Dormant Accounts Funding 2019 Announced

Dec 4, 2019

Ministers Ross and Griffin announce Dormant Accounts Funding for Sport and Physical Activity Measures

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD, recently announced an investment package of €4.2 million in Dormant Accounts Funding for a wide range of sport and physical activity measures countrywide.

The investment will be administered by Sport Ireland and will aim to engage with communities across the country, focusing on people with disabilities, people who are educationally disadvantaged and from disadvantaged communities.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister Ross said: “I am delighted to announce €4.2 million in funding for sport and physical activity measures through the Dormant Accounts Fund. This funding will enable our Local Sports Partnerships and National Governing Bodies to deliver a comprehensive programme of initiatives under the National Physical Activity Plan and in line with the National Sports Policy. We are committed to giving more people the opportunity to partake in sport, with all the mental and physical benefits it brings. My Department will continue to work closely with Sport Ireland, the Local Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies of Sport and other funded bodies to ensure that the programme of initiatives resulting from this funding is inclusive, accessible and regionally balanced.”

Minister Griffin added: “The Dormant Accounts Funding has been vital to the growth of community and social cohesion through sport in disadvantaged areas around the country. The investment will support the continuation of this work but will also see the implementation of new initiatives and programmes which will further contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and communities.”

Among the successful Dormant Accounts Fund projects announced are six new Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs, with additional funding for 30 existing Hubs.

Kieran Mulvey, Chairman of Sport Ireland said: “Sport Ireland is delighted with the continued investment of Community Sports and Physical Activity Hubs. These hubs play a key role in bringing people together and providing a home for local clubs and sports organisations. The announcement of six new Hubs with additional funding for 30 existing Hubs is very welcomed, making it easier for people to get involved in sport and lead a more active life.”

Highlighting new initiatives funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy, commented: “Key to the work of Sport Ireland is the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to partake in sport, no matter what their circumstances. The Dormant Accounts Funding will enable Sport Ireland, supported by the network of Local Sports Partnerships and the National Governing Bodies for Sport, to have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of communities.”

As with previous funding announced, the investment is closely aligned with the National Sports Policy and the National Physical Activity Plan.  A particular emphasis is placed on implementing programmes to promote physical activity, making sport and physical activity accessible to people with a disability and the development of programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity.

Sport Ireland Director of Participation and Ethics, Dr. Una May, highlighted the impact of the projects funded to date: “Collaborative initiatives across the sports sector and capacity building programmes continue to have a positive impact on local communities. Programmes such as Youth Leadership offers specialised Sports Leadership training for young people providing a stepping stone into employment and also into further education or training.  The programme, along with the dedicated Volunteer Training & Support Programme will develop trained volunteers who can assist with the delivery of sport and recreation initiatives within their community. As highlighted in the recent Irish Sports Monitor 2019 Mid-Year Report, volunteerism in sport is increasing with over 875,000 adults having volunteered during the past year. Volunteerism has a significant and positive impact on the volunteers and their local communities and it is great to see the continued investment in such programmes.”

For Further Information:

David Gash, Communications Manager, Sport Ireland

Email: dgash@sportireland.ie

Tel: 01-8608800

Caroline O’Mahony, Communications Executive, Sport Ireland

Email: comahony@sportireland.ie

Tel: 01-8608857

Breakdown of Dormant Accounts Funding:

Community Sports and Physical Activity Hubs

Dormant Accounts Funding will be allocated to establish and develop six new CSPAHs, with additional funding allocated to 30 existing hubs.

The objective of the CSPAHs is to bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations.

The Hubs provide information, support and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities to make it easier for people in disadvantaged areas to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.

Applications to establish and develop CSPAHs were sought from Local Sports Partnerships in a competitive bid process under three theme areas: Community Setting, Schools Based Setting and an Outdoor Setting.

Youth Leadership

This project involves the development and delivery of specialised Sports Leadership training for young people providing a stepping stone for learners into employment and also into further education or training. This programme will develop generic leadership skills that can be applied to a variety of sports and/or recreational situations as well as contributing to the personal development of the learner.

It will also assist to develop trained volunteers who can assist with the delivery of sport and recreation initiatives within their community. The initiative will provide training for young people, keeping them engaged, increasing their responsibility and developing their confidence and self-esteem and will provide an opportunity for lifelong volunteering. The programme has the potential to impact on both early school dropout in disadvantaged areas and dropout rates from sport within the targeted age group.

Volunteer Training & Support Programme

The volunteer supports initiative aims to successfully identify and assist targeted individuals who are volunteering in disadvantaged communities or with people with disabilities to gain community sport and physical activity leadership skills e.g. as coaches, leaders, referees, committee members etc. This fund will also be used to support Community Coaching programmes or to support standalone training opportunities to support targeted volunteers. This funding stream is only open to individuals operating in a volunteer capacity within disadvantaged communities or with people with disabilities. This project will contribute to the development of confidence amongst participants, and eventually in the community through the subsequent volunteer sport development work carried out by participants.

Sports Inclusion Disability Programme Capital Supports

The Sports Inclusion Disability Programme Capital Supports initiative will provide capital support to the implementation of the national SIDP. The fund aims to reduce the barriers to sports participation for people with a disability through the provision of equipment and minor infrastructure. The fund can be used to purchase a range of disability sports equipment and enabling infrastructure including hoists, hand rails, fittings, mats, wheel chairs etc. Applicants were tasked to identify equipment or infrastructure works which will increase participation in sport or physical activity for people with a disability in their county.

Urban Outdoor Adventure Initiatives

Opportunities for young people living in disadvantaged communities to experience outdoor adventure sports is limited due to natural environments, distance from traditional outdoor settings (forests, mountains etc.) where activities are usually offered, and need for equipment, supervision, training and support to engage in these sports. The objective of the Urban Outdoor Adventure Initiatives is to create new opportunities for people living in disadvantaged communities to participate in outdoor adventure sports in urban settings. The programme also seeks to create new opportunities for at risk youth in disadvantaged communities and people with a disability.

Promoting Sporting Integrity through values based and ethical decision making education in sport

Sport Ireland is currently developing a position in respect to values-based sport and would like to further enhance this position by developing templates and education resources for stakeholders to implement values-based sport.

Research into the use of behavioural science to increase participation in sport and physical activity among individuals in disadvantaged areas

This project aims to conduct research into the use of behavioural science to increase participation in sport and physical activity among individuals in disadvantaged areas. This measure is being delivered under Actions 44 (Implement and support participation programmes with a focus on disadvantaged communities) and 52 (Establish a research programme to inform policies aimed at improving PA levels in each of the target groups) of the National Physical Activity Plan. The measure is also in line with Action 10 of the National Sports Policy which commits to using behavioural science insights in the development of participation programmes targeted at low participant groups.

Value Of Sport – National Physical Activity Promotion Campaign

The purpose of this funding is to conduct an annual evidence based national physical activity promotion campaign. The task is to create a public awareness campaign around the ‘value of sport.’ The overall goal of this project is to communicate the value of sport and the intangible emotionally-led benefits of sport. The campaign will demonstrates the positive effect that sport has on society and specifically to people with disabilities and those living in disadvantaged communities.

Community Sports and Physical Activity Hubs – Awareness Campaign  

To support Sport Ireland’s lead role in the delivery of Action 11 and Action 14 of the National Sports Policy 2018-2027, a comprehensive awareness campaign will be carried out to support the work of the Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs.

The campaign will support the objective of the Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs, which is to bring local people together and provide a home for local clubs and sports organisations. It will champion the Hubs as sources of information, support and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities to make it easier for people in disadvantaged areas to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyles.

Consulting with Young People Project – Young Voices in Sport Toolkit

The aim of the Consulting with Young People Project is to give volunteers and members of staff in sporting organisations a clear understanding of what they need to do to involve their young members in decision making at every level from local sports clubs to national governing bodies. Young members of sporting organisations have the right to participate in the decisions that affect their sporting lives.

Volunteers and members of staff in sporting organisations can support the long-term engagement of their young members in the sports they love by listening to their views and acting on them. Sporting organisations that involve young members in decision-making are more relevant to them, more sustainable and more likely to thrive. By using the activities in the toolkit, it will be possible for sporting organisations to find out what in important to their members in the 10-18 age group.

Sports Disability Training Framework (Cara – Sport Inclusion Ireland)

This fifth phase of Dormant Accounts funding in 2019 is designed to support the further development and delivery of specialised disability training courses through Cara. CARA will continue delivering on actions with a specific focus on sport and physical activity for people with disabilities.

Project FLAME

Project FLAME is one of the first programmes in Ireland to explore multiple components of movement competence with 12-16 year olds. Provisional results from the 2018 Project FLAME study involving over 300 Irish adolescents, aged 12 to 16 years old, observed that those participants in receipt of the movement-orientated intervention improved their physical literacy levels, in comparison to their control counterparts (those not in receipt of the Project FLAME intervention). These provisional findings suggest that the Project FLAME intervention can improve adolescent movement skills, and patterns, however, the evidence to-date for this study have been rooted in the school and education settings only.

Get Ireland Running

Athletics Ireland wishes to expand a number of Get Ireland Running Programmes targeting areas of disadvantage while also piloting some new initiatives around integration and inclusion. The programmes are directly linked to Athletics Ireland current strategy (2017-2020) which aims at ‘continuing to grow our membership through our existing club base, enhanced coaching and through new clubs and recruitment from schools, with specific focus on disadvantaged areas’.

Get Ireland Cycling

Cycling Ireland, working in collaboration with their clubs, partners and communities will coordinate and deliver opportunities, across a suite of programme offerings, to people in socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged areas.

Get Ireland Swimming

Swim Ireland will continue roll out projects under the overall ‘Get Ireland Swimming’ banner in support of the National Physical Activity Plan and the Swim Ireland mission which is ‘to encourage participation, develop excellence and regulate the sport”.

Get Ireland Walking

Sport Ireland developed the Get Ireland Walking initiative, in collaboration with a number of national partner organisations in 2013 and coordinates the programme with Mountaineering Ireland with financial support from the Department of Health. The programme seeks to grow the culture of walking in Ireland and support the establishment of community walking groups throughout the country.

NGB Community & Disability Sports Projects

Funding was made available to National Governing Bodies of Sport to support the National Physical Activity Plan under:

Action 47 ‘Continue to support the work of the National Governing Bodies of sport in implementing programmes to promote physical activity’,

Action 48 ‘Develop programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity and sport’

Action 49 ‘Extend existing and developing programmes for physical activity for people with disabilities and their families to enhance and deliver a comprehensive health and wellbeing programme’.

Ireland succeeds at British Isles Short Mat Championship

Nov 28, 2019

Ireland has had a very successful British Isles Short Mat Championship held in Aberdeen. With 11 trophies at stake Ireland came away with 8 of them.

Ireland won the Premier team competition and the ‘A’series team competition. They also picked up both singles title with Donegal’s Andrew Steele winning the Premier singles and Monaghan’s Mark Hamilton winning the ‘A’ series singles title. Both triples were also won with Oriel’s Gerry McCabe, Kieran Trainor and John Murnahan winning the Premier event while Karl Bradshaw, Michael McGrade and Paula Bradshaw won the ‘A’ series competition. In the rinks,Andy Leckey, Lisa Richardson, Gary Cuthbert and Jal Richardson.  The McDermott Cup for the outstanding country also went to Ireland.

Pics in order

Gerry O’Hare Irish team manager receives the McDermott Cup

Premier Singles winner Andrew Steel with IIBA President Flo McNally

‘A’ series Singles winner Mark Hamilton

Premier triples winners Kieran Trainor, Gerry O’Haire and John Murnigham

‘A’ series triples winners Michael McGrade, Paula Broadshow and Karl Bradshaw

CARA 2019 National Seminar for Inclusion

Nov 28, 2019

Cara in partnership with Sport Ireland were delighted to host the 2019 National Seminar for Inclusion. The theme for this year’s seminar will be on ‘Children and Young People with Disabilities’. Over 200 delegates representing 113 different national and international organisations attended this sold out event, all focussed on increasing and improving opportunities for children with disabilities to be active.

When we initially set about planning for this event, we really felt it was essential to keep children and you people at the core of this seminar. From the planning of this and right into the event, the voices of children and young people with disabilities were present and heard by all who were in attendance.

With spellbinding key notes addresses from young Dubliner Chris Watts, and broadcaster Brendan O’Connor, the audience was captivated with their stories, which then led to interesting discussions across the key areas of sport, physical activity and physical education. There were many key learnings taken from this event, which we hope to share in the near future.

A sincere thank you to all who attended, were involved in or who supported the 2019 National Seminar for Inclusion.

To find out more, please visit our website www.caracentre.ie

The 11th European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships

Nov 28, 2019

The Irish Kidney Association is delighted to be hosting the 11^th European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships in Dublin from August 2^nd-9^th (www.etdsc2020.com). With 25 countries and 13 different events it promises to be a true celebration of the gift of life that is organ donation.

A key sporting goal in hosting the event is to grow our national transplant and dialysis sports programme that operates under the banner Transplant Team Ireland (www.transplantteamireland.ie). We are looking for new recruits in the sports listed below. If you are, or you know, a person who has received an organ transplant and enjoy sport contact colin@ika.ie for more details on how to join our team for next year’s Championships. Competition is based on age categories starting with 18-29 years all the way to 80+ years.

The sports are:

• Archery
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Cycling
• Darts
• Golf
• Petanque
• 5km Road Run
• Squash
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Ten Pin Bowling
• Volleyball

All Ireland Ladies Senior, Inter & Junior Club Championship Finals

Nov 28, 2019

Mourneabbey were crowned All-Ireland Ladies Senior Club Champions for a second successive year, following a thrilling 2-9 to 0-14 victory over first-time finalists Kilkerrin-Clonberne on Saturday, November 23. The Cork and Munster Champions needed a superb late point from Laura Fitzgerald to retain the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, which they first won in 2018:

Meanwhile, there was an historic first All-Ireland adult club title for Offaly achieved on Saturday, November 23. Naomh Ciaran landed the All-Ireland Intermediate club title on the back of a 2-11 to 2-9 win against Naomh Pól from Antrim at Kingspan Breffni, Cavan:

To round off an incredible weekend of All-Ireland Ladies Club Championship Finals, Cork legend Rena Buckley starred as her club Donoughmore edged out Mayo opponents MacHale Rovers after extra-time by 1-12 to 1-11 in front of a bumper crowd at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe. Buckley scored 0-7 and claimed the Player of the Match award as the two-time All-Ireland Senior champions landed the junior title: