The network of 31 Local Sports Partnerships are having a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of people through the delivery of direct programmes and support to local sports organisations, according to a new report published this week.
202,458 people participated in 998 sports programmes delivered locally by the Sports Partnerships in 2011. This number includes 43,872 people who took part in the 316 programmes which were delivered for the first time during the year
Funding from the Irish Sports Council accounts for 44.6% of the total LSP funding in 2011, with the remaining 55.4% raised locally by each partnership from other sources. Over €12.7m was invested in the network in 2011 including Monetary Funding leveraged locally of €3,878,458 and Benefit-in-kind (BIK) of €3,167,060.
Irish Sports Council funding to the LSP network reduced by over €428,000 or 7% from  to €5.68m in 2011 reflecting the reduction of €2.6m in the Council’s own budget.
SPEAK 2011, the annual evaluation of the national network, was launched in Athy, Co Kildare by the Minister of State for Sport Mr. Michael Ring T.D, Niall Quinn, the Chairman of Kildare Sports Partnership and John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council.
“The SPEAK Report provides clear indicators of the work of the partnerships and demonstrates their positive impact.”
The Sports Partnerships were created by the Irish Sports Council in 2000 to provide opportunities in sport for target groups which face barriers to sport.