Pictured above (L to R): David Gilroy, Clare Louise O’Donoghue, Gary Stewart, Padraig Fallon, Patrick Haslett.
Hosted in collaboration with the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) and supported by the Welsh Government’s Agile Cymru initiative, the Welsh Sports Association (WSA) is delighted to have hosted a successful and hugely informative Sustainability in Sport Conference on Thursday 16 November, and thankful to everyone who made it possible – aiming to deliver cross-border and international economic co-operation across shared interests – the event took place at the Principality Stadium, whose venue and hospitality were outstanding throughout the day.
Attendees heard from Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport Dawn Bowden MS, who opened proceedings with a pre-recorded video address. Following the Deputy Minister’s words, the room then heard from the event’s opening panel.
Noel Mooney, CEO at the Football Association of Wales, discussed Cymru, Wellbeing and the World, how sustainability is at the forefront of the sporting landscape and its wider social value. Swim Wales CEO Fergus Feeney talked about their Ymlaen strategy and Aquazero, demonstrating the valuable work the organisation is undertaking around sustainability; and Cardiff Dragons CEO Vicki Sutton discussed how central sustainability is to the netball franchise – down to the finest details, such as kit colour – and how they strive to be not only carbon neutral, but also nature positive.
The room then heard from Gary Stewart, CEO of FIS member Volleyball Ireland, an organisation leading this space in Ireland, demonstrating their leadership by signing up for the United Nations Sport for Climate Action Framework. Talking about the responsibility around sustainability that NGB’s have to their stakeholders and teasing a big-name partnership (soon to be signed) which will further progress their work in this field, Gary was joined by Impact3Zero Founder Patrick Haslett, who elaborated on the organisation’s work in supporting others with their first steps into sustainability and future objectives.
Following an excellent – mainly vegan – lunch provided by the Principality Stadium, the room welcomed presentations from three speakers.
The Lawn Tennis Association’s Head of Public Policy, Jack Baker, spoke about the LTA’S vision to engage all of its stakeholders in its sustainability mission and embedding sustainability into strategic and operational thinking.
David Gilroy, from Meath County Council in Ireland, then took to the floor to talk about Project Long Game, supporting clubs with opportunities to embark on their sustainability journeys.
Before our second coffee break of the day, we then heard from Padraig Fallon from the GAA on the organisation’s Green Club Programme and how, while the sport still has a long road ahead, sustainability had become a key aspect in every management structure within the sport – from club committees across Ireland to the GAA’s headquarters in Dublin.
Jennifer Huygen, Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, at WSA Strategic Partner, Community Leisure UK, then presented to the room. She discussed the organisation’s Carbon Literacy Programme, designed to educate a wide range of individuals on sustainability, eventually aiming to shift behavioural tendencies.
The final panel of the day saw the nominees of the Best Sustainability Initiative award at the WSA Sport Industry Awards 2023 take to the floor.
Steve Ward, Newport Live CEO, presented first of all, giving the operator’s view and painting the stark reality that sport and leisure is a huge polluter, but also giving hope by demonstrating some of the excellent work that his organisation is doing to go greener and build for the future, promoting behavioural change among individuals among other things.
Canoe Wales CEO Alistair Dickson then presented, also putting emphasis on culture changes and awareness of one’s environmental surroundings. He also discussed the Big Paddle Clean that saw the organisation nominated at June’s Awards, confirming that over 300 sacks of litter had been collected from Welsh waterways last year.
Concluding presentations was Dilwyn Griffiths, Sustainability Lead at Wales Golf, who spoke passionately about the fantastic work that Welsh golf courses are doing to preserve wildlife, conserve resources, and become hubs of positive sustainable behaviour.
The WSA is thrilled to have hosted such a powerful and successful event, with delegates describing the conference as “energising”, “inspirational”, “thought-provoking”, and “enlightening”.
Andrew Howard, WSA CEO, commented:
“Collaboration is at the heart of our Strategic Plan and we are best placed to bring the sector together for the most important topics. In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a national climate emergency to accelerate action to tackle climate change. This is already impacting on sport and the Conference provided a platform for our members to share their experiences and actions, whilst also learning from our Celtic friends.
“There were clear messages at the Conference and ‘collaboration’ and the ‘power and reach of sport’ were two of them. I have no doubt that all delegates left feeling that they had a responsibility to make a difference and if our Members can influence their players, coaches, officials and volunteers, to make lifestyle changes, then using sport’s reach, there is a quite a movement to tackle climate change.”
Federation of Irish Sport Commercial & Business Services Manager, Clare Louise O’Donoghue, was in attendance on behalf of the organisation, and added:
“The Federation of Irish Sport was delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Welsh Sports Association in bringing the hugely informative Sustainability in Sport Conference to fruition.
“Sustainability, decarbonisation and the impact of climate change on sport are some of the issues that are becoming more and more prevalent for sporting organisations. Bringing together such a diverse and informative group of speakers throughout the day provided the opportunity to learn from those already on their sustainability journeys and the variety of steps that they have taken to mitigate their impact on the environment.
“There is great power and potential in the collective approach of sport, in sharing solutions, open-source toolkits and research in forums such as this to ultimately make a societal and environmental difference for generations to come.”
The WSA would like to extend its full gratitude to our fascinating speakers on the day, who spoke and presented with evident enthusiasm for the issue, extending best practises to a room of keen ears.
We would like to thank all delegates who attended the event, both in-person and virtually, as well as our panel moderators and of course our conference host Lauren Jenkins, who once again led the event perfectly.
A thank you must also go to the Principality Stadium and its staff, whose hospitality was warmly appreciated by all in attendance.
Finally, the WSA would like to thank the Federation of Irish Sport, with whom it was fantastic to cooperate on such a vital event for the sport and leisure sector, and Agile Cymru, whose financial support made this collaboration possible.
November 13th, The Federation of Irish Sport today announced the launch of the 2023 Volunteers in Sports Awards, a highly anticipated event set to recognise the unsung heroes who breathe life into sports in every corner of the country. Supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships these dedicated volunteers are the backbone of sporting communities, and it’s time to celebrate their unwavering commitment.
Nominations for the awards are now open, and you can submit your entries at the dedicated awards website, www.volunteersinsport.ie. Under the banner of #DedicatedToTheDedicated, these awards are more than just a ceremony; they are a celebration of the remarkable individuals who pour their hearts into sports in every county across Ireland.
The 2023 awards will culminate in a spectacular in-person awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on Thursday 29th February 2024. Nominations opened today Monday, November 13th, and the window for entries will close on Monday December 18th, 2023. The nominations received will be meticulously shortlisted and thoughtfully considered by our Judging Panel. This prestigious event will see 32 county awards presented, and one exceptional individual will be crowned with the coveted Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of sporting activities in clubs and communities nationwide. They generously invest their time, energy, and passion, dedicating themselves to the development of their chosen sport. Over 450,000 dedicated volunteers are needed on a weekly basis to fuel club activities. Their collective efforts translate into an astonishing estimated economic value of €1.5 billion, showcasing the immeasurable impact of their contributions. Without these volunteers, the very existence of sports clubs would hang in the balance.
Olympian David Gillick in attendance to launch the Volunteers in Sport Awards at the Sports Campus in Dublin.
Attending the launch was former track star, ambassador David Gillick who mentioned,
“Volunteers are the backbone of our sport, I wouldn’t have achieved what I did in sport if it wasn’t for people volunteering. Equally, every sport at all levels needs volunteers to give teams and athletes the opportunities to realise their potential. We all know someone who gets involved week after week, simply for the love of sport and I’d encourage everyone to nominate those superstars in this years’ volunteer awards.”
Speaking at the launch Federation CEO Mary O’Connor commented;
“The Federation of Irish Sport is once again delighted to host these awards with the support of the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships. The awards recognise dedicated club members and celebrate the impact they’re having not just to their sports club but to the wider community. Recognising our volunteers in sport is hugely important and acknowledging them in this way serves as an important reminder of the significant economic and social value of volunteering in Ireland. We want to ensure that volunteers in sport know their dedication doesn’t go unnoticed and inspire more volunteers in sport.”
Highlighting the significance of this awards, Head of Sport, Louth LSP, Louth County Council Graham Russell stated, “The National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships are, once again, proud to support the Federation of Irish Sport in hosting of these awards. The LSP’s work, on a daily basis, with volunteers from clubs and communities in every corner of the country, to support them in developing opportunities for people to engage in sport and physical activity. We are thrilled to be involved with these awards, which highlights the role that volunteers play, not just in organising sport, but in improving the physical and mental health of the country and in bringing communities together.”
Russell added that “Every elite player or athlete that has played at the top level, in an All-Ireland Final, World Cup, World Championship or in an Olympic Games will tell you that the opportunities afforded to them in the Clubs and Sports that they have excelled in, would not have existed if it were not for volunteers. No Volunteers, no Sport”
The 2023 Volunteers in Sports Awards are more than just an event; they are a tribute to the unsung heroes who make sports happen in our communities. We encourage everyone to participate in this celebration by nominating the dedicated volunteers who deserve to be recognised for their exceptional contributions.
The Federation was delighted to host a special member gathering in-person and live streamed event which brought together our members to hear from insights from their peers about increasing your sporting organisation’s commercial viability, delivering successful sporting events, running promotional campaigns, and reaching a wider audience.
We would like to sincerely thank Caroline Donnellan, Director of Marketing and Brand at Sky for sharing their concept and strategy behind their partnership with the FAI Women’s National Team and supporting their World Cup campaign with the multi award winning Outbelieve sponsorship campaign.
To view the recording click on the image.
The event moderated by Jill Downey, Chief Sustainability and Sponsorship Officer at Core featured a roundtable panel discussion with our members Anne McCormack CEO Hockey Ireland, Nathaniel Cope Head of Communications, Media & Digital Basketball Ireland, Patrick Haslett of Impact3Zero and AndrewMay CFO Cricket Ireland. To conclude there was a spotlight on our Partners HBV Live with CEO Heatley Tector, Ross McMullen MD of Camden Promotions and Ronan Burns Head of Sales and Business Development at Future Ticketing.
A huge word of thanks to our hosts at HBV Live for their hospitality, professionalism and excellent studio facilities.
We’re continuing to share our member CEO views on our Asks of Government in Budget 2024. Under Action 3.7 of the Sports Policy Action Plan the Federation was tasked with presenting the business case for reforms to the taxation policy. These recommendations have been set these out in our Pre-Budget Submission under the following headings:
Extending relief donations to approved sporting bodies
VAT relief for sporting bodies
Granting of charitable status to those NGBs and LSPs who wish to pursue that option
Tax-driven incentives for personal exercise
We asked member CEOs: Would a change in VAT or Taxation Reform have a positive impact on your sport?
Here’s what Basketball Ireland CEO John Feehan had to say about VAT:
The Government has committed to doubling funding to sport over the ten-year life of the National Sports Policy, and while it has risen incrementally, the reality is that since 2021 the real value of core funding for NGBs has been eroded by inflation and other costs of doing business.
In this clip Michelle Carpenter, CEO of Rowing Ireland highlights the operational costs to her sporting organisation.
Click on the image below to read the Submission in more detail.
NGBs and LSPs strongly support the call for the increase in core funding to meet the operational challenges and business costs in the current climate
Members of the Federation of Irish Sport gathered today at Irish Sport HQ at the National Sports Campus to hear details of the Pre-Budget Submission made to Government on behalf of the Sports sector.
Federation CEO Mary O’Connor highlighted the four key Asks of Government with the top priority being an Increase in Core Funding for National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships. Arising from the meeting of member CEO’s and Coordinators, it became evident of the urgent need to retain staff and having sufficient personnel to implement organisation operational plans and National Sport Policy programmes to increase participation and encourage lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
The Federation of Irish Sport has called on the Government to provide necessary funding for the sector in the upcoming Budget.
They have highlighted four key asks of Government with the top priority being an increase in core funding for governing bodies and local sports.
The federation is also calling for taxation reform, as well as the raising of the betting levy from 2% to 3%, and accelerating insurance reform.
“I think we all understand that there are unprecedented demands on the Government for this budget and also that there needs to be fiscal prudence around it,” said Swim Ireland CEO and president of the Olympic Council, Sarah Keane, speaking to RTE Sport.
“But I think for us there just seems to be a continued lack of connection between physical activity and sport and what that does for the health of the nation, and how that may be able to help impact positively on our ever growing department of health budget.
“We need people to be physically active and healthy, but for sport to do its job we need to be better funded,” she added.
Keane also highlighted the current National Sports policy, which aims for participation to rise from 43% to 60%, while adding that some of the lower profile sports have struggled since Covid times.
“Some sports have recovered incredibly well from Covid…but in an awful lot of sports, grassroots sport does not have that opportunity, and if we want to increase participation, we have to put more resources into it to the sector to do it,” said Keane.
“It is a very small figure that sport and physical activity gets compared to the wider budget, but the impact could be absolutely phenomenal on the nation.
“There is much more awareness in Irish society now about the fact that we need to be careful with what we eat, try to sleep more, watch our mental health and be physically active, but there is a disconnect between the fact that it costs to provide those opportunities.”
Also speaking at the briefing, Federation of Irish Sport CEO Mary O’Connor said: “It is important that Government do not take sport and physical activity for granted in budget 2024 and continues its commitment to the sector by increasing core funding and recognising the significant role sport and physical activity plays throughout Ireland from grass sports to high performance.”
Enda Lynch, CEO of Badminton Ireland added: “Staff on one-year contracts, without pensions or health insurance etc. is not sustainable – and without the brilliant people currently working in sport, we simply won’t succeed. An increase in core funding that is reflective of NGB’s looking to do the best for their staff is critical.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
