- Taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley new ambassador, in addition to Oscar nominated actor, Saoirse Ronan, who came on board in 2024.
- Cairn Community Games is a diverse and inclusive outlet for young people to get involved in a range of activities and this year will focus on Arts and Culture categories.
- Over 160,000 young people participate in Cairn Community Games which is on track to increase participation by 10% to 176,000 young people by 2028.
Cairn Community Games is delighted to announce Taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley as its newest ambassador. Jack, a Tallaght native, first took part in Cairn Community Games when he was eight years old in various categories including art, model making, chess, draughts, projects and swimming winning a National silver medal in projects. He also volunteered at local, county and national level.
Diversity and inclusion are at the core of Cairn Community Games which offers a wide range of team and individual sporting, art and cultural activities, for young people to engage in. In 2025, the organisation is placing a special focus on Arts and Culture and encouraging young people to participate in non-sport categories such as dance, debating, drama, draughts, and much more.
Jack Woolley has represented Ireland on the global stage in two summer Olympics, as well as at a high level in European Championships and at the World Grand Prix. He finished 11th overall after narrowly losing in his first match.
In keeping with this year’s Cairn Community Games focus on “Arts and Culture”, Jack’s most recent venture, has seen him successfully participate in RTÉ’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’. His diverse skillset of sporting and dancing talent makes him a perfect fit for Cairn Community Games which is committed to promoting arts, culture, and sports among young people across Ireland.
Cairn Community Games is celebrating an increase in participation in 2024, including a 5% increase in girls aged between 6 – 16 taking part. In addition to an increase in the number of girls joining Cairn Community Games, the number of entries rose across a range of categories last year. This milestone means it is on track to reach its target of increasing participation by 10% to 176,000 children and young people by 2028.
Cairn is Ireland’s leading home and community builder in Ireland, and Cairn’s €3 million investment in Cairn Community Games to enhance diversity and inclusion and raise awareness of the games.
Jack Woolley, newly appointed Cairn Community Games Ambassador said: “I’m thrilled to be an Ambassador for Cairn Community Games this year. It’s a full-circle moment for me. I have great memories of participating in Community Games locally, and as a young person, it gave me the chance to build resilience, self-awareness, and decision-making skills. These are skills that are still vital for me today as I compete in high-level sports. It’s encouraging to see more kids getting involved in various categories in 2024, and I’m excited to help raise awareness and encourage even more participation in 2025. Having recently started ballroom dancing, I’ve developed a renewed love for the Arts, and I’m excited to partner with Cairn Community Games to help make a positive impact in communities across Ireland.”
Gerry McGuinness, National President of Cairn Community Games said: “We are proud to mark an increase in participation across Cairn Community Games in 2024. We are particularly pleased that there has been a 5% increase in girls taking part– this is in line with our goal of engaging with a broader range of participants to encourage getting involved in the wide range of sport, arts and cultural activities that Cairn Community Games has on offer.
“We’re also delighted to have two significant ambassadors in place in Saoirse Ronan and Jack Woolley. Their unique skillset and talents encompass everything that Cairn Community Games stands for and we look forward to working with them to promote the organisation over the coming months. We’d also like to thank our partner Cairn who have played an integral role in inspiring and engaging new participants over the last year.”
Tom Noonan, Head of Marketing, Cairn said: “Cairn is committed to building sustainable, diverse and inclusive communities where everyone can thrive and promoting a sense of place and supporting arts and cultural projects is critical to this. We are pleased that one year into our partnership journey with Community Games, Cairn has supported an increase in participation rates, particularly across arts, culture and sporting activities. This is a testament to the strong collaboration between Cairn and Cairn Community Games and the deep commitment to communities we pride ourselves on within both organisations.”
The addition of Jack as an ambassador follows last year’s successful ambassadorship, with Oscar nominated Irish actor, Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse also participated in Community Games when she grew up in Ardattin, Co Carlow, taking part in a variety of activities including sprinting as well as arts and cultural activities.
Established in 1967, Community Games is a community driven organisation, active in over 420 towns and villages in every county in the Republic of Ireland. Cairn Community Games aims to provide opportunities for children and young people aged 6 to 16 years to develop active, healthy lives and minds in a safe environment through experiencing a wide range of sporting and cultural activities ensuring there is something for everyone no matter their interest, ability or talent.
