Over the past 21 years, the network of Local Sport Partnerships has flourished on a journey that has seen the network grow from a pilot initiative in 8 counties, to a full network of 29 LSPs, one in every county, employing over 240 staff members and with 380 members sitting on their boards and management committees.
The Local Sports Partnerships 2022 Highlights eNewsletter below gives us a glimpse at the wide range of courses, programmes and events being run across the country each year.
We found it a tough job, but we eventually whittled it down to a few chosen highlights throughout the year in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership. We are delighted to feature here!
Have a read through and also have a look at the great work other LSP's are doing across the country.
Click on the image below to download the eNewsletter.
24th January 2023: The Federation of Irish Sport today announced the official support of the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships for the 2022 Volunteers in Sports Awards. The nationwide awards recognise individual volunteers at sports clubs and organisations across the country, who give freely of their time and energy to their local club to help make sport happen.
The 2022 Volunteers in Sport Awards, supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships will be celebrated on the 22nd March 2023 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown. In light of the of this announcement the closing date will now be extended to Wednesday 8th February. Nominations can be made by completing a short online entry form here.
The National Network of Local Sports Partnerships has a huge presence in sport at a grassroots level engaging with local communities to promote physical activity for all ages and abilities, removing barriers and increasing inclusivity. They offer a wide variety of opportunities to access training, education and targeted programmes and initiatives in sport.
Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport said, “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of the Local Sports Partnership Network. Volunteerism in sport forms the foundation of sport the length and breadth of the country. The LSPs are in the heart of communities, supporting all sports at grassroots level and encouraging physical activity for all. We believe their involvement in the awards will deepen the appreciation of volunteers locally.”
Graham Russell, Head of Sport Louth Sports Partnership said, “As a national network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships we are thrilled to be able to come together to support the Volunteers in Sport Awards as they celebrate those who volunteer their time and energy for the good of their locality. Each Local Sports Partnerships proactively engages locally with sporting clubs and organizations, as well as partnering with the National Governing Bodies of Sport to support local volunteers and encourage clubs and organisations locally to provide opportunities for everyone in the community to get involved in sport and physical activity, ensuring that sport is inclusive and accessible to all.”
To keep up to date with all the latest announcements visit www.volunteersinsport.ie and follow @iresport on twitter and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/federation-of-irish-sport/ #DedicatedtoheDedicated
The Federation of Irish Sport today announced the launch of the 2022 Volunteers in Sports Awards. The county awards will return to an in-person awards ceremony, recognising the army of volunteers who make sport happen in communities, in every county across the country. Nominations are now open at www.volunteersinsport.ie. The awards are #DedicatedtotheDedicated.
The 2022 awards will be celebrated in the Greater Dublin Area at the beginning of March 2023. Nominations are open from Monday 12th December via the dedicated awards website. Entries will close on the 25th January 2023. Nominations received will be shortlisted and put forward for consideration by the Judging Panel. Winners are chosen on a county basis, with 32 award recipients and one overall Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Volunteers are the cornerstone of sporting activities in clubs and communities nationwide. Unpaid, they give freely of their time, energy and are dedicated to the development of their chosen sport. Over 450,000 volunteers are needed on a weekly basis to run club activities, giving on average 3½ hours per week. The estimated economic value of volunteering in sport and physical activity is worth €1.5bn. Without them sports clubs would not exist.
Also present at the launch the of the awards was the 2020 Co. Kildare recipient Tom Egan of Salmon Leap Canoe Club and his daughter Irish Canoeist Jenny Egan a multiple World Championship and European Medallist and Multiple World Cup Medallist and currently ranked World No. 1.
Commenting on the announcement Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, TD said, “It’s an honour to be part of the launch of these national awards, recognising the many volunteers who are the backbone of local sports clubs in every community across the country. They are responsible for making sure weekly training sessions take place, managing teams, organising inter-club matches, ensuring pitches, courts and clubhouses are kept operational most importantly bringing communities together through sport. Last year’s winners represented a wide variety of sports and all ages of volunteers. I
would encourage all club members to reflect on who they know in their club that has made a difference and had a positive impact in their community through their dedication to their sport.”
Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport said, “I am delighted to launch the return of the Volunteers in Sport Industry Awards. While the awards were successfully hosted online for the last two years due to the pandemic, nothing beats the warmth and connectivity of gathering in-person to recognise the selfless work being done by volunteers behind the scenes at clubs and sporting organisations.
There is a strong sense of volunteerism in sport in Ireland. We had been on track to reach the 2027 target of 55% for social participation, club membership or attendance at a sporting event. However, Covid has impacted this and we need to encourage more participation and volunteering to get back on track to reach this target. Shining a light on our volunteers in sport is a way to recognise and remind people of the invaluable role they play in society.”
Through Sport Ireland’s Active Cities project, the 5 cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford are focused on getting those who are least active in our society active. To enable this, the 8 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), who are facilitating the project, are seeking to take a multi-sectoral approach to reducing the barriers to participation in physical activity, increasing access for everyone, and enhancing the choice and opportunities available for all to take part.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, together with Sport Ireland, yesterday launched the new national outdoor recreation strategy, “Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors”. Please find this strategy attached.
Over the next five years, Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will shape the future of outdoor recreation in Ireland. It will provide a strong strategic focus to underpin the unprecedented investment in the sector with €1.6 billion invested over the past four years. This investment is just the start and will be built upon over the coming years, where Sport Ireland is co-leading on the implementation of this policy.
Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will bring a cohesive and joined-up approach to the development of outdoor recreation infrastructure at both a national and county level, where Sport Ireland’s Local Sport Partnerships and National Governing Bodies for sport will play a key role in both participation opportunities and establishing partnerships.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys speaking at the launch said:
“Our Rural Future sets out a long-term vision for a vibrant and sustainable rural Ireland, transforming the quality of life and opportunities for people living in rural areas.
Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy is integral to this transformation. Significant stakeholder and public engagement has been at the core of the development of this strategy. I would like to thank the members of Comhairle na Tuaithe and its subgroups for their tireless work in developing this strategy. Thanks to the high level of stakeholder and public engagement Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is a truly collaborative strategy that will set the stage to strengthen and support the sustainable development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland for years to come. This is a forward-thinking strategy that will act as a steppingstone for the future of the outdoor recreation sector and it is also a strategy that will adapt over time to meet the ever changing needs of the outdoor recreation sector.”
CEO of Sport Ireland, Dr. Úna May, commented:
“Sport Ireland has worked diligently over the years to bring outdoor recreation to the fore in Ireland through collaboration with trail management and volunteer groups, local authorities, state agencies, outdoor National Governing bodies for Sport and our Local Sports Partnerships. This work has laid the foundation for this strategy to develop with a focus on structure, expertise and capacity that will put the sector in a strong position in five years’ time. Working closely with Comhairle na Tuaithe, the countryside council, throughout the development of this strategy, the relationships between all stakeholders have strengthened to ensure the future success of this important policy. This collaboration has spanned government departments, state landowners, farming organisations, recreation providers and National Governing Bodies, as well as two open public consultations. The actions that have emerged are approaching the challenges and opportunities in a cohesive, integrated approach. This level of collaborative working will no doubt ensure that Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will be a strong and successful strategy for the next five years and will be a strong base to build on for the future of the outdoor recreation sector. Sport Ireland is looking forward to the implementation of the strategy, taking up our leadership role and working alongside stakeholders in the outdoor sector.”
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