By Cian O’Connell
For more than a decade, The Irish Life GAA Healthy Club Programme, has made a significant impact.
Initiatives, driven by clubs, have supported and enhanced communities throughout the country. It has also illustrated that GAA clubs do far more than simply field teams at every level.
That is something Colin Regan, GAA Community & Health Manager, is particularly proud about. “We celebrated 10 years of the Healthy Club last year, and wee undertook a social return on investment,” Regan reflects.
“The headline fact was that the Healthy Club programme is delivering savings worth 50 million euro per annum to the Irish health sector and Irish society across the island. It is pretty incredible stuff.”
Different projects have been carried out. The project enables clubs to focus on area that will assist their members specifically. “We've also seen the evolution of it, when we started 10 years ago, there was a huge focus on mental health,” Regan says.
“The GAA helped to drive the conversation that was happening about mental health in the country at that time. Fast forward then, the work of the GAA got a national spotlight shown on it during the pandemic.”
During that demanding time the work and care of GAA members mattered deeply. “There was almost 20,000 GAA volunteers delivering essential goods and providing emotional and psychological support to nearly 35,000 vulnerable people, who were forced to isolate during the Covid lockdowns,” he adds.
“I think when our games stopped at that time, there was greater recognition for the incredible work that the GAA does as a community organisation.
"The ethos and aspiration of the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Programme has always been to maximise the community side of the association.
GAA Community and Health manager Colin Regan. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
“That is something we always feel makes us stand out from any other sporting organisation in the world.”
Regan is encouraged that more than 600 clubs are involved in The Irish Life GAA Healthy Club Programme. “The key is that it is largely directed by the club, in terms of them identifying what would be useful, and serve the needs of their members and community,” Regan remarks.
"For some, that will be getting involved in 'Ireland Lights Up' and walking initiatives. For other clubs, it might be a focus in on mental health.
“One of the most popular growth areas at the minute is around diversity and inclusion, the establishment of the All-Stars, inclusive games and offerings, things like Mothers & Others, and Dads & Lads. So, the joy of it all is that it is flexible and driven by the demands within each and every club.”
With more clubs eager to embrace the project, Regan is delighted with the increasing interest. “Clubs feel that they are part of a bit of a movement,” Regan explains.
“While they love doing their own things, what really gives them a boost sometimes is like, for example, in January you nearly had 1,000 clubs that signed up for 'Ireland Lights Up'. It meant that clubs outside the Healthy Clubs programme are now getting on board with the whole philosophy.
“They love feeling part of a national movement, when something like that is happening. We've seen that again with our collaboration with Movember, we reached 175 clubs with 'Ahead of the Game', the emotional literacy programme for teenagers, parents, and coaches.
"That was phase one. For phase two, we're aiming to reach 300 clubs this time around, nearly 10,000 participants. They love feeling that they're part of a national programme too, while also having the flexibility to do their own thing at local level.”
Connecting with the community assists everyone. The Irish Life GAA Healthy Club Programme continues to provide valuable assistance.