SIDO

Sports Inclusion Disability Officer

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership has been successful in securing funding for a Sports Inclusion Disability Officer (SIDO) for the county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown for two years, a post in which Phena O'Connor has been appointed.

In 2006, the Dormant Accounts Fund earmarked €2m nationally for projects that address the imbalance in opportunities for people with physical, intellectual and sensory disabilities to participate in sport and physical activity. The Irish Sports Council, in collaboration with the National Network of Local Sports Partnerships, identified the need to appoint dedicated SIDO's at county level in order to address current gaps in the provision of sport and recreation for this group.

Over the two-year term of the SIDO programme, Phena aims to increase participation levels of people with disabilities in sport and physical recreation. Phena will be responsible for developing activities and programmes, providing information and increasing awareness, while addressing training and education needs for schools, clubs and leisure facilities for disability groups. Phena will establish new clubs where gaps in provision exist, while providing support to existing sports clubs and groups for people with a disability. Furthermore, any work undertaken will support the work of the Local Sports Partnership.

Phena has previous experience of working in the area of sports development having worked for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's Sports Development Office previously, where she was charged with providing sports opportunities for at-risk youths from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. She is also a tutor for the Irish Sports Council's Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children's Sport in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Phena holds BSc. Sports Management from University College Dublin, along with other coaching and tutoring qualifications.

How to contact SIDO

Phena is looking forward to working with groups and individuals from the county and providing opportunities for them to participate in sports and active recreation. If you would like to find out more about the Sports Inclusion Disability Programme you can contact Phena through Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership on 01 271 9506 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it