Lismore Library First to Pilot Play Packs Building on Waterford’s Playful Communities Spirit

Lismore Library, in partnership with Waterford Sports Partnership and Healthy Waterford, is pleased to announce the launch of its Play Packs loan scheme designed to foster creativity, learning, and fun for young children in the community.

The Play Packs, carefully curated, contain a variety of engaging toys, games, and sporting equipment suitable for children of various ages. From toys and building blocks to puzzles and imaginative play sets, these packs are designed to spark curiosity and encourage play.

The launch event was attended by local councillors, library staff, Waterford Sports Partnership’s Active Cities Officer Lauren Walsh Kett, and Eoin Morrissey from Healthy Waterford, who have been delivering the Playful Communities (Streets) programme over the last number of years.

The launch of Lismore Library’s Play Packs was met with resounding enthusiasm from elected members in the community. Cllr. John Pratt praised the initiative as a testament to the library’s dedication to young residents, highlighting the invaluable learning opportunities through play, while Cllr. Donnchadh Mulcahy emphasised the packs’ role in fostering inclusivity and essential skill development, commending the library staff’s dedication.

Cllr. Niamh O’Donovan expressed her delight at the new resource, recognising its potential to provide more opportunities for families and organisations in the area to arrange community play days.

Debbie Johnston and Alan Butler explained the inspiration behind the Play Packs and their hopes for the initiative. Debbie Johnson remarked, “This adds to our library’s offerings to the community. We have seen the popularity of the Playful Communities project over the years and wanted to enable libraries to become a service to offer these packs to the community for loan.”

Alan Butler added, “In consultation with Waterford Sports Partnership and Healthy Waterford, we carefully selected the items in each Play Pack to ensure they are age-appropriate and aligned with early childhood development principles. Our goal is to provide resources that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction. We are excited to see how these packs will inspire and engage the children of Lismore and West Waterford.”

This initiative also builds upon the valuable work of the Playful Streets and Communities program run by Waterford Sports Partnership and Waterford City and County Council over the last number of years, in which over 80 individual communities throughout Waterford city and county participated.

The Play Packs will be available for borrowing by library members or local community groups. For further information, contact Lauren Walsh Kett at lwalshkett@waterfordsportspartnership.ie or Eoin Morrissey at eoinmorrissey@waterforcouncil.ie.

COMPLETE THE PLAY PACK BORROW FORM HERE

Waterford’s first Fitsticks Trail was officially launched on Wednesday 19^th February in SETU Arena. Waterford Sports Partnership, SETU Arena and FitWalk Ireland came together early in 2024 to facilitate and develop this great new amenity in Waterford City which was funded by the Active Cities Waterford Project via Sport Irelands, Dormant Accounts Fund.

The looped trail is just over 2km in length and follows the route of the ParkRun that is located at the Arena. The new trail provides an accessible and safe pathway that is well lit for people to use activator poles on and is free to use. The trail consists of an information board that demonstrates some warm-up and cool-down exercises, there are also stations placed along the route which provide the user with suggestions of different exercises they can try out using their activator poles such as squats and calf raises. All types of walking poles can be used on the trail, and it will be open to the community to use during SETU Arena opening hours which are 6am-10pm on weekdays and 9am-6pm on weekends. Activator poles will be available to borrow free of charge from reception at SETU Arena from the start of April 2025.

Waterford Sports Partnership is hosting Waterford Walking Week from Monday 7^th April so keep an eye on our social media for your chance to come and try out a tutor led session on the new Fitsticks Trail!

SPRAOI & Active Cities – Active Inclusion – Movement Workshop 16 years+

Spend an afternoon in the company of internationally renowned New Zealand artists Chloe Loftus and Rodney Bell for a creative movement session. Championing disability arts and inclusive practice, no experience is necessary to join this fun workshop that is designed to enhance your own unique movement possibilities, gaining an insight into the artist’s creative process. Open to wheelchair users aged 16 years+

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

For more information please contact Lauren Walsh Kett on 087 117 8578
or email: lwalshkett@waterfordsportspartnership.ie 

Would you like your neighbourhood to be a more Playful Place for adults and children as well as engage with your local authority?

Following on from the successful roll out of the pilot project in 2023 Healthy Waterford and Waterford Sports Partnership/Active Cities along with key stakeholders including Waterford City and County Council, Ready Steady Play, Sláintecare Healthy Communities, Waterford Libraries, Waterford PPN, Community Safety Partnership and CYPSC are teaming up to identify new areas interested in running a Playful Streets event in 2024.

HELP US HELP YOU MAKE YOUR STEEET A PLAYFUL STREET!

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE

For further information contact Eoin Morrissey on tel: 087-2181709 or Lauren Walsh Kett on tel: 087-1178578

Listen to our Active Cities Officer Lauren chatting to Beat about the new BoxUp Lockers in the People’s Park!

Active Cities project brings free equipment sharing solution to Waterford City

Waterford Sports Partnership is delighted to bring a new and innovative free equipment sharing solution to the People’s Park in Waterford City. The BoxUp locker, which was funded through the Dormant Accounts Active Cities Fund via Sport Ireland, was officially launched by the Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Conway, on Saturday 23^rd September and is now freely available for the public to use.

Introducing BoxUp to the People’s Park could not have happened without the valuable support of Waterford City & County Council staff in the installation of this 6-locker unit which compliments a number of new physical activity installations introduced in the People’s Park by Waterford City & County Council and Waterford Sports Partnership in recent months.

Over the past year, the eight Local Sports Partnerships within the Active Cities Network across Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway have been working with the Swiss-based company, BoxUp, to bring the first lockers to Ireland. The locker, which is solar powered, contains a variety of equipment based on the facilities and amenities in the People’s Park.  The equipment includes a skateboard and helmet, balance bike and helmet, basketballs, frisbees, table tennis equipment and boules equipment. All equipment can be easily accessed through the use of a free app.  Just download the free app BoxUp and create an account using photo ID to access the equipment!

The Active Cities project is focused on getting those who are least active in our society, active. In taking a multi-sectoral approach, the project seeks to reduce the barriers to participation in physical activity, increase access and enhance the choice and opportunities available for all to be active.

The Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr. Joe Conway, said ‘I am delighted to launch the BoxUp unit here today.  It’s a wonderful addition to the People’s Park.  It will help to make sport and activity accessible to all and will help to activate the many quality installations in the park including the skatepark, basketball court, pétanque court, table tennis table and of course offer children the opportunity to use a balance bike on the safe pathways throughout the park. Well done to everyone involved.’

Sport Ireland Director of Participation, Louise Burke said, “Sport Ireland is delighted to see the launch of BoxUp in Waterford today. The Active Cities project is funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, which aims to engage communities across the country by supporting those who are educationally, socially, or economically disadvantaged or those who have a disability to become more active. It’s great to see this new innovative solution for the public that is free which aims to reduce the barriers to participation in physical activity, increase access and enhance the choice and opportunities available for all to take part“.

Mary Corry, National Active Cities Officer said “with lockers already installed in both Dublin and Cork, it’s great to see this national collaboration come to life in Waterford. The introduction of BoxUp through the Active Cities project is an important development as we look to reduce barriers and meet the needs of individuals at a local level. I would encourage all residents or visitors to the area, to download the free BoxUp app and using photo ID, create their account, so that they can enjoy using this free equipment in the People’s Park“.

Rosarie Kealy, Sport Co-ordinator with Waterford Sports Partnership, commented; ‘We are delighted to bring BoxUp to Waterford and we would like to acknowledge the huge support from Waterford City & County Council especially the Parks team, who worked with us throughout the planning and installation process. This represents a significant opportunity to provide people with additional resources to get active in one of our city parks and to make the best use of the equipment and sports infrastructure already available in the park. We look forward to seeing the locker being utilised by all ages and abilities in the city’.

For more information on the Active Cities project please our Active Cities Officer, Lauren Walsh-Kett on 087 1178578
or email lwalshkett@waterfordsportspartnership.ie

Our new BoxUp unit will be installed this September in Peoples Park (by De La Salle entrance). Download the BoxUp App now so you can access this equipment loan service for FREE. See ‘how to’ video below. Please note you will need a form of I.D to register on the app. This is a free app and no debit/credit card details are needed, just download the app, input your email address, scan your I.D and you are good to go! BoxUp will be officially launched Saturday 23rd September in Peoples Park before our #BeActive Night Event from 4:30pm so come along and join in on the fun!