, performance and hard work. We feel these qualities of Dublin GAA are mirrored at AIG.
AIG has chosen to sponsor Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie as well as Men’s Football and Hurling, was there a particular reason behind this decision?
We are the first sponsor to unite the four codes of Gaelic football, hurling, ladies football and camogie under the one jersey. The opportunity to unite all four codes was one we could not turn down. To hear Sinéad Goldrick and Louise O’Hara, both prominent players in football and camogie respectively, talk so passionately at the launch about what a sponsor like AIG does for their sport has vindicated our decision.
Dublin GAA is a huge organisation, boys and girls, ladies and men, supporting 92 clubs, 100,000 associated members, 320 active primary schools and organises 4,000 adult club games every year. As a passionate GAA supporter myself, I understand how important sponsorship revenue is to ensure that these structures are supported and to ensure GAA is promoted at all levels from GAA nurseries to the stars who appear in Croke Park.
AIG has committed to a 5 year sponsorship, do you believe it takes time for this type of partnership to be successful?
Yes – the traditional sponsorship model has changed in the last few years. It is no longer enough to put a name on a jersey for
a short period. We want to build an affinity with Dublin GAA players, clubs, management, supporters and county board. This takes time. With a five year deal we hope to have shown Dublin GAA and its fans, that same level of commitment so that they can plan for the next five years in the knowledge that they have a committed partner on board. From our side, it also means that we can build steadily. I think Dublin fans are going to be very excited by what AIG have planned over the next few years.
Has AIG’s approach to commercial partnerships changed in recent years?
AIG has traditionally sponsored major global brands like Manchester United and the All Blacks. While AIG in Ireland has sponsored golf and tennis, this is the first time we have sponsored GAA and the first time we have AIG branding on a major GAA team. This takes our sponsorship activity and awareness in Ireland to a new level.
What advice would you give to any sports organisation looking to secure sponsorship in the current environment?
I would suggest the sporting organisation put together a comprehensive document outlining all the assets, including exclusivity, naming rights, signage, TV viewership, newspaper, other media, customer database, team apparel, web exposure, websites, social media, player access, CSR, hospitality, etc. Dublin GAA put together an excellent document that made the process much easier.
I would also advise the organisation to look for a company with experience in sponsorship that wants to build its brand and customer base.
Finally, while a lot of media focus on the money aspects of sponsorship, this was not our sole focus. We were looking for a good fit for AIG and a good working relationship. I believe the sponsorship will not just support the Dublin GAA players and underage system, but will also bring enjoyment and pride to our business partners, brokers, clients and staff.
Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, finally what was your personal highlight of the sporting year 2013 and anything you are particularly looking forward to in 2014?
As a Tipperary man, we had a disappointing year. However, the All Ireland Hurling Final replay was very special, especially as two of my kids were involved in the half time game.
It was fantastic to see Dublin hurlers win Leinster in style after so many years. The All Ireland Semi Final Football was a fantastic spectacle, full of drama and the final was a great occasion.
Finally, the Ireland v All Black game was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. It was great to see the fight back in Irish rugby.
For 2014, I am optimistically looking forward to a Dublin v Tipperary hurling final. I look forward to seeing the Dublin mens footballers having another great year and expect the ladies to also perform well at both codes. I think the Dublin Ladies have a great chance of winning the All Ireland football in 2014. Bring on tomorrow.
Nov 29, 2013
Lindsey has been with Pentathlon Ireland since October 2009 and is the founder of the High Performance Programme. As a BSc graduate in Sport and Exercises Science and MA graduate in Coach Education and Sports Development, Lindsey has secured support for the HPP from the ISC and produced impressive International and Olympic results. Representing Great Britain, Lindsey won individual Junior bronze at the Junior World Championships in 2003. Lindsey also won team medals including Gold at the Senior World Championships in 2006. Since beginning coaching with Pentathlon Ireland, Lindsey has coached athletes from Youth B to Senior and from National to International competitions. Highlights include Irish representation at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, the 2011rld Cup Finals and the Olympic Games 2012 in London.
FIS: It has been a really busy and successful 2 years for your athletes, what have been the highlights for you?
Natalya Coyle’s 9th place at the Olympic Games is an obvious high and Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe also placed 25th; both were fantastic achievements for such young athletes but I’d say the actual highlight was qualifying two athletes to the Olympic Games. I first approached the ISC in 2010 with the idea that we might qualify an athlete for London 2012. Thankfully the ISC had the foresight to support the idea and help me to see it through. It really was an incredible journey and I vividly remember the culmination of the qualification process; the final competition was in China and it wasn’t a competition that Natalya nailed so I was up all night calculating and re-calculating the qualification points. Receiving the official confirmation was very exciting and a big reflection of a huge team of people that had helped Natalya qualify.
FIS: What changes did you make or systems did you put in place when you first took up your role with Pentathlon Ireland?
My initial step was to put in place training programmes and try to facilitate sessions for a group of athletes who were from the Irish Pony Club and had been competing in a sport call Tetrathlon (cross country riding, swimming, shooting and running). With no permanent training base and athletes in different locations this proved very difficult. One way round this was for us to attend international training camps on a regular basis. This allowed athletes to train on site for the majority of events and also to gain greater exposure to higher standards of fencing opponents. Each year in the run up to London 2012 the programme progressed significantly.
After the successes in 2012, last year provided us with an opportunity to take stock of our progress and develop a much longer term strategic plan encompassing Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. We now have a Talent Pathway in place to allow the long term development of athletes in our sport from our Youth age groups through to Senior Internationals.
FIS: How long does it take for the success to start being seen on the podium?
Although I only began working with the athletes in 2009, both Natalya and Arthur both had good foundations and displayed characteristics of good all round athletes. For them, their performance curve has been steep and the progress they’ve made in the last few years is unusual. Traditionally pentathlon, the skills events (fencing, shooting and riding) take time to develop so as long as an athlete can maintain the physical levels (running and swimming) they can still compete at the top level. I would anticipate Natalya and Arthur to continue developing their skill events across the next Olympic cycle and improve their performances. While there are exceptions, most athletes would be involved in the sport for at least six to eight years before medalling.
FIS: With the new facilities at the National Sports Campus, is it now possible for athletes to train in Ireland and compete at the highest level?
We’re delighted with the National Pentathlon Training Center and being located on the National Sports Campus. Since being operational in mid October, the NPTC has already made noticeable improvements on our athletes training performances. They can now fence, shoot and run in the NPTC, swim in the National Aquatics Center and with the new National Horse Sport Arena on the campus are athletes are incredibly well placed to perform all their training sessions. We also work really well with the Irish Institute of Sport (also located on campus) so the athletes don’t need to travel for their support services.
The facilities we now have are on par with some of the best in Europe and we’re looking to begin inviting other nations to come and train with our squads in Ireland.
FIS: What advice would you give to any young athlete hoping to make a career or be successful at the highest level in modern pentathlon?
Athletes with a background in running and swimming and have good coordination would be ideal for our sport. That said, athletes find our sport from various pathways and it’s not necessarily the most talented athletes but those with all round capabilities who are prepared to work hard that can prosper. As previously mention, fencing generally takes the longest to master so the younger athletes start the better.
Pentathlon Ireland will be re-structuring our participation events for 2014 and be looking to host some Talent ID events during the coming year.
FIS: Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, finally what are Pentathlon Ireland’s goals for the high performance system over the coming years?
Olympic qualification will be the initial goal and from there we’ll be looking for our athletes to produce medal zone performances at major championships and events. We’re also looking to develop our Talent Pathway athletes towards Tokyo 2020.
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