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The successful Link-2-B-Active initiative will become a national programme in 2011. Link-2-B-Active creates opportunities in sport for unemployed people. The concept was developed by South Dublin County Sports Partnership which created links to unemployed individuals & groups to facilities which were made available by their operators. The successful model supported 1,100 people become involved in physical activity and is supported by 25 operators. The Irish Sports Council will support Link2BActive as a national programme though the network of Local Sports Partnerships.
The announcement was made by Michael Ring T.D., Minister of State of Tourism and Sport at a special event in Westport, Co Mayo. Minister Ring commented "The success of the Local Sports Partnerships is clear to see with 135,000 people participating in their locally delivered programmes. The information and other services provided to more than 7,000 clubs in 2010 is an indication of their valuable contribution to sport. The expansion of the Link-2-B-Active initiative to all 32 LSPs is to be warmly welcomed and will provide great benefits to many unemployed people".
At the event Minister Ring officially launched the 2010 SPEAK Report. This is the monitoring and evaluation framework of the work of the LSPs. It recorded a significant expansion of activity on 2009, the first year of national coverage of the Sports Partnership network. The Sports Partnerships were created by the Irish Sports Council in 2000 to provide opportunities in sport for target groups which face barriers to sport. In 2010 there were increase in the number of locally delivered programmes and training opportunities for children & young people, people with a disability and women.
The LSPs received €13.4 million in funding in 2010 with the Irish Sports Council as the main funder. The Sports Partnerships source 50% of their funding locally (local authorities, HSE, etc) and this meets the recommendation from the Fitzpatrick Report of 2005.
John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council attended at the launch and commented; "The Local Sports Partnerships have become an essential element of the sports infrastructure in Ireland. Their focus is on increasing participation and the SPEAK Report demonstration their success in activating communities and, within a formal evaluation context, confirms all the positive feedback we receive about their work in every county in Ireland".
A notable success in 2010 was the An Post Cycle Series in which a total of 10,000 people participated in five events. The mass participation events were a partnership between the Irish Sports Council, the local LSP, Cycling Ireland, the sponsor (An Post) and other local groups.
Link2BActive
First developed in 2009, the Link-2-b-Active programme was developed by South Dublin Sports Partnership (SDSP) to create an opportunity for unemployed people to access sports facilities at a reduced rate, encouraging them to participate in recreational activities.
With increasingly high rates of employment SDSP looked to link unemployed people with the local facilities such as gyms, leisure centres, all weather pitches, pitch & putt clubs and other facilities where, pressure was on from people dropping off due to economic constraints.
Local sports providers and facilities were requested to come up with an offer, complete with terms and conditions, for the use of their facilities by unemployed people. SDSP developed a page on its website (www.sdcsp.ie/link2bactive) with all the links to the participating facilities. The partnership also developed promotional flyers, distributed through social welfare offices, GP services, community centres, libraries and more in the county to inform unemployed people about the programme.
SDSP have already commenced evaluation of the programme with 1,100 people already benefiting from the scheme. One of the twenty five partners involved in this programme, Westpark Fitness, now has 518 members on the programme with a 90% retention rate.
Arising from this success to date the Irish Sport Council has provided funding for a national roll out of the programme. One of the 32 participating Sport Partnerships will be Monaghan LSP.
Monaghan LSP proposes to expand on the existing Link-2-b-Active by increasing opportunities for people who are unemployed to become sports leaders through a series of training courses to enhance their skills and create an opportunity for them to seek part-time / full time employment. This programme will also integrate a voluntary commitment from participants to deliver sports training with community groups, focusing on the youth, older adult and disability sectors.
This Link 2b Active training programme will result in 20 people trained adequately to deliver basic sports activities and will allow them the opportunity to deliver continued programmes on behalf of the LSP or other groups. It will give them the basic training required to approach sports bodies with a view to undertaking coaching in a paid or voluntary capacity. A series of sports activities delivered by trained personnel on a voluntary capacity over a ten week period will create 300 hours of tutor time delivered free of charge.
SPEAK Report 2010
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