Welcome to the 'GAA Healthy Club Project' homepage. As outlined in the GAA November 2012 Club newsletter, the Association is offering 16 clubs across the four provinces of Ireland the opportunity to participate in an exciting new project aimed at enriching the lives of club members and players while further strengthening each club’s ties to their local community.
The successful applicants will be assisted in putting health and wellbeing at the heart of everything they do through a process that aims to ensure that the GAA Club becomes associated with fitness and wellbeing for its members (players and non-players) and also for the wider community.
If your club is interested in being considered for this project, applications are now open. Please complete the 'Expression of Interest' application form that will open by clicking on this link: Expression of Interest form. However, it is essential you read the remainder of this section before doing so. Once complete, email the completed form to: healthyclubproject@gaa.ie or post it to Colin Regan, GAA Healthy Club Project, Croke Park, Jones Road, Dublin 3, no later than Monday, January 28th, 2013.
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This webpage is designed to provide additional information to clubs interested in participating in Phase 1 of the ‘GAA Healthy Club Project', which will run for 24 months from an early 2012 start date. Below is a question and answer section that will attempt to clarify any queries clubs may have in relation to the project.
If you think the project is something your club may be interested in getting involved in or may benefit from then please bring it to the attention of your Club Chairperson or Secretary for discussion at the next available Club Executive meeting.
If the Club Executive decides to take the next step, applications are now welcome. Please read carefully through the remainder of this guide to learn more.
The GAA Healthy Club Project
GAA clubs all over the world already provide great health benefits for their players, members and communities alike. One example of this is the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) programme. Yet there exists continuous demand from clubs for guidance in many areas relating to health promotion. In response to this demand and to ensure the Association fulfils its role as a community organisation as well as a sporting one, a team consisting of representatives from the GAA, the Department of Health and the HSE, and other relevant bodies have been developing a ‘GAA Healthy Club Project' during 2012.
What is the project all about?
The project aims to assist clubs in taking a holistic approach to health promotion in all aspects of their activities including their governance, the programmes they run, the partnerships they engage in, and the environment within which they operate. It aims to highlight the excellent work already being done by most clubs in the area of health promotion while allowing them to place this on a more formal footing and identifying specific areas in which the club feels it could improve or respond to a demand for.
Who is involved?
In response to demand from GAA clubs seeking guidance and information about health promotion for their members and to ensure the Association fulfils its role as a community organisation as well as a sporting one, a team consisting of representatives from the GAA, the Department of Health and the HSE, and other relevant bodies have been developing the ‘GAA Healthy Club Project' during 2012. The Project Manager and team will be located in Croke Park and will be there to assist the participating clubs at all times.
What will the project require from clubs?
Initially clubs will be asked to fill out the ‘Expression of Interest’ application form below that includes some basic information and an explanation as to why your club wants to participate in the project. This must be returned to healthyclubproject@gaa.ie or posted to Colin Regan, GAA Healthy Club Project, Croke Park, Jones Road, Dublin 3, no later than Monday, January 28th, 2013.
What then?
16 clubs (four from each province) will be selected to participate in Phase 1 of the project. The chosen clubs will work closely with the Project Manager and team from Croke Park, along with other relevant personnel within the Association and external to it, to ensure they accrue maximum benefits possible from the programme.
What are the benefits for the participating clubs?
Clubs participating in Phase 1 will be assisted in developing a better understanding of how they can place the health and wellbeing of all their members at the heart of all club activities. It will also gain a better understanding of the needs of its players and members. Where appropriate and desired, the club will be assisted in making a positive contribution to the health of the community it serves. The health benefits delivered will make the club more attractive to existing and potential members alike. Finally, the participating clubs will be involved in what is the first project of its kind in the Irish sporting context, and one that may influence the future direction of health promotion in the GAA.
How long will Phase 1 of the project last?
Phase 1 will be run over 24 months. This will allow the Project team adequate time to accurately establish what clubs want and need in the area of health promotion and how this can be best addressed.
It is the intention that the GAA Healthy Club Project will be rolled out on a wider basis should this be recommended by the independent evaluation to be carried out following Phase 1 of the project.
What do you mean when you say health promotion?
Health promotion is defined as “the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health”.
What does this mean in a GAA club setting?
By their very nature GAA clubs promote health through the physical activity they encourage and facilitate through the playing of games as well as the positive mental health benefits to be accrued from the social interaction and cohesion our members – young and old – experience. Our younger members in particular also benefit from the ‘protective factors’ our clubs foster against issues such as drug and alcohol misuse, mental health difficulties including depression, crime and anti-social behaviour. However, clubs regularly seek further guidance and information on a broad spectrum of health-related issues, including:
- healthy eating and diet
- drugs and alcohol misuse
- mental health and wellbeing
- suicide prevention and response
- the promotion of health and wellbeing through physical activity
- social inclusion initiatives and activities for older and non-playing members
- health and safety
What will be required of the participating clubs?
Under the guidance of the Project Manager and the Project team the clubs will be required to create a Healthy Club Committee. The Committee – with a minimum of four members but not exceeding eight – will be formed in each participating club drawing membership from some/all of the following:
- ASAP Officer
- Children’s Officer
- Social Initiative representative
- Inclusion & Integration Officer
- Coaching Officer
- School Liaison Officer
- Player (adult and/or juvenile)
- Coach
- Parent
- Others with relevant skills set (e.g. those with an interest in health promotion/diet/nutrition/well-being etc)
What will the Committee have to do?
The Committee will be the point of contact for the project in the participating clubs. The Chairperson of the Committee will in turn feed into the Club Executive Committee to keep the Executive informed of all related activities.
The Committee’s first job will be assess the club to highlight the good work it is already doing in the area of health promotion and to identify some areas the club would like to prioritise in the future. This will allow for a plan to be developed to ensure the club accrues the maximum benefit from its involvement in the 24 month Phase 1 of the project. The assessment will fall under four general categories:
- Governance – how the club operates and the policies it follows.
- Environment – this refers to the physical environment in which the club operates, including the clubhouse, changing rooms, grounds etc.
- Partnerships – this refers to links the club has developed with groups in the wider community
- Programmes – this includes programmes the club may already be involved in such as the ASAP programme, the GAA Social Initiative, Club Maith, Live to Play, the RESPECT Initiative etc, and those it would like to get involved in or programmes the club could benefit from in providing, e.g. anti-bullying training, mental health awareness for teenagers or parents.
What resources will be made available to the participating clubs?
The Project Manager and his team will work closely with the participating clubs. Wherever possible and when deemed necessary, personnel and resources from external agencies, including the HSE, Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) and voluntary agencies will be made available to clubs. Training will also be facilitated for club personnel where necessary and if demand and need is identified.
If your club is interested in being considered for this project, applications are now open. Please complete the 'Expression of Interest' application form that will open by clicking on this link: Expression of Interest form.
Once complete, email it to: healthyclubproject@gaa.ie or post it to Colin Regan, GAA Healthy Club Project, Croke Park, Jones Road, Dublin 3, no later than Monday, January 28th, 2013.
