Core Member Feature: Sport Ireland and Active Cities

Core Member Feature:
Sport Ireland and Active Cities

Leave No Trace Ireland works with a variety of organisations on the promotion of responsible outdoor recreation, through education.

Our Core Member Network brings together important state agencies, government departments and environmental networks from across the island of Ireland to foster greater collaboration, to help share research, education, facilitate information exchange, and champion sustainable good practice in outdoor recreation.

Sport Ireland is one of these Core Members, and they promote Leave No Trace and our principles as a way to educate the Irish public, and visitors, on why and how they can minimise their environmental impacts – and maximise their outdoor adventures!

Today, we’re delighted to share details of the new national Active Cities campaign by Sport Ireland.

Rolling out across Ireland’s five largest cities (Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford), the Active Cities campaign aims to provide more opportunities for city residents to be active in their communities. This campaign is based on the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan for Physical Activity (GAPPA), which is focused on getting those who are least active, active. To do this, Sport Ireland is working with 8 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) within the five chosen cities.

An Active City priorities physical activity for all so that it becomes a social norm, and becomes built into people’s home, work and community lives.

We at Leave No Trace Ireland know how important an outdoor, active lifestyle is. More and more statistics and research are being published highlighting how important the outdoors is to our physical and mental health, as well as the unprecedented growth in activities such as hillwalking, open water swimming, running and cycling. As more people seek the beauty of the outdoors, our collective mark on the environment increases.

Through thought-out and large-scale planning, we believe that we all can positively change our collective understanding of the outdoors, and recreating in it. Programmes like Active Cities are working to change the social norms around how people engage with sport and the outdoors, and we wholeheartedly support action like this. 

Below, we have the Sport Ireland Press Release for Active Cities. You can also find more information on their website here, and download the PDF of the press release here.

The local Active Cities Officers are linked below:

Sport Ireland Press Release:

€3.4million Invested in Active Cities For An Active Future

  • Five Active Cities to be rolled out in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford 
  • Aim is to provide increased opportunities for city residents to be active in their communities.
  • Creating change for those who are economically, socially or educationally disadvantaged or those who have a disability.

A major, new national campaign has been launched to get as many people exercising and participating in physical activity as possible in our biggest urban cities. The Sport Ireland ‘Active Cities’ project calls on everyone across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford to come together to create more opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity through collaboration, partnership, and planning. 

Sport Ireland officially unveils Active Cities, a project based on the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) Framework, which focuses on increasing physical activity amongst those who are least active in society.

Active Cities prioritises physical activity and sport for all and is underpinned by four key pillars – Active Systems, Active Environments, Active Societies, and Active People.

To date €3.4m has been invested to engage with communities across the five cities, creating change for those who are economically, socially or educationally disadvantaged or those who have a disability.

With ambitious aims for Irish cities to be among the most physically active and healthy places in the world, it is vital that a multi-sectoral approach is taken to delivering the project.

When it comes to being physically active, only 42% of adults and only 13% of children met the recommended national guidelines as per the 2021 Irish Sports Monitor. With over 33% of the population living across the 5 cities, physical inactivity is negatively impacting the health, economy, environment, and community of our cities.

Active Cities is about creating opportunities so that all citizens can lead healthier lifestyles in the context of sport and physical activity. The vision of Active Cities is to engage, increase and maintain the number of citizens regardless of age or ability participating in sport and physical activity in their city. Collaborative and partnership-based by nature, Active Cities is being led locally by the eight (8) LSPs across Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

It is not just the responsibility of people working in sport and physical activity to address this. Active Cities is about all stakeholders, who directly and indirectly impact on physical activity, collectively driving change through collaboration, partnership, and planning. 

Highlighting the importance of raising awareness Sport Ireland CEO, Dr Una May added: “Sport Ireland are proud to support a wonderful initiative such as Active Cities. Communication and promotion will be central to the success and impact of Active Cities. Research has highlighted the importance of identifying and connecting with trusted local community leaders, willing to promote opportunities within their locality. This initiative will provide a fantastic opportunity for Active Cities to generate a sense of community and togetherness, while bringing sport and physical activity to people’s lives”.

A recent “Active Cities Marketing Communications Research Report”, identified preferences on engaging individuals from targeted groups (i.e., from socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged areas or people with disabilities) to establish their preferences around the promotion of physical activity. 

Speaking at the launch Partnerships Manager, Oisin Foley commented:

“Active Cities is about creating opportunities and increasing the number of active spaces throughout cities across Ireland. We want physical activity to become a social norm, naturally and habitually built into people’s home, work and community lives. I would like to encourage as many people to get involved with your local Active City and take part in the wonderful events being rolled out through the initiative”

So many stakeholders have a pivotal role to play in the success of Active Cities and in prioritising  physical activity for ALL which is reflected in the four guiding pillars; Active Systems, Active Environments, Active Societies and Active People.  With all five cities aligned nationally to impact positive change, the pillars also give each city the individual pathway for implementation at a local level through local partnership and collaboration. 

Active Cities is about creating an environment where city residents can be more active, with more choice, more opportunity and lead healthier lives in the context of sport and physical activity. Be part of the #ActiveCities movement. You can find tips on how to get active through your Local Sports Partnership website, check out SportIreland.ie or ask your doctor/ physician/ OT for information on how best to get active. 

Be part of the Active Cities conversation using the hashtag #ActiveCities and tagging @sportireland, your Local Sports Partnership and any stakeholder you see as having the potential to influence and impact physical activity opportunities. 

(*ISM Mid-year 2021)

ENDS. 

 

Notes to the Editor:

Active Cities Pillars

Active Systems

    • Increased input from physical activity stakeholders into plans and policies.
    • Greater collaboration and cohesion across departments and organisations.
  • Greater access to and use of data on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Active Environments

  • Improved access to spaces and facilities for ALL. 
  • Policy and design guidelines strengthened so new and existing infrastructure is physical activity friendly.

Active Societies

  • Improved and more targeted campaigns.
  • More effective marketing and branding.
  • More accessible mass participation events.

Active People

  • Improved provision of and opportunities for, physical activity in natural environments, workplaces, schools and communities.
  • Increased choice and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.  

For more Information: 

Active Cities enquiries 

Mary Corry / National Active Cities Officer
[email protected]

For media enquiries:

Ciara Lucey / [email protected]  / 0861763071

Sarah Stanley / [email protected] / 0871454455

Website: https://www.sportireland.ie/activecities 

Video: https://vimeo.com/747669931 

Image Caption:

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Caroline Conroy, Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr. Emma Murphy and Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Clodagh Higgins were joined by Sport Ireland CEO Dr Una May, Louise Burke, Director of Participation and Oisin Foley, Partnerships Manager and members of the Local Sports Partnerships for the launch of Active Cities.