County Limerick Local Sports Partnership Steering Group Action Plan Launch 9th February, 2005 in Castletroy College
A large crowd was in attendance for the launch of the County Limerick Local Sports Partnership Action Plan in Castletroy College on 9th February, 2005. The steering group has been operating since July 2001 and has already developed a three-year Strategic Plan for Sport and Recreation in the County. This Action Plan is the second plan that the group has produced.
The Plan was launched by Cllr. Eddie Wade Chairman of Limerick County Development Board. Cllr. Wade complemented the CLLSP steering group on their work to date and stated that he was looking forward to the rolling out of the new action plan. County Limerick LSP Steering Group has not yet received an official Local Sports Partnership from the Irish Sports Council so the resourcing of the various actions has been funded from the local agencies in County Limerick. I would like to thank the individual agencies for their contributions and commitment to ensuring that the sporting and recreation needs of the County are addressed.
County Limerick has not yet received an official Irish Sports Council Local Sports Partnership this means that the resourcing of the various actions has been delivered by the local agencies on the ground in County Limerick. Cllr. Wade complemented the agencies for their contributions and commitment to ensuring that the sporting and recreation needs of the County are addressed.
Communities in Motion is one of the action areas in the CLLSP Action Plan. The evening commenced with a display by the older people from the six participating communities in the Communities in Motion project, the groups were involved in a display of botcha and line dancing. These groups meet once or twice a week in Askeaton, Bruff, Cappamore, Croom, Newcastle West and Pallasgreeen, with the leaders facilitating sessions in walking, bowling dancing and exercise sessions. The leaders from each of the communities have participated in Go for Life Physical Activity Leaders training. Go for Life are piloting this type of training in County Limerick as special project and other counties such as Donegal are now commencing a similar project. This training has enabled the community to increase the opportunities for older people to be physically active. It has also resulted in more opportunities for older people to socialise. Mr. Stephen Maloney, one of the leaders in Croom has further trained as a tutor with Go for Life. Stephen will now deliver talks to other groups in relation to physical activity, displaying the projects ability to build the capacity of communities to address their needs. Cllr. Wade presented Stephen with his tutor training certificate.
The other elements of the Communities in Motion Project have been parent and toddler and walking. The objective of the initiative is to provide community people with training in order to lead out physical activity sessions for different target groups. The Health Services Executive (Mid-Western Area) have developed a Get Fit video as an aid to parents in encouraging their toddlers to be physically active. Walking leaders have received Irish Heart Foundation Sli Na Slainte Walking Leader Training to enable them to role out a calendar of walking events in their own communities.
The two other action areas in the plan are developing club sport and school sport. There are 345 registered sports clubs in County Limerick offering a huge variety of sporting activities. Cllr. Wade complemented the work of the various sporting organisations in continuing to provide opportunities for people to participate in sport and recreation. The Limerick County Development Board has established a sports forum and have elected an executive who will assist in identifying the information and training needs of the sports clubs. These needs will be then addressed through a variety of training initiatives.
School sport is a new area in the Action Plan. The Irish Sports Council in its recent Strategy Sport for Life 2003-05 stated participation by young people in sport and physical activity is a priority. Research is showing a disturbing lack of health-giving exercise in children still attending primary schools and there is now increasing evidence of the onset of diabetes. There is a rise in obesity with 18% of Irish adults now rated obese. The school sport action aims to ensure that exercise becomes a habit for life from an early age and that children experience the enjoyment and well-being that comes from participating in exercise.
The Special guest on the night was John Loftus who won a bronze medal in badminton in the Kidney Transplant and Dialysis Games in Slovenia in 2004. John talked about the training and winning of the medal and offers an example to all aspiring athletes for his dedication and determination.