Active Cities project brings free equipment sharing solution to 5 Irish Cities

Eight of Sport Ireland’s Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) are currently working with their respective Local Authorities to bring a new and innovative free equipment sharing solution to parks and communities across 5 cities in Ireland: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

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 is seeking to reduce the barriers to participation in physical activity, increase access and enhance the choice and opportunities available for all to take part.

Introducing BoxUp to Ireland is a collaborative initiative being developed across the cities as part of this project and aims to expand the opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to lead healthier lifestyles through increased access to free sport and leisure equipment.

Over the past nine months, the 8 LSPs have been working with the Swiss-based company, BoxUp, to bring the first lockers to Ireland. There are currently over 60 lockers in operation across Switzerland and France, with many other European Countries expected to come online over the coming months. The lockers, which are solar powered, contain a variety of equipment based on the facilities and amenities in that area, and all equipment can be easily accessed through the use of a free app.

Leading on the project, Mary Corry, National Active Cities Officer, said “working collectively to identify practical solutions is a key focus of the project. We know that for some, accessing equipment can be a real barrier to their participation, and with so many facilities, parks and open spaces across our cities, it’s important we try to meet the needs of individuals to enable them to be active.

As part of a feasibility study, representatives from the National Active Cities working group, visited Geneva and Lausanne to see the lockers both in production, and in operation across a number of parks. With over 15,000 users and over 50,000 hours of recorded activity to date, not only can these lockers provide access to equipment, but they will also provide invaluable data on the usage of the equipment in each local area.

In Waterford, Waterford Sports Partnership is working with Waterford City & County Council to install a 6-locker unit in the People’s Park to compliment a number of new physical activity installations and projects introduced over the last few months.

Rosarie Kealy, Sport Co-ordinator with Waterford Sports Partnership, commented; ‘We are delighted to be working closely with Waterford City & County Council to bring BoxUp to Waterford. This represents a significant opportunity to provide people with additional resources to get active in one of our city parks and we look forward to seeing the locker being utilised by all ages and abilities in the city’.

Seán Gormley, Acting Senior Executive Engineer, from Waterford City and Council said ‘ We are very happy to support this addition to the infrastructure in the People’s Park which will enhance the opportunity for recreational activity in the park. This is part of the continued partnership between Waterford City & County Council and Waterford Sports Partnership and all these additions are very positive and have been well received by the public that are using the People’s Park on a daily basis’.

The lockers, which are being funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund via Sport Ireland, will come on stream across the cities over the coming weeks!

Acclaimed Belgian street arts company Be Flat performs Follow Me at the 30^th anniversary Spraoi Festival. The Parkour style show will have athletic performers move across the city’s landscape. Their audience will follow through O’Connell St., George’s St., Georges Court, Barronstrand St., Cathedral Lane, Blackfriars, Conduit Lane and Arundel Sq. on Saturday and Sunday of this years festival, (August 5^th & 6^th).

Active Cities Waterford and Waterford Sports Partnership, are delighted to support this event as we see this as an opportunity to promote non-conventional sports activity amongst young people. Parkour is a sport or athletic activity in which the participant seeks to move quickly and fluidly through an area, often urban,  by running, vaulting, jumping, climbing, rolling, and other movements in order to travel from one point to another in the quickest and most efficient way possible without the use of equipment.

While in Waterford the Be Flat performers will present a ‘Come and Try Parkour’ session for twenty young Waterford people.
A limited number of FREE tickets to participate in this class are HERE now.
The taster session takes place on Friday afternoon, August 4^th from 2 to 4p.m. in Wyse Park.
Don’t delay book your spot today!  

For more information please contct Brian O’Neill, Youth Sports Development Officer,
on 086 020 1219 or email boneill@waterfordsportspartnership.ie

Summer is here! Let’s Get Walking

Join us for 10 weeks of social walks

Starting Wednesday 31^st May @ 10am from Cill Barra Sports Centre

FREE EVENT | ALL WELCOME | BOOK HERE NOW!
(children must be accompanied by an adult)

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT:
Elaine Mullan | Active Cities Officer
Phone: 087 1178578 | Email: emullan@waterfordsportspartnership.ie

€3.4million Invested in Active Cities for an Active Future

• Five Active Cities to be rolled out in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford
• Aim is to provide increased opportunities for city residents to be active in their communities.
• Creating change for those who are economically, socially or educationally disadvantaged or those who have a disability.

A major, new national campaign has been launched to get as many people exercising and participating in physical activity as possible in our biggest urban cities. The Sport Ireland ‘Active Cities’ project calls on everyone across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford to come together to create more opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity through collaboration, partnership, and planning.

Sport Ireland officially unveils Active Cities, a project based on the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) Framework, which focuses on increasing physical activity amongst those who are least active in society.

Active Cities prioritises physical activity and sport for all and is underpinned by four key pillars – Active Systems, Active Environments, Active Societies, and Active People.

To date €3.4m has been invested to engage with communities across the five cities, creating change for those who are economically, socially or educationally disadvantaged or those who have a disability.

With ambitious aims for Irish cities to be among the most physically active and healthy places in the world, it is vital that a multi-sectoral approach is taken to delivering the project.

When it comes to being physically active, only 42% of adults and only 13% of children met the recommended national guidelines as per the 2021 Irish Sports Monitor. With over 33% of the population living across the 5 cities, physical inactivity is negatively impacting the health, economy, environment, and community of our cities.

Active Cities is about creating opportunities so that all citizens can lead healthier lifestyles in the context of sport and physical activity. The vision of Active Cities is to engage, increase and maintain the number of citizens regardless of age or ability participating in sport and physical activity in their city. Collaborative and partnership-based by nature, Active Cities is being led locally by the eight (8) LSPs across Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

It is not just the responsibility of people working in sport and physical activity to address this. Active Cities is about all stakeholders, who directly and indirectly impact on physical activity, collectively driving change through collaboration, partnership, and planning.

Highlighting the importance of raising awareness Sport Ireland CEO, Dr Una May added: “Sport Ireland are proud to support a wonderful initiative such as Active Cities. Communication and promotion will be central to the success and impact of Active Cities. Research has highlighted the importance of identifying and connecting with trusted local community leaders, willing to promote opportunities within their locality. This initiative will provide a fantastic opportunity for Active Cities to generate a sense of community and togetherness, while bringing sport and physical activity to people’s lives”.

A recent “Active Cities Marketing Communications Research Report”, identified preferences on engaging individuals from targeted groups (i.e., from socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged areas or people with disabilities) to establish their preferences around the promotion of physical activity.

Speaking at the launch Partnerships Manager, Oisin Foley commented:

“Active Cities is about creating opportunities and increasing the number of active spaces throughout cities across Ireland. We want physical activity to become a social norm, naturally and habitually built into people’s home, work and community lives. I would like to encourage as many people to get involved with your local Active City and take part in the wonderful events being rolled out through the initiative”

So many stakeholders have a pivotal role to play in the success of Active Cities and in prioritising  physical activity for ALL which is reflected in the four guiding pillars; Active Systems, Active Environments, Active Societies and Active People.  With all five cities aligned nationally to impact positive change, the pillars also give each city the individual pathway for implementation at a local level through local partnership and collaboration.

Active Cities is about creating an environment where city residents can be more active, with more choice, more opportunity and lead healthier lives in the context of sport and physical activity. Be part of the #ActiveCities movement. You can find tips on how to get active through your Local Sports Partnership website, check out SportIreland.ie or ask your doctor/ physician/ OT for information on how best to get active.

Be part of the Active Cities conversation using the hashtag #ActiveCities and tagging @sportireland, your Local Sports Partnership and any stakeholder you see as having the potential to influence and impact physical activity opportunities.

(*ISM Mid-year 2021)

Want to learn to cycle?
Nervous about cycling on the road?
Want more confidence cycling
T-Junctions and roundabouts?

Tell us what you/your community needs and we’ll deliver it for you!

CONTACT:
Lauren Walsh-Kett| Active Cities Officer
Phone: 087 1178578 | Email: lwalshkett@waterfordsportspartnership.ie