JANUARY 2019 NUACHTLITIREANAIR 2019 FOR NEWS, VIDEOS AND FIXTURES www.gaa.ie Football Hurling Club General A HEALTHY CLUB MAKES WELLBEING PART OF THE JOURNEY, NOT JUST A DESTINATION By Colin Regan, GAA Health and Wellbeing Manager ealth and wellbeing at this time following the latest trend to look at what 1. CONNECT – 3. TAKE NOTICE – of the year is a hot topic. But the evidence tells us. what do we really mean and with the people around you. With family, Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. understand by wellbeing and The simplicity of the facts tends to surprise friends, colleagues, your neighbours and Remark on the unusual. Notice the Hhow can a GAA club best support the people. The New Economic Foundation community. Think of these connections changing seasons. Savour the moment, health of its members? – a leading international think-tank as the cornerstones of your life and whether you are watching a match or responsible for promoting social, economic invest time in developing them. Building talking to friends. Be aware of the world In an age when every element of wellbeing and environmental justice – has through these connections will support and around you and what you are feeling. has been packaged and monetised for evidence-based research identified ‘5 Ways enrich you every day and lead to happier, Reflecting on your experiences will help our consumption, it’s important before to Wellbeing’. They are: healthier lives. you appreciate what matters to you. 2. BE ACTIVE – 4. KEEP LEARNING – Go for a walk or run. Step out into the Try something new. Rediscover an old Embracing the GAA Healthy Club great outdoors. Play a game. Garden. interest. Sign up for that course. Take model is an investment in the Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. on a different responsibility at work. future health of your players and community Most importantly, discover a physical Become a coach or learn how to cook activity you enjoy and that suits your your favourite food. Set a challenge you level of mobility and fitness. will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun. 5. GIVE – Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you. Recreational Rounders played at Good Counsel GAA in Drimnagh in Dublin Football Hurling Club General In a world that can seem increasingly determined to test our mental and physical resolve, sport and the GAA, it would appear, offers not just a respite but a potential antidote. Each of these ‘Ways to Wellbeing’ are easily accessible in your local GAA club and only require your engagement. The GAA’s Community & Health department has over the past number of years aimed to distil this evidence down into the content of the GAA Healthy Club Project (HCP). 150 clubs across the 32 counties are currently involved in exploring how they can best serve the health and wellbeing needs of their members and communities. For many, it was a matter of continuing the excellent work they were already undertaking. For others, it was a new departure. In January 2020 all additional interested clubs The GAA uses iconic former all- stars like Alan Brogan and Michael will be invited to join the Healthy Club Project. Fennelly to help spread the word on Health and Wellbeing To support interested clubs, Healthy Club Officer (formerly known as Health & Wellbeing Officer) training will be delivered by your County Health & Wellbeing Committee in 2019. [Email [email protected] to discover your local training date, i.e. for Donegal the email address will be chair.hwc. [email protected]]. The desired outcome is a reimagination of what a sports club is all about. Yes, winning matches and titles will always drive us, but that destination is only available to one team in each competition. A Healthy Club ensures that regardless of where the journey ends, it has been worthwhile for everyone involved. See more on the project in this month’s newsletter and go to www.GAA.ie/community for additional information. Football Hurling Club General THE GAA HEALTHY CLUB PROJECT – BE PART OF THE SUCCESS STORY! he GAA Healthy Club Project with Healthy Ireland, the HSE, National Participating clubs work with their • Potential to increase membership (HCP) is designed to improve Office for Suicide Prevention, the PHA, members and their communities to identify • Engage new volunteers the wellbeing of the nation by and is supported by Irish Life through a priority areas to target. Popular topics • Improvements in the health transforming GAA clubs into CSR agreement include healthy eating; becoming a smoke- promoting activities of clubs Thubs for health. It capitalises on the free club; physical activity for non-playing • Better community engagement key role played by GAA clubs in local AIM members; engaging older members of with club activities communities and empowers clubs to The aim is that GAA clubs will become hubs the community; emotional wellbeing; • Access to new funding avenues deliver health and wellbeing information for health ensuring that everyone who gambling, drug, and alcohol education; • Networking opportunities with and programmes directly to their engages with the clubs will benefit from the and inclusion and integration. Activities other clubs members and to the wider communities experience in a health-enhancing way. range from starting up a walking group to • Increased media coverage and that they serve. It is run in partnership hosting Operation Transformation type goodwill events, adopting the GAA’s Mental Health charter, becoming a smoke-free campus or Here’s what participating Healthy Healthy Club adopting healthy eating guidelines. Others Clubs have to say about the project: ambassadors Mickey have sought to better respond to the needs Harte, Philly McMahon, Michael Fennelly and of the older members of their communities “The Healthy Club project will Aoife Lane pass on tips or provide meaningful opportunities to transform the health of your engage with Gaelic games for persons with community. It will enhance your club, special needs. The key is that clubs works strengthen your club and the bonds with their members to identify the areas to within your club. It really grew our prioritise, reflecting local needs, interests, club and changed it in a positive way. and available skills, resources, and partners. It brought a whole new cohort of people to the club. It is a wonderful The HCP is currently in Phase 3 involving programme and I would encourage 150 clubs, multiples in each of the 32 every club to get involved” – Healthy counties. They are supported by the Club Officer, Conor Buckley from Community & Health department in Croke Castlehaven GAA club in Cork Park and their respective GAA County Health & Wellbeing Committees. “The Healthy Club Project has given our club a real boost. Not only are Research into Phases 1 & 2 of the Healthy our members healthier and happier Club Project has identified the following but from a club perspective we have benefits and opportunities for participating increased our social membership. clubs: People soon realised what was available in the club and that we Football Hurling Club General aren’t just concerned about the players on the pitch but also the wider community” - Healthy Club Officer, Janas Harrington, St Finbarr’s National Hurling & Football Club in Cork. “The Healthy Club Project has been a huge benefit to both the school and the wider Donnycarney community. It has brought about a greater awareness of being healthy in all aspects, from physical to mental to lifestyle and this has started from the very early ages in the nursery, For more information please right up through our primary contact Aoife O’Brien, National schools and spread into our Healthy Club Coordinator secondary schools, right up [email protected] or until adult hood” – Ciara visit gaa.ie/community Harte, Principal Scoil Chiaráin #GAAHealth CBS, Donneycarney in North Dublin. STEPS TO BECOMING A HEALTHY CLUB To start the process clubs are encouraged to appoint a Healthy Club Officer and avail of Healthy Club Officer training which is provided at county level through the GAA County Health & Wellbeing Committees. They can be reached at the generic email address, chair.hwc.COUNTY@ gaa.ie (insert COUNTY name). Football Hurling Club General ‘IRELAND LIGHTS UP’ ONCE AGAIN WITH THE GAA AND OPERATION TRANSFORMATION n partnership with RTÉ’s Operation bright, environs of their GAA club. Click HERE to view the Ireland Lights Up everywhere with cars backed up. There Transformation and Get Ireland launch video. were groups of people, families, kids, every Walking, more than 250 GAA clubs John Horan, An Uachtarán Cumann walk of life. The walking track in the club across the 32 counties are currently Luthchleas Gael, launched the campaign The aim of Ireland Lights Up is to provide is somewhere you can go for a safe walk Iparticipating in this year’s Ireland Lights last week on episode one of RTÉ Operation a positive and beneficial resource for because there is really nowhere around Up Campaign. Transformation and he said: “In every communities throughout the entire Ballyboughal and people don’t like walking corner of the country our network of clubs country, promoting both the physical and on the dark roads in winter.” After last year’s hugely successful plays a crucial role in contributing towards mental benefits of walking and exercise, campaign, the GAA is delighted to a healthier Ireland. The benefit of this as well as the fantastic facilities that local Interested clubs can sign-up at any point make social exercise more accessible on particular initiative is that this appeals to GAA grounds have on offer to people in over the next six weeks by simply going to the dark winter nights.