Minister launches Special Olympics Ireland’s Health Promotion Project Report

Oct 2, 2012

Press Release from Special Olympics Ireland:

(Tuesday, 2^nd October 2012) Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch T.D. attended the launch of Special Olympics Ireland’s research report:  “The Development and Evaluation of a Health Promotion Programme for People with Intellectual Disabilities.”

Research has shown that 68% of people with an intellectual disability have a BMI in the overweight/obese category. The aim of this programme was to develop, pilot and evaluate a user-friendly Health Promotion resource pack which could be delivered in community based Special Olympics clubs and Intellectual Disability Service. The report details the findings of the programme, which was initiated in 2008 to help address the lack of health promotion resources for people with an intellectual disability in Ireland.

The Resource Pack was developed in consultation with Special Olympics athletes, volunteers and family members and covers the most pertinent health needs of people with intellectual disabilities including nutrition, physical activity, heart health and bone health.

Statutory and non-statutory organisations collaborated in the development of this resource. Health knowledge and behaviour questionnaires were administered to the 286 participants at start of the pilot in order to establish a baseline and again on completion. The results showed a statistically significant increase in health knowledge and health behaviours, most notably a 48% increase in the numbers of participants meeting the recommended daily intake of five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Qualitative data was gathered through questionnaires and focus groups conducted with participants, volunteers, Services staff and family members. The feedback from the participants indicated that the user-friendly nature of the pack ensured that the participants were more inclined to follow its direction.  It was evident that by relating the importance of health to sport, the participants felt more encouraged to make a health change.

Speaking at the project report launch Minster of State Kathleen Lynch T.D. said “I am delighted to hear such positive findings arising from this pilot programme. It is wonderful to hear how much of a difference it has already made to the participants in such a relatively short period of time. If this programme shows us anything it is that health and sport go hand in hand and that positive lifestyle changes are important and beneficial to us all. I would like to congratulate everyone involved and encourage the participants to keep up the good work!”

Dr Nazih Eldin, Head of Health Promotion Dublin North East, Health Service Executive said “The HSE welcomes this initiative which aims at reducing health inequalities for Special Olympics athletes in Ireland.  It is great to see that an effective, evidence based and targeted programme was developed in collaboration and cooperation of so many different experts, parents and people with intellectual disability.  The HSE is hoping that this model will achieve all its goals and that the benefit will be shared by everyone in Ireland”.

Matt English, CEO Special Olympics Ireland said “The publication of this report is hugely significant for Special Olympics Ireland. We are delighted to see the positive impact that the introduction of this programme has made not only to our athletes who participated in it but also their families. The findings are hugely encouraging to us and once again affirm our promise of enriching and enhancing the lives of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played a part in making the initial pilot programme such a success, particularly the HSE Dublin North East”.

View the report here

Coca-Cola to Provide Funding of €125k to Communities in Ireland

Sep 7, 2012

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland today announced the details of 45 non-profit organisations shortlisted for the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’. These organisations are in with a chance to be awarded grants from the Fund, which stands at €125,000. One overall winner will be awarded €25K with ten runners up receiving €10K in funding.  The public vote will go live from this Saturday the 1^st of September and will close on 30th of September 2012. The public vote will count for 50% of the total vote with the judging panel awarding the remaining 50% of votes available.

The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’, which is being operated in partnership with The Wheel and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) has been designed to support projects and initiatives that are promoting active lifestyles throughout the island of Ireland.

Speaking today, Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola

HBCIreland said: “The response to the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ has been tremendous. We’ve received so many fantastic entries which showcase the inspirational work that takes place at grassroots level in communities all around Ireland. Out of the entries received the 45 that made the shortlist were those that either had a new or innovative idea or were ones that we felt have the potential to have a positive impact on larger groups of people in communities across the country.  We hope that the funding that is being made available will be used to fund projects that will have a long-term and sustainable benefit. We know from our experience last year that when organisations receive funding of this nature that they can do amazing things. We are very excited about the potential projects in the shortlist and would encourage members of the public to go online to www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou, review the applications and to vote for their favourite.”

“We would also like to thank all those that were not shortlisted for taking the time to apply for funding. We were very impressed by all the entries and amazed and humbled by the work that is being done – in many cases by dedicated and hard-working volunteers. We would like to wish all those organisations best wishes for the future. From this Saturday, the 1^st of September the shortlist will be available online and the public have up until the 30^th of September to cast their vote. In parallel with the public vote our judging panel will be casting their votes and together with our judges, I would like to wish the final 45 the best of luck in these final stages.”
The eleven winners of the grants will be announced in November 2012. One overall winner will receive a grant for €25,000 with the ten runners up receiving individual grants of €10,000.

The judging panel is made up of a variety of experts and promoters of active lifestyles who were selected because of their proven track-record in making positive contributions in this area. Judges include:

• Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-ColaHBCIreland
• Karl Henry, Personal Trainer
• Alan Quinlan, Former MusterRugby/IrelandPlayer
• Sarah O’Connor, Chief Executive at The Federation of Irish Sports
• Eoghan Murphy, Fine Gael TD inDublinSouth East
• Deirdre Garvey , CEO, The Wheel
• James Laverty, NICVA
• John Heaslip, CEO, Business in the Community NorthernIreland

Welcoming the shortlisted forty five, Deirdre Garvey, CEO, The Wheel said: “Once again, we are delighted to partner with Coca-Cola on this project. This is the second year of The Fund and it’s great to work with Coke and our fellow judges to identify the most worthy projects which could potentially go on to receive quite a significant amount of money from the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’. The great aspect of this Fund is that the money goes directly back into the communities around the country. The projects shortlisted rose to the top of the pile and I hope the public will play their part in choosing the winning eleven by logging on and casting their vote.”

To view the shortlist for the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ and vote for your favourite log onto www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou before midnight on the 30^th September 2012.

DEADLINE FOR NATIONAL AWARDS TO VOLUNTEERS IN IRISH SPORT EXTENDED

Aug 7, 2012

Volunteering in sport has never been more important to Ireland

The importance of volunteering in Irish sport has never been more important than in today’s difficult economic times when funding for Irish sport is at its most stretched. The efforts of the 450,000 people who each year volunteer their time is crucial to the well-being of Irish sport according to Sarah O’Connor, the Chief Executive of the Federation of Irish Sport.

“It is in recognition of those efforts that the National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport were set up a number of years ago” said Ms O’Connor who was announcing that the deadline for nominations for this year’s awards has been extended to Friday, August 24^th, to ensure that these dedicated individuals are recognised for the work they do.

Sport remains the biggest driver of voluntary activity in Ireland and the work of volunteers in sport is vital at every level. Without grassroots helpers, sport simply wouldn’t happen. The Irish athletes currently representing their country arrived at the pinnacle of their sporting careers as a result of the hours of passion, dedication and effort that volunteers afforded them as they developed as players and athletes.

This was highlighted by Irish Olympic swimmer Sycerika McMahon at the launch of the awards in May: “It is impossible to get to the Olympics irrespective of the sport without a huge number of people making sacrifices to get you to that point. This includes friends, family, coaches but also the people at my club and school who invested me at the beginning when I was just another child learning to swim.”

From the nominations received, ten winners will be selected to receive an award at the ceremony in the Aviva Stadium in November. An overall or lifetime award to honour a volunteer, who has consistently given of their time for a sport, a team, or an event over many years, will also be awarded.

This is the fourth edition of the Volunteers in Irish Sport Awards, which is an initiative of the Federation of Irish Sport in conjunction with the Irish Sports Council, the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport and The Community Foundation of Ireland.

Full details of the scheme and how to nominate can be found on line at www.volunteersinsport.ie. Nominations can be made by clubs, individuals or sporting bodies.

Significant increases in sports participation recorded – Irish Sports Monitor Report 2011

Jul 12, 2012

Press Release from the Irish Sports Council

·         Participation in sport increased from 34% in 2009 to 46% in 2011

·         Sedentarism fell from 16% in 2009 to 13% in 2011

·         Rates of volunteering in sport increased from 7% in 2009 to 15% in 2011

·         Club membership has increased from 32% to 38%

·         Attendance at sporting events rose from 17% in 2009 to 22% in 2011  

·         Personal exercise (11%) and swimming (10%) are the most popular physical activities

·         Increased time a key factor in increased participation with notable increases among the unemployed as well as those among the younger and older groups of adults  

The fourth Irish Sports Monitor report, for the year 2011, was published today by the Irish Sports Council. The report, written by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Council, measures adult participation in sport and physical activity and compares it with previously published information.

The report shows that there were very significant increases in the levels of engagement with sport across active and social participation measures. This occurred most notably in relation to active participation in sport which recorded a rise from 34% in 2009 to 46% in 2011.

Another key metric is the level of sedentarism which reflects the extent of inactivity within the population. Between 2009 and 2011 this measure recorded a decrease from 16% to 13%. This is important for population health as the biggest health gains are shown to be achieved when getting totally inactive people to participate in some form of physical activity.

Overall personal exercise is the most popular activity (11%). Swimming continues to grow (10%) and the apparent boom in running is captured with 7%  participating. Soccer (6%), cycling (6%) golf (5%) and dance (4%) are also very popular.

The report was officially launched by Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring. Speaking at the launch in Dublin he said: ‘The growing participation in sport is great news, especially for all the people and organisations who work hard to get more people involved. I’m particularly happy to see that there are more volunteers, more people joining clubs, and more people attending sporting events. The Report shows that Government investment in sport is boosting sporting activity, and hopefully producing a healthier society’.

The Irish Sport Monitor reports a rise in levels of voluntary activity for sport between 2009 and 2011 from 7% to 15%. It is also significant to note the increase in club membership from 32% to 38% and attendance at sporting events for 17% to 22% including 8% who had attended a Gaelic football match. Each of these measures indicates that sport makes a very significant contribution to community and economic life in Ireland.

John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council: “The increase in participation and the decrease in sedantarism are significant and very important from a health point of view. The ISM reports on a notable shift in the behaviour of the Irish population which is the result of the interventions of many agencies, groups and individuals. The challenge now is to maintain the good work and keep Ireland active”

Changes ion participation between the two years varied across groups with significant increases being particularly notable among the younger (16 – 25 year old) and older (55+) age groups as well as among the unemployed suggesting the importance of free time as an influence on sporting behaviour. Despite the significant increases being reported it is interesting to note that there is a strong desire across the adult population to increase their current levels of activity with swimming, walking and cycling being particular favourites in this regard.

Kieran O’Leary, Research Director, Ipsos MRBI: “The wider context to this report is one in which Irish society is placing less focus on short-term economic gain and is taking a more holistic view on quality of life. This is clearly benefitting sport through increased active and social participation”
The Irish Sports Monitor (ISM) is a survey of participation in sport and physical exercise in Ireland, which began in 2007 and continued throughout 2008 and 2009. There was a gap in 2010 when there was a competitive process to agree the provider of the ISM to the Council.  Based on regular interviews with adults aged 16 and over, the ISM is primarily designed to track levels of participation in sport and recreational exercise, both for the population as a whole and various subpopulations of interest. To achieve sufficient accuracy, it employs large annual samples: 8,749 in 2011, 9,781 in 2009; 6,829 in 2008; 9,767 in 2007.

You can view the full report here

GIFT 2012 to benefit Irish economy

Jun 14, 2012

The Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) American football event being organized by Global Football in Dublin and County Meath this summer is expected to have a positive €4.5 million economic impact in Ireland.

The figure was announced at a media gathering at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin where Irish American Football Association President Greg Loughran presented GIFT 2012 organizer patrick Steenberge with a customized Irish national team jersey.

GIFT 2012 will feature 12 high school and college teams from the United States and Canada playing a series of ‘Friday Night Lights’ double headers at 4pm and 7:30 pm on Friday, August 31 at Donnybrook Stadium and Parnell Park in Dublin and at Pairc Tailteann in Navan, County Meath. The competitive regular season games are being held on the eve of the September 1 Navy versus Notre Dame clash at the Aviva Stadium.

More than 2,300 visitors associated with the participating schools will arrive in Ireland specifically because of the GIFT 2012 spectacular, and would not be coming to Ireland if not for these games. Additional sports fans are expected to attend the games from across Ireland, Europe, the United States and even further afield. Tickets available at www.tickets.ie.gift2012 have been sold to overseas fans from Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, Austria and even Australia. Buyers from 13 different American States and 33 towns within Ireland have bought tickets.

“First and foremost we are showcasing high school American football at its very best and are providing the experience of a lifetime for the visiting players, coach, families and friends,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge. “But bringing this many people to Ireland specifically for this event also has a very positive impact in that the money they spend and the investment we make in staging the games benefits local businesses, people and the Irish economy.

“We believe this spending will have a positive impact on the Irish economy, and we hope in particular that local businesses benefit and that GIFT 2012 is able to leave a lasting impression for all the right reasons.”

The economic impact figure is calculated by measuring payments made by 2,300 travelers visiting for the GIFT event and their anticipated spend while in Ireland, including:
• Hotel nights during a four-day stay
• Travelers booked on Aer Lingus flights
• Meals at local restaurants and bars
• Public transportation and taxis
• Souvenirs and gifts
• Visits to tourist attractions
• Stadium rental costs
• Additional event operations costs
• Spend at stadium concessions

Visitors for the GIFT event will stay at the Citywest Hotel, Saggart; Bewleys, Leopardstown; Bewleys Newlands Cross; Green Isle, Newlands Cross; Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Newlands Cross; Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim; Royal Hotel, Bray and Newgrange Hotel, Navan.

Univeristy of Wisconsin-Eau Clair to visit Ireland

Jun 1, 2012

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIR AMERICAN FOOTBALL BLUGOLDS HEAD TO IRELAND TO TAKE ON UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK VIKINGS IN CELTIC CLASSIC V

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is the latest school from the United States to head overseas on an American football and cultural sightseeing adventure with Global Football and will visit Ireland from June 9 to 16.

The Blugolds will face the University of Limerick Vikings at the Garryowen Rugby Club in Limerick in the ‘Celtic Classic V’ on Sunday, June 10, kickoff 2pm.  The visiting party of 60 players, coaches, family and friends will then embark on a sightseeing tour before heading home.

The visit comes on the back of two recent Global Football tours to Italy for Adrian College and a Team Stars & Stripes all-star squad and in advance of the spectacular Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) 2012 that will see 10 high school and two college teams play at three venues in Dublin and Navan on Friday, August 31.

“What a thrill this will be for all the players, coaches and parents from Wisconsin-Eau Claire to travel to Limerick to play one of the top teams in Ireland,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge. “We have staged games in Ireland for many years, but have never had the chance to visit and play in Limerick, so I am also excited to check out the town and see the level of football played there.  Coach Glaser brought a great group of guys and supporters to Spain three years ago, and they are all eager to play, then to tour the wonderful Irish island.”

UW-Eau Claire finished the 2011 college season with a 5-5 record, though the close score in three of those losses was within one touchdown.  Head coach Todd Glaser has been at the helm since 2006 and guided the Blugolds to an NCAA Division III playoff berth for only the second time in program history in 2007. http://www.blugolds.com/sports/fball/coaches/index

The Blugolds are led on the field by junior quarterback Austin Neu, who led the entire Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in passing yards per game as he averaged 247.9 playing in 10 games.  He threw 17 touchdown passes, third best in the league, and completed 65.7 percent of his passes (199-for-303), a school record for a single season.

Freshman kicker Josh Albrecht was second on the team in scoring with 59 points, a mark that also ranked sixth best in the league.  He recorded nine field goals, which was the fourth most in a single season in team archives.

The University of Limerick hosts were formed in 1999 and won the Irish national championship Shamrock Bowl three consecutive years in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the EFAF Atlantic Cup in 2010 when they were ranked among the top 20 teams in Europe.

Led by head coach Ciarán O’Sullivan, the Vikings are unbeaten in 2012 with a 7-0 record and close their regular season this Sunday, June 3 at home to the Tullamore Phoenix.  They will enter the playoffs following the clash with UW-Eau Claire with high hopes of reaching a sixth Shamrock Bowl in team history on Saturday, July 14 at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.

“We are looking forward to this game immensely,” said UL Vikings Chairman Ian Cahill, who also wears number 22 for Limerick and plays on the defensive line.  “We have had a great season so far and it will be a great challenge for us to test ourselves against an American college team.”

The game is sanctioned by the Irish American Football Association, which governs the fastest growing sport in Ireland.

After the Celtic Classic V game, the two teams will socialize together and the American visitors will experience the Irish national pride as Ireland’s soccer team opens its Euro 2012 campaign in Poland against Croatia in a game that will be shown live in bars and restaurants throughout the country.

The UW-Eau Claire party will spend time sightseeing in Ireland, visiting Limerick, Killarney, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle and Dublin.