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Go for Life |
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About the Go for Life Grant Scheme:
The National Grant Scheme aims to assist in the implementation of locally-developed initiatives geared at increasing participation in recreational sport and physical activity by older people. In particular, the scheme is aimed at - assisting local clubs/organisations to enhance existing opportunities for their members in recreational sport and physical activity;
- assisting local clubs/organisations to initiate new initiatives geared at involving older people in recreational sport and physical activity;
Key Criteria:
Applicant local club/organisations must have a democratically elected executive and current banking facilities.
Preference will be given to local clubs/organisations that; - have the promotion of recreational sport and activities as a central element of their overall focus;
- are developing initiatives in disadvantaged areas
- have established links with Local Sports Partnership
Preference will be given to initiatives which; - have the potential to increase levels and frequency of participation in recreational sport and physical activity among older people in the local area
- can act as show cases or successful demonstration projects and which can be replicated by other clubs/organisations in the future.
- have the potential to develop into a sustainable, longer-term programme.
A typical individual proposal would not exceed €2,000 and include some or all of the following elements;
Training Opportunities
(e.g. initiatives geared at attracting and supporting voluntary leadership amongst older adults)
Information Seminars/Workshops
(e.g. the costs associated with the organisation of a series of presentations on the benefits of, and guidelines for, physical activity in older age)
Purchase of Equipment / Resource Materials
(such as a bowling mat, pitch and putt set, exercise video, physical activity kitbag, play parachute, badminton rackets, skittles kit,etc)
Participation Events
(e.g. organisation of a SportsFest aimed at introducing older adults to a range of recreational sports  )
Activity Programmes
(e.g. a 5-week programme to introduce older people to aerobics, aquafit, tai-chi or tennis - the costs of hall hire and a qualified instructor might form part of the overall cost).
Grants will not be allocated towards the cost of; - Ongoing Commitments
(e.g. rental of facilities or employment of professional instructors on an ongoing basis) - Club Insurance / Taxes or Rates
- Foreign Travel / Visits
- Feasibility Studies
- Once-Off Events - unless part of a wider programme (e.g. presentation of certificates as part of a 5-week activity challenge)
- Competitions (or awards for competitions)
- Capital Costs (such as the development or refurbishment of facilities).
Evaluation:
As part of the application process clubs/organisations are asked to suggest how the grant will benefit them and/or the local community. As part of an overall evaluation of the National Grant Scheme, a random sample of successful applicants may be contacted within 4-6 months to assess the impact of the grant. ABOUT GO FOR LIFE PROGRAMME
Go for Life is the national programme for sport and physical activity for older people. The aim of Go for Life is to involve more older adults in all aspects of sport and physical activity more often. The thrust of the programme is to empower and enable older people by reaching out to active retirement associations, senior citizens groups, ICA guilds, day care and community centres around the country, to ensure that more older people are more active, more often.
Go for Life is an Age & Opportunity initiative funded by the Irish Sports Council. The Go for Life team at Age and Opportunity administers the Go for Life programme, working in partnership with the Health Service Executive, each area of which has a Go for Life Co-ordinator, and the Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs). There are many different elements to the Go for Life programme.
Physical Activity Leaders Workshops
Physical Activity Leaders (PALs) organise physical activities for older adults. PALs are often older people themselves, who belong to a local group, for example, an active retirement association or an ICA guild, that includes older people among its members. Some PALs are Activity Organisers working in day care centres.
Each month from September to June, Go for Life tutors deliver workshops all around the country.
How do you become a PAL?
To become a PAL, you must attend the Physical Activity Leaders workshops, a series of eight workshops developed by the Go for Life team. These workshops aim to enable the participants to plan and lead health-enhancing physical activity sessions for older people. The workshops are a combination of theory and practical ideas, serving to transfer skills and knowledge to the participants to enable them to lead activities with their own groups.
Each workshop is approx. 5 hours long and the series of workshops are organised over a number of weeks in a given area. The Go for Life team work with co-ordinators in each Health Services Executive area and the Local Sports Partnerships to organise workshops at local level.
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