Sport and physical activity in Limerick has received a welcome boost, with €281,005 being allocated to Limerick Sports Partnership (LSP) through the Dormant Accounts Fund. The allocation is part of a total investment package of €7.3m in Dormant Accounts Funding announced by Sport Ireland for a wide range of sport and physical activity measures countrywide.
Sport Ireland’s investment aims to engage with communities across the country, focusing on people with disabilities, people who are educationally disadvantaged and from disadvantaged communities.
Included in the allocation to LSP is:
|
Active Cities initiative in partnership with Limerick City and County Council & University of Limerick |
€175,000 |
|
Community Sports Hub in Garryowen |
€40,000 |
|
Urban Adventure Outdoor initiative with Athlunkard Boat Club |
€35,112 |
|
Inclusion: sport and physical activity |
€11,893 |
|
Volunteer Training & Support Programme |
€15,000 |
|
Youth Leadership |
€4,000 |
Phelim Macken, Co-ordinator of Limerick Local Sports Partnership said: “We are delighted with this level of funding under the Dormant Accounts programme. It will facilitate us to continue to deliver physical activity and educational opportunities across multiple communities. A new initiative this year is the ‘Active Cities’ project in partnership with Limerick City and County Council and the University of Limerick, where we can look at activating the city environs to increase physical activity while also developing synergies between Health and Greenspace Project and the Go Green Routes projects”.
Minister for Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin said: “A key priority for Government is the targeting of resources at programmes that seek to address inequalities in sports participation, in particular socio-economic disadvantage. Similarly, we are keen to ensure that interventions are in place to boost participation levels among people with disabilities. The range of measures funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund is helping to make sport and physical activity more inclusive and accessible for many people right across Ireland.”
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy, commented: “The increase in Dormant Accounts Funding will enable Sport Ireland, supported by National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships to have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of communities throughout Ireland. Key to the work of Sport Ireland is the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to partake in sport and physical activity, no matter what their circumstances.”
As with previous funding announced, the investment is closely aligned with the National Sports Policy and the National Physical Activity Plan. A particular emphasis is placed on implementing programmes to promote physical activity, making sport and physical activity accessible to people with a disability and the development of programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity.