Aogán Ó Fearghail 30/11/2015

The community role of the GAA and the potential for it to be used as a channel for delivery of preventative health programmes has been boosted further by an independent assessment of the first phase of the GAA Healthy Club Initiative.

With €1 million backing from Irish Life to support community initiatives the programme is now calling on a further 50 clubs from across the country to get involved in making the communities they exist within healthier in both physical and mental terms.

The research into the success of the first phase, involving 18 clubs, was undertaken by Waterford Institute of Technology and launched yesterday at Croke Park by GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail and Minister for Health Leo Varadkar.

Phase 1 of the project ran from January 2013 to July 2015, involving 18 clubs selected from across the four provinces, with two mentoring clubs also involved.

Volunteer Projects

Volunteer project teams in each club conducted needs assessments within their memberships and communities to ascertain priority areas for their two-year action plans. The 1,426 responses received prompted the delivery of interventions across areas including physical activity, emotional wellbeing, health screening, anti-bullying, diet and nutrition, inclusion and community outreach, drug and alcohol awareness, life skill and personal development, anti-smoking, facilities development, and engagement with older community members.

“GAA clubs have always supported the health of our nation,” said O’Fearghaill.  “Now, through the Healthy Club Project, this is reaching far beyond the health benefits accrued from playing our games.

“The work of our volunteers at club level – combined with the support of our partners, the HSE, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, and Irish Life – is enabling the GAA to provide communities with an alternative access to wellbeing on their own terms, in their own backyards.”

“The GAA reaches into every parish in Ireland and is making an enormous contribution to the nation’s health and wellbeing,” added Varadkar.

“The Healthy Club Project takes this a step further and turns individual clubs into advocates for the physical and mental wellbeing of their local community.

“I’m delighted that so many clubs and communities have taken part, and with a new phase about to start I want to encourage many more clubs to sign up. The Healthy Club Project fits very well with our Healthy Ireland initiative, which wants people to stay well and to feel well.”

Recognition

Castleblayney Faughs were one of the clubs to take part and picked up the Sports Club of the Year award at the inaugural Sport Industry Awards last month. Its ‘Operation TransFAUGHmation’ is empowering hundreds from their local area to take ownership of their health and a fun, collective way.

The St. Finbarr’s and Midleton clubs were awarded joint first place in the national Health Management Institute awards 2014 by the Minister for Health for their ground-breaking ‘Cork Beats Stress’ six-week programme. Rolled out in partnership with the HSE’s psychological services it benefitted hundreds of people in their catchment areas.

St. Colmcille’s GAA club was awarded REHAB Community group of the year in Meath and was awarded seed funding from the GENIO Foundation to support its unique ‘How are you Today?’ community mental health outreach programme.

Image Credit: Inpho.ie / Cathal Noonan

 


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