Volunteers in Sport from 32 Counties to be Honoured at National Awards Ceremony

Feb 9, 2024

Federation of Irish Sport Announces the 32 County Award Recipients for the 2023 Volunteers in Sport Awards

 32 County award winners named

• Supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships
• Unprecedented entries and over 50 sports nominated
• #dedicatedtothededicated

The Federation is delighted to announces the list of recipients for the 2023 Volunteers in Sports Awards, celebrating the depth and breadth of volunteering in sporting communities nationwide. Supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships these dedicated volunteers will be celebrated at a national awards ceremony in Dublin on Thursday 29^th February 2024. The invited special guest speaker is Minister Thomas Byrne, Minster of State with responsibility for Sport and Physical Education, which is testament to the commitment at government level to supporting and recognising the vital role of volunteers in advancing sports participation and community development.

With a record-breaking number of entries, the 2023 Volunteers in Sport Awards have seen nominations from over 50 different sporting disciplines, highlighting the widespread impact of volunteering ranging from mass participation sports to new and emerging sports. The 32 county awards will be presented, honouring outstanding volunteers from every corner of the country who have demonstrated commitment and dedication, serving as role models within their communities and inspiring others to get involved in sports volunteering.

The economic significance of volunteering in sport cannot be overstated, it has an estimated value of €1.5 billion annually to the Irish economy. This figure underscores the immense social and economic benefits derived from the invaluable contributions of volunteers across the Irish sporting landscape.

In addition to the county individuals being recognised, anticipation will be high as one exceptional individual will be awarded with the overall Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Federation CEO Mary O’Connor commented; “We are looking forward to celebrating the exceptional contributions made by volunteers in sport from all over the country. Working behind the scenes volunteers play a crucial role in fostering community engagement, promoting physical activity, and driving the success of sporting events nationwide, they are truly #DedicatedToTheDedicated. The awards promise to be yet again another remarkable event acknowledging the time and passion of those involved in sport locally and to say, ‘thank you’ for their dedication.”

Commenting on the announcement of the list of recipients, Head of Sport, Louth LSP, Louth County Council and member of the judging panel Graham Russell stated, “The 2023 Volunteers in Sport Awards serve as a reminder of the power of volunteering in sport, celebrating individuals whose unwavering dedication enriches lives, strengthens communities, and encourages a culture of active living.”

FULL LIST OF 2023 VOLUNTEERS IN SPORT AWARDS COUNTY RECIPIENTS

About the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS):

Founded in April 2002, the Federation of Irish Sports was established by Ireland’s national sporting organisations to provide leadership, co-ordination, support, and direction on key issues and to represent their interests to government and its relevant agencies. FIS is the representative organisation for 110 National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) from every corner of the country, comprising over 12,000 sports clubs. Our purpose is to provide a dynamic and effective voice for Irish sport, “to support and advocate collectively for our members, empowering them to maximise the impact of sport, recreation, and physical activity for society.”

Local Sports Partnership Network

The network is made up of 29 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) who are passionate about getting Ireland physically active, involved in sport and ensuring everyone in the community has the chance to be included.

LSPs play a crucial role in community engagement through sports and physical activities. With dedicated professionals and volunteers, LSPs provide tailored opportunities, impacting over 340,000 individuals annually and contributing to the well-being of Irish communities.

To find your local Sports Partnership click here. https://volunteersinsport.ie/lsps/

Review of Annual Leaders Forum on “Future-proofing Irish Sport through Policy, Partnership and Collaboration”

Feb 2, 2024

 Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) were once again delighted to hots the Annual Leaders Forum on “Future-proofing Irish Sport through Policy, Partnership and Collaboration”

• Launch of new FIS Strategic Plan (2024-2029)
• Government update on National Sports Policy (2018-2027)
• Government update on Auto-enrolment Retirement Savings System
• CEO insights on Philanthropy and Sport

Dublin, February 2^nd, 2024: The Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) hosted its Annual Leaders Forum on Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, at the Campus Conference Centre, National Sports Campus. Under the theme of “Future-proofing Irish Sport through Policy, Partnership and Collaboration,” the forum brought together senior management from member National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships alongside valued commercial partners of the Federation to discuss relevant topics shaping the future of Irish sport.

Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport opened proceedings by welcoming attendees and launching the new FIS Strategic Plan 2024-2029. The new strategic roadmap sets the course for the Federation’s activities and initiatives over the next five years, reflecting its commitment to advancing the Irish sports sector. The plan is built upon three strategic pillars aimed at driving effective member support, fostering resilience and sustainability within the Federation, and advocating purposefully for the sports sector. Full details of the plan can be found on www.irishsport.ie/policies

A key highlight of the forum were the insightful updates from both the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Social Protection. James Lavelle of the Sports Policy Division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media provided an overview of the current status on the implementation of the National Sports Policy Plan (NSP) 2018-2027. He indicated while high performance strategies and funding are on track, participation and capacity within the sector remain a top priority. Supporting the development of a sports sector workforce strategy under Action 33 of the NSP will be key to addressing the ongoing workforce challenges within the sector. It was noted that there are 1.75 million people participating in sport and physical activity regularly and recognition of the importance that #SportMatters.

Tim Duggan, Assistant Secretary General at Department for Social Protection, 

James Lavelle, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Mary O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at Federation of Irish Sport

Tim Duggan, Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Social Protection, shed light on the implications of Pension Auto-enrolment for sports sector employers and employees, emphasising the importance of financial planning and security within the industry. He outlined how the auto-enrolment process with work with up to 800,000 workers who will be automatically included in the pension scheme through existing pay roll systems. The criteria for those eligible are related to age (23-60), earnings threshold (over 20k pa) and those not already in a pension scheme. Employees meeting these criteria will be automatically enrolled and a voluntary opt-in for those outside age and income thresholds. Employers will match the employee’s contribution and there will be a State top-up. Full details of the retirement savings system coming into effect later this year can be found at www.gov.ie/autoenrolment

The forum also addressed the crucial role of philanthropy in supporting sports initiatives, with Éilis Murray, CEO of Philanthropy Ireland, provided an overview of the National Philanthropy Policy 2024-2028. She outlined how this new policy is a ‘blueprint’ for collaboration to create an enabling environment, to accelerate engagement with Philanthropy in Ireland for social good and the role the sports sector can play in this.

Dennis O’Connor, CEO of 2into3, explored the intersection of philanthropy and sport, highlighting opportunities for enhanced participation, performance, and potential within the sector. He outlined how Irish sporting organisations already actively engage in philanthropy through volunteering, sponsorship, and fundraising. He noted that at least half of Ireland’s 1m+ volunteers give their time to sporting activities. In 2021 alone, an estimated 37.3 million hours were volunteered in local sports organisations, a reflection of Irish dedication to their sporting organisations. He commented how looking ahead, the Philanthropic Pie for Sports in Ireland has the potential to be significantly larger, if given the support it requires. Ireland’s Philanthropic Pie is predicted to potentially increase to €3b within 5 Years, from €1.63bn.

Éilis Murray, Chief Executive Officer at Philanthropy Ireland

Dennis O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at 2into3

Roundtable conversation and Q&A

The Annual Leaders Forum concluded with a roundtable conversation and Q&A on the topic of Fundraising and Philanthropy and the importance of sporting organisations being ‘donor ready’. This was moderated by Matt McKerrow Associate Consultant 2into3 and guest speakers James O’Callaghan, Performance Director Irish Sailing Association, John Feehan, CEO Basketball Ireland with expert insights from 2into3’s Director of Fundraising Rob Foley and Patricia Keenan, Director of Grant Services. Post-event the conversation continued in-depth amongst attendees over lunch.

FEDERATION OF IRISH SPORT ESTABLISHES 3-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH 2INTO3

Jan 31, 2024

Pictured above: 1 January 2024;from left, Patricia Keenan, Director of Grants at 2into3, Matt McKerrow, Associate Consultant at 2into3, Rob Foley, Director of Fundraising at 2into3, Clare McGrath, Federation of Irish Sport Chairperson, Dennis O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at 2into3, and Mary O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at Federation of Irish Sport, and Commercial and Business Services Manager with the Federation of Irish Sport, Clare Louise O’Donoghue at the Sport Ireland Campus Conference Centre in Dublin. 

The Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) today announced a significant new partnership that will hugely compliment the Federation’s goal to empower its member organisations nationwide to maximise the impact of sport, recreation, and physical activity for society. Starting January 2024, FIS has entered into a 3-year strategic partnership with 2into3, a leading consultancy firm assisting nonprofits, sporting organisations and other social impact organisations to achieve their mission.

This partnership will allow both organisations to combine their expertise, resources, and passion to drive positive change and sustainable growth within the Irish sporting community.

With a shared commitment to good governance, strategic growth for NGBs and sport for all, the partnership will focus on key areas such as strategic planning, organisational development, philanthropic fundraising strategies, grants & economic services, and capacity building. By working together, FIS and 2into3 seek to ensure strong foundations are in place for Irish Sport, supporting FIS members to remain resilient, sustainable and grow their sport for years to come.

Speaking about the partnership, Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, expressed delight about the collaboration, stating: “We are delighted to begin this new chapter with 2into3, who have a strong reputation and passion for delivering tailored solutions and driving meaningful change in the not-for-profit sector. Together, we have a tremendous opportunity to empower Irish sporting organisations, equipping them with the tools and strategies the need to thrive in ever-demanding landscape.”

Dennis O’Connor, CEO 2into3 echoed this sentiment adding: “The Federation is the voice of Irish Sport and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with them to help sporting organisations realise their ambitions which have such an impact on Irelands social capital, health, confidence and resilience.” 

For more info go to: https://www.irishsport.ie/partners-2into3/

James O’Callaghan, Performance Director at Irish Sailing, far left, speaking in a panel discussion, alongside, from left, John Feehan, Chief Executive of Basketball Ireland, Rob Foley, Director of Fundraising at 2into3, Dennis O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at 2into3 and Patricia Keenan, Director of Grants at 2into3.

Dennis O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer at 2into3, addresses the audience during the Federation of Irish Sport Annual Leaders Forum 2024.

Minister Byrne welcomes new Sport Ireland Volunteering in Sport Policy

Jan 19, 2024

The Federation of Irish Sport welcomes the new policy to guide the development of volunteering and encourage more volunteers in sport of every age, background, ethnicity and disability. Volunteering is a hugely rewarding experience for all involved and without them sport simply would not happen.

Minister Byrne welcomes new Sport Ireland Volunteering in Sport Policy

Sport Ireland was joined by the Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne TD, to announce the development of a new Policy on Volunteering in Sport, which advances a vision for a sport sector in Ireland that has the best volunteering culture in the world.

The policy identifies a wide range of initiatives to empower the sport sector to tackle the challenges currently faced through clear, evidence-based and data-driven solutions. Effectively one in every four adults who were volunteering within a club prior to the pandemic may not have returned since, with the number of adults who volunteer in Ireland dropping from 12% in 2019 to 9% in 2022.Speaking about the new Policy on Volunteering in Sport, Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne TD, said: “Volunteers are the backbone of the Irish sporting community. According to the 2022 Irish Sports Monitor, 370,000 regular volunteers help to keep the 12,000 sports clubs around the country functioning and their 1.26 million members engaged in sport. Volunteering is critically important to sustain involvement in sport and this new policy will guide and assist the ongoing development and growth of volunteering by enabling more volunteers to contribute their skills and expertise to help others fulfil their potential through sport.”

Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, Dr. Úna May, commented: “We are very happy to announce our Policy on Volunteering in Sport. This is underpinned by Sport Ireland’s strong ethos of inclusion and diversity, and we welcome anyone who feels they have something to contribute as a volunteer in sport. Ireland’s 12,000 sport clubs, National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) are ideally placed to recruit, recognise, and retain volunteers, and this has the potential to re-energise the entire volunteering base.”

Sport Ireland conducted extensive consultation involving in depth one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and a survey that received 522 responses from across the sport sector. Those surveyed  included NGBs, LSPs, leaders in sport, current and past volunteers, athletes, coaches, administrators, Government departments, and national and local agencies involved in volunteering in areas outside of sport.

Sport Ireland’s actions will include investing in NGBs, LSPs and funded bodies to improve the volunteer experience. As well as resourcing professional roles across the sport sector, establishing a Volunteer in Sport Working Group and a Respect Officials’ Working Group, and creating a Volunteer in Sport Digital Resource which will consolidate learning and development opportunities.

To deliver on the commitments of this policy, the objectives are to recognise and value volunteers, retain volunteers and encourage lifelong volunteering, recruit and grow the volunteer population, and diversify the volunteer base.

Entries Extended Until 5pm Wednesday 20th December!

Dec 18, 2023

There’s still time to nominate a standout volunteer in your sports club or sporting organisation! Celebrate a volunteer in Sport today.

#DedicatedToTheDedicated