Mar 25, 2013
The Federation of Irish Sport has teamed up with Future Fit in a programme sponsored by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) which is designed to increase energy efficiency of sports clubs thereby reducing operating costs.
It is estimated that clubs could save up to €3,000 a year through energy efficiency. This could amount to cost savings of in excess of €10 million across sports clubs in Ireland as a whole. Indeed, research from the SEAI would indicate that savings of 10-20% could be made by many sports clubs through behavioural and/or low cost changes.
The programme entitled “Energy Fit” is being run on a pilot basis initially and is entirely FREE for eligible clubs. Click here for the brochure which sets out criteria for inclusion in the programme and details of how to get involved.
It is intended that participation in the programme will not only help improve the financial standing of sports clubs at a time of unprecedented economic challenge but also enhance the environmental footprint of sports for the benefit of this and future generations.
We would ask that you would circulate details of the programme to your clubs and encourage them to get involved. Please do not hesitate to contact Paul O’Connor of Future Fit on 086 343 3368 or paul@futurefit.ie if you require further information or feel there may be specific sports clubs that might benefit.
The first EnergyFit Workshop takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26th, 6.30 to 9.30pm in Sutton Golf Club. Future dates and venues nationally will be announced closer to the day. Dublin dates for your diary:
Dublin North,
Workshop 1 – When, March 26 – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: Sutton Golf Club What: How to read your bills, best tariffs, take meter readings, identify big energy users, identify savings
Workshop 2 – When, April 9th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Register of saving opportunities, Energy Action plan,
Workshop 3 – When, April 29th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Operations and maintenance check list, member engagement, review and recommendations
Dublin South,
Workshop 1 – When, April 2nd – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: How to read your bills, best tariffs, take meter readings, identify big energy users, identify savings
Workshop 2 – When, April 15th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Register of saving opportunities, Energy Action plan,
Workshop 3 When, April 30th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Operations and maintenance check list, member engagement, review and recommendations
West Dublin
Workshop 1 – When, April 8th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: How to read your bills, best tariffs, take meter readings, identify big energy users, identify savings
Workshop 2 – When, April 22nd – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Register of saving opportunities, Energy Action plan,
Workshop 3 – When, May 6th – 6.30-9.30 pm Where: TBD What: Operations and maintenance check list, member engagement, review and recommendations
Mar 22, 2013
In a week where Ireland’s women won the Rugby grand slam and the Irish Sports Council provided over €840,000 in funding to ‘Women in Sport’ programmes for 2013 we take a look at the role of women in sport in Ireland. Speaking after the teams success in Rome this week President Michael D Higgins said that “This Grand Slam winning performance again highlights the ever-increasing success of women in sport in this country, and will contribute to further participation by women in sport and will help gain the due recognition that women’s sports deserves.”
40% of females currently partake in sport and 170,000 women volunteer in Irish sport each year. Athletics athlete, Fionnuala Britton, has consistently performed for Ireland, a double winner of European cross country medals as well as her recent bronze in the European Indoors. Her success is also reflected at grassroots level with over 50% of Athletics Ireland members being women. In addition, 40,000 women took part in the Dublin Flora Women’s mini marathon last year.
Katie Taylor is of course Ireland’s most successful female athlete ever with numerous European and World Championships medals and an Olympic Gold to show for her efforts. Perhaps Amy Broadhurst from Dundalk, the European Junior gold medalist, will join her on the podium in Rio. The IABA reports an increase in participation in women’s boxing in the past number of years since Katie’s success.
The Irish Sports Monitor 2011 suggested that middle aged women are more likely to sustain their involvement in sport than men, and may be more open to trying new sports, as well as showing an increase (since 2009) in participation in sport by adult women in all age groups. However, research in the UK (Loughborough University), shows that over half of girls are put off physical activity by their experiences of school sport and PE lessons (a phenomenon mirrored in Ireland). 45% think sport is too competitive, while over a third say their PE teacher only pays attention to pupils who are good at sport. The study also revealed that girls’ attitudes to PE are led by their peers, and that many feel uncomfortable taking part. 57% of girls agreed that girls drop out of doing physical activity because their friends do.
In Ireland perhaps we need to focus more on individual sports for girls, where they are shown to maintain interest and participation, as well as to diversify the offering of sport and physical activity at school. Research by Swim Ireland shows that women tend to swim more often than men and swim for health reasons rather than competition.
Sarah Keane, CEO, Swim Ireland set out her vision for women in sport in Ireland towards 2020 in our Annual Review:
Today in Ireland we have a host of top class sportswomen right across a whole range of sports. And yet do they get the credit they deserve in terms of sponsorship, facilities, funding or publicity?
The Irish Sports Council has a specific Women in Sport programme, funds female athletes through the carding system and the Irish Times holds the Women in Sport awards. Yet the fact remains that female sportspeople do not get anything like the same recognition as their male counterparts in similar positions.
No doubt Katie Taylor will have an excellent chance of being named Sports Personality of the Year for 2012 given her Olympic Gold Medal but we should not forget she was a three time World Champion already and has not yet received the award.
We are also lucky in Ireland to have a number of really talented and capable women in leading roles in sports administration right around the country. Not to mention the huge female volunteer base that sustains Irish Sport. Again however like the female athletes much of this work goes on under the radar. And yet all of these girls and women are exceptional and should most certainly be real role models for young Irish girls and women nationwide. 40% of females partake in sport and yet with the right encouragement and focus on some of the fabulous existing role models, this figure could be even more.
Sport is for everyone and that includes women. Women’s passion and commitment no matter the nature of their involvement in sport is just as fierce as men’s. I would hope that by 2020 female participants in sport feel their contribution is as recognised and as valued as that of men and that girls and women of all ages are encouraged to get involved in sport to the same extent as their male counterparts… truly sport for all.
Mar 21, 2013
The Irish Sports Council today published a really interesting infographic showing the ISC in numbers. Included in it is the fact that 1.8m Irish adults are now walking regularly in Ireland as participation rates have increased over the period 2008/09 from 57.5% to 60.5%. To read more click here
Mar 20, 2013
Alistair Gray’s article investigates how a relatively small region like Northern Ireland can possibly produce a succession of major winners in golf at a time when the competitive intensity at the top of the world game is at its greatest in living memory. Below is a summary of his findings.
Over the last two years I have been privileged to gain access to various individuals, including the golfers themselves, who gave me special insight into what influenced the positive development of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in their early years. The attached article reflects Malcolm Gladwell’s theories in Outliers, and is also a story of faith, hope and love.
In an era where hard science and medicine are often preferred to soft feelings and emotions, process promoted over people, and facts valued over opinion, I found there are special ingredients that had a profound influence on the way both golfers developed, albeit reaching the top (major victories) by different routes. Those ingredients are faith, hope and love – tough love at times, but genuine love and respect as shown to both. Faith, hope and love were evident in a number of critical areas:
• Support and encouragement to inspire and sustain them delivered by family, community and clubs
• In a talent development system, relatively unique to Ireland
• The culture that challenged and supported them to succeed while at the same time respecting their need to learn to play over receipt of instruction
• Encouragement to adopt values and mutual respect, and honouring the great game of golf
• Regular inputs from coaches and mentors to keep their emotional tank full, at the low points, as well as celebrating the Major victories.
Leaders of performance management systems will draw a number of conclusions and lessons from the development of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. They would do well to replicate the environment described above that continues to deliver outstanding performers, now driven by real role models and champions. They would be wise to challenge the hard:soft balance of their talent and performance development programmes to make sure there is room for faith, hope and love to prosper.
Mar 8, 2013
The National Sports Campus Development Authority (NSCDA) is to go ahead with the further development of the site at Abbotstown with the creation of over 100 jobs for the local economy after the government gave the green light for the €7m next phase. Multi-sport all weather pitches and a public pavilion will be constructed under the plan. The GAA, FAI, IRFU, HSI and Irish Hockey all have plans to develop facilities at the site in addition to the existing completed projects such as the National Aquatic Centre. Commenting in the Irish Independent this week Barry O’ Brien, Chief Executive Officer of the NSCDA said that “We are driving the development of the Campus and we want to deliver it primarily for Irish athletes and players and all elements of sport in Ireland.”
Feb 28, 2013
Earlier this month, Toyota and Cricket Ireland announced they were teaming up. The Federation spoke to Ian Corbett, Marketing Operations Manager, Toyota Ireland who kindly told us more….
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Toyota, has a long tradition of supporting Irish Sport what do you see as the benefits for a brand such as Toyota in supporting Irish sporting bodies?
As a nation we love sport, it’s a big part of our lives so given our broad customer base in Ireland of over 320,000 it is a good strategic fit for Toyota to be involved in sports.
We believe that sports sponsorships allow us to have greater engagement with customers beyond pure product communications and we have been very fortunate to be associated with organisations such as the GAA, Munster Rugby and now Cricket Ireland.
Cricket Ireland have enjoyed significant success in recent years both, on and off the wicket, were there any particular aspects of their success that were attractive to Toyota in developing this partnership?
Cricket Ireland has been very successful in growing the appeal of the sport in Ireland since the success of the Irish team at the 2007 World Cup. As an organisation we were impressed with their strategic plan which is very focused yet ambitious.
Sponsorship support will go some way to Cricket Ireland reaching a number of key milestones including the development of a 12,000 capacity stadium in Malahide (slated for completion by 2015) and the interprovincial series starting this year. As a measure of their ambition Ireland are aiming for full test status by 2020 and we wanted to be part of this success story over the coming years.
Has Toyota’s approach to commercial partnerships changed in recent years?
No we always apply the same process of analysis when examining any commercial partnership but there is a greater emphasis on how any partnership will deliver additional engagement with the brand digitally as well as leveraging opportunities through our Dealer Network.
What advice would you give to any sports organisation looking to secure sponsorship in the current environment?
I would say clearly articulate why you think your organisation and the company you are approaching are a good strategic fit as well as highlighting what the benefits are for that organisation. Believe it or not, very often this Is not well thought through by those making the sponsorship proposal. Culturally, the working relationship between the two organisations is just as important. Finally, given budget restraints in the current economic climate ask yourself is there a different way the sponsor can help your organisation such as through BIK.
Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, finally what was your personal highlight of the sporting year 2012 and anything you are particularly looking forward to in 2013?
There can only be one winner for 2012, it has to be Katie Taylor winning gold in London. For 2013 I’m personally looking forward to the RSA Challenge, Ireland V England cricket international in Malahide on September 3r.d. With an attendance of 12,000 expected at the future home of Irish Cricket it should be a great occasion and even better if the weather is good.
