In April we embarked on the ‘Sheds for Life Programme. A joint initiative between Local Sports Partnerships, Get Ireland Walking and local men’s Sheds. The aim of the programme is to assist Men’s Shed members to get more physically active in their daily lives. We worked with four sheds in Waterford; Waterford Men’s Shed, Deise Men’s Shed, Waterford Estuary Men’s Shed and Dungarvan Men’s Shed. During the ten week programme the men took part in five ‘tutor led’ activities and were then went on to co-ordinate their own activities for a further five weeks.
On Monday 13th May, we coordinated a celebration day for the ten week ‘Sheds for Life’ Programme at WIT Arena. Seventeen men from the four sheds took part in a ninety minute fun activity session to mark the end of the 10 week programme which saw laughter and sweat in equal measure. The celebration day involved 25 minutes of Fun and Run hosted by Eoin Breathnach from Waterford GAA; WSP Development Officer, Peter Jones delivered some fun Go for Life games and Mark Barry from the FAI delivered some walking football to round off a great morning. It was also great to see our ‘Shed for Life’ tutors Shane Dineen, Lauren Walsh Kett and Brian O’Neill present and a big thank you to them for all of their hard work.The day was a great success and a suitable finale giving the men some more ideas to keep exercise as a natural part of their daily routine! Well done to all involved.
For more information please contact Peter Jones on 0761 10 2191 or pjones@waterfordsportspartnership.ie.
WSP Commits to Sports Inclusion Disability Charter
Published: April 30, 2019
On Saturday 27th April at our SportsAbility Event at WIT Arena we welcomed Doireann Ní Mhuircheartaigh who had traveled from the Cara Centre in Tralee to support the event and to witness Waterford Sports Partnership’s public signing of Ireland’s first ever Sports Inclusion Disability Charter specific to the participation of people with disabilities in sport and physical activity.
The Charter, which was developed by the Cara Centre in partnership with people with disabilities, clearly outlines the five key areas people with disabilities are asking all organisations to consider in making active and healthy lifestyles possible for them.
Following the signing WSP Co-ordinator Rosarie Kealy said ‘we wanted to use this public opportunity to show our support and formally sign up to the Sports Inclusion Disability Charter, promote its importance and encourage all organisations to sign up to the Charter too.‘
By signing the Sports Inclusion Disability Charter we have committed to:
1. Openness: Be open to and understanding of all people with disabilities
2. People: Access training for our staff/volunteers to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities
3. Activities: Develop and deliver inclusive activities
4. Facilities: Review our facility/venues/equipment to make our organisation more accessible
5. Promotion: Promote the inclusive nature of our activities, in a variety of formats
The Waterford SportsAbility Weekend 2019 took place on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April and received extremely positive feedback from those who attended. The 2019 event, which was funded by the HSE in association with the WIT Arena, built on the success of the 2018 SportsAbility Day by expanding to a two day event. The event is a key action of the Waterford SportsAbility Forum, an initiative of Waterford Sports Partnership.
The weekend got off to a great start with a well attended and interesting seminar on Friday evening. Our MC on the night was Eoin Breathnach, Waterford GAA Games Development Manager and member of the SportsAbility Forum. The panel discussion was facilitated by Paul Ryan of Irish Wheelchair Association Sport and the panel of Karen Power, Jim Walsh, Hayley Fitzsimons and Niamh Rockett gave their very real, honest and inspirational perspectives and experiences of the impact and importance of sport in the lives of those with disability and the challenges they met along the way. This was followed by a really energetic and informative presentation from Patricia Hamm of Waterford Warriors on their ethos and approach to fitness, health and inclusion. Finally, our Keynote Speaker, Paul Ryan of IWA Sport, told his story of acquiring a disability at a young age and of the key role sport and physical activity has played in his life. It was clear from the level of contribution and engagement from the audience that it was a thought provoking and inspirational evening and we thank all of our speakers for their generosity of time and contribution.
The event continued on Saturday from 11am to 2pm with the Come and Try It and Information Day. MC for the day was Karen Power and throughout the day Karen maximised every opportunity to strengthen relationships and develop linkages between the various organisations present. In her opening address, Rosarie Kealy, Sports Co-ordinator, Waterford Sports Partnership , welcomed all participants and representatives from over 20 local sports clubs, national governing bodies of sport, leisure facilities and disability organisations who hosted information stands to provide information, support and advice on the many opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity in Waterford. An informal discussion circle took place between all these organisations during the morning to share information and ideas and this proved extremely useful with many important connections being made for future opportunities.
Rosarie welcomed Doireann Ní Mhuircheartaigh who had traveled from the Cara Centre in Tralee to support the event and to witness Waterford Sports Partnership’s public signing of Ireland’s first ever Sports Inclusion Disability Charter specific to the participation of people with disabilities in sport and physical activity. The Charter, which was developed by the Cara Centre in partnership with people with disabilities, clearly outlines the five key areas people with disabilities are asking all organisations to consider in making active and healthy lifestyles possible for them. Following the signing Rosarie Kealy said ‘we wanted to use this public opportunity to show our support and formally sign up to the Sports Inclusion Disability Charter, promote its importance and encourage all organisations to sign up to the Charter too. ‘
The hall was a hive of activity for the SportsAbility Day which showcased a wide range of Come & Try sessions including Athletics, Wheelchair Basketball, Fun & Run (Waterford GAA), Football for All (FAI), Muay Thai (Waterford Muay Thai), Boccia, and Enjoy Tennis (Mark White) just to name a few. Upstairs in the studio, the Yoga sessions (Tracy Boland) proved very popular with children and adults alike while many took advantage of the opportunity to try out handcycles, trikes and electric bikes which were available on site. For those who needed some quiet time during the day there was also a sensory room on site.
With well over 200 participants in attendance over the weekend, the event was a huge success and showcased all the exciting opportunities for people with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity in Waterford.
Here is some of the great feedback: ‘Excellent networking opportunity for the different organisations and clubs, a really well organised event, we gained a number of new Club members over the weekend and we were delighted to launch our Teenage Club at the event. – DCDynamos. ‘Particularly enjoyed the Panel Discussion on Friday night, made contacts and we were able to offer advice to other groups in attendance. – Cill Barra Sports Centre. ‘Great to discover other support organisations and potential for linking up in the future.’ – Active Connections
Well done and thank you to all our partners who contributed to the organising and hosting of this event. For more information on this event please contact Pauline Casey on 0761 10 2682 or email pcasey@waterfordsportspartnership.ie.
WSP Wins Irish Sports Industry Award
Published: April 25, 2019
Brian O’Neill, YSDO Waterford Sports Partnership (centre) and Michael Looby, Development Officer, FAI are presented with the 20×20 Award, sponsored by 20×20, by Sarah Colgan, 20×20 Co-Creator, during the Irish Sport Industry Awards presented by the Federation of Irish Sport at Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown on Monday 15th April.
The Awards recognise and reward excellence in Sport, whilst simultaneously highlighting the contribution of Sport in Ireland. Waterford Sports Partnership was shortlisted under the 20×20 category- an initiative that promotes female participation in Sport.
The award we received was for our Soccer for Girls Programme – a collaboration with the FAI, Presentation Girls National School and Our Lady of Mercy National School. We are very proud to have won this prestigious award and we would like to thank the two schools and the FAI for working with us. A special thanks to Brian O’Neill our Youth Sports Development Officer who was the driving force behind this programme.
Click HERE to see a full list of the Award Winners.
CARA | Fit for All Week 2019
Published: April 24, 2019
Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland have announced that their National Fit For All week will take place from the 5th May to the 11th May 2019.
Fit for all week is a national campaign which is aimed at increasing awareness among people with disabilities their families & carers and disability services on the benefits of regular exercise, healthy lifestyles and opportunities to participate within the local community. Fit for all week also aims to increase awareness and build the capacity of leisure & fitness professionals in providing accessible programmes and facilities within their local community.
This year we are delighted to partner with Ireland Active; Leisure, Health and Fitness Association. Our partnership with Ireland Active will ensure a national promotion and coverage of fit for all week and also get the support from their many members.
We are delighted to partner with Cara for their National Fit For All week and we look forward to working with our members and their facilities in providing opportunities for people with disabilities to be more active – Conn Mc Cluskey Ceo of Ireland Active
“Throughout fit for all week, we are inviting leisure Centres, fitness facilities, community halls, professional trainers etc. around the country to open up their centres and invite individuals with disabilities to participate in their programmes and to try out everything within their facility” – Brenda O’Donnell, Inclusive Sport & Fitness Coordinator Cara.
This year Cara are working very closely with each of the Local Sports Partnerships in every county to promote the week. Each LSP will provide support and guidance to all leisure centres and fitness professionals within their county and will promote the activities on offer both locally and county wide.
We are calling on leisure centres and fitness professionals in County Waterford to register their centres and programmes for fit for all week and to showcase the facilities and programmes that they have. We want individuals with disabilities in Waterford to know that there are centres, facilities and programmes being provided for them and to highlight how easy it is for them to access them.
Any leisure Centre, fitness facility or fitness professional in County Waterford that are interested in participating in fit for all week are encouraged to register their details HERE Individuals wishing to take part during the week can check out the list of active centres on the CARA Website
Funding available for Bike Week 2019
Published: April 15, 2019
Waterford City and County Council is currently inviting applications from community groups for funding to assist with the organisation of a cycling themed event during Bike Week 2019, which will take place from 22nd to 30th June. The objective of Bike Week is to celebrate cycling in all its forms and to get more people participating in cycling both for transport and recreation.
The type of groups which may apply are community groups, voluntary organisations, schools, sports clubs, active retirement groups, community childcare service providers, work places or any group that wishes to organise a bike related event on a ‘not for profit basis’ during Bike Week 2019. Examples of possible Bike Week events include (but are not limited to): • Guided bike tour of a town/village. These can be themed, for example, heritage, gardens, or food trips. • Cycles from your school to a local amenity on cycle to school/work for bike based games such as treasure hunts and slow bicycle races; • A midsummer night cycle • Bike maintenance workshops • Bike art exhibition • Bike school art competition, quiz or drama • Family fun cycle • Bike fashion show • Cycling window display competition in local shops • Picnic cycle • Fancy dress bike parade. • Greenway Cycle The list is endless!
Grants available may be somewhere in the range of €100 to €300 per successful group/event, depending on applications received and the nature of those applications.
Completed applications should be e-mailed to jcodd@waterfordcouncil.ie or, alternatively, application forms can be posted to Johnny Codd, Community Dept., Waterford City and County Council, City Hall, The Mall, Waterford.
The CLOSING DATE for applications is 4 p.m. Friday 3rd May 2019
For further information contact: Johnny Codd, Community Section, Lo Call 0761 10 2503 Email: jcodd@waterfordcouncil.ie
Cycle Training for Children with Dyspraxia
Published: April 4, 2019
Let’s Cycle Kidz is a six week cycling programme for children with Dyspraxia. Teaching children how to cycle in a fun, safe environment
Wednesday 1st May to Wednesday 5th June (6 week Block) at the Regional Sports Centre | Cork Road | Waterford
GROUP 1 : 6.30 to 7.15pm for Children aged 6 to 11 with Dyspraxia
GROUP 2 : 7.15 to 8pm for Children aged 11+ with Dyspraxia
Bring your own bike & helmet or borrow one of ours!
Waterford Sports Partnership is delighted to be organising the Waterford SportsAbility Weekendon Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April. This event which is funded by the HSE is being run in association with WIT Arena. After listening to feedback from last year’s inaugural SportsAbility Day this year’s event has been expanded to two days giving you more opportunities to take part.
Friday 26th April | 6-9pm @ WIT ARENA SEMINAR EVENING 6 to 7pm Panel Discussion & Questions/Answers with . . .
7 to 8pm Waterford Warriors Present: ‘The importance of Strength, Conditioning and Flexibility’.
Saturday 27th April | 11am-2pm @ WIT ARENA COME & TRY IT/INFORMATION DAY
Come along & try: Basketball, Soccer, Muay Thai, Tag Rugby, Yoga, Cycling & much more . . .
REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL SPORTS CLUBS, LEISURE FACILITIES & DISABILITY ORGANISATIONS WILL BE ON HAND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, SUPPORT & ADVICE.
This event is suitable for people with a disability of all ages, their families, parents, teachers, sports coaches, youth club leaders and anyone interested in sport. FREE EVENT | BOOK HERE NOW!
