The Federation of Irish Sport today announced the return of the Volunteers in Sports Awards to an in-person awards ceremony, recognising the army of volunteers who make sport happen in communities, in every county across the country.
You can now nominate your Co. Galway-based volunteer by filling out the online nomination form at www.volunteersinsport.ie/ The awards are #DedicatedtotheDedicated.
The 2022 awards hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport will be celebrated in Dublin at the beginning of March 2023. Nominations are open from Monday 12th December via the dedicated awards website. Entries will close on Wednesday 25th January 2023. The nominations received will be shortlisted and put forward for consideration by the Judging Panel. Winners are chosen on a county basis, with 32 award recipients and one overall Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Last year in Co. Galway there were joint winners of the award Evelyn Burke and Katie Coughlan from the Titans Basketball Club. They introduced the Titans DCD/dyspraxia basketball team, the first in Ireland. In consultation with Enable Ireland, Katie and Evelyn created a team environment where the emphasis was not on competition, but rather on team-building and personal improvement. In addition, the children learn all the basketball basics that help with the development of gross motor skills and overall physical health. The initiative has gone from strength to strength, with one of the original team members becoming an Assistant Coach for the group a number of years ago. It continues to provide a much-needed sporting opportunity to children with DCD/dyspraxia.
Volunteers are the cornerstone of sporting activities in clubs and communities nationwide. Unpaid, they give freely of their time, energy and are dedicated to the development of their chosen sport. Over 450,000 volunteers are needed on a weekly basis to run club activities, giving on average 3½ hours per week. The estimated economic value of volunteering in sport and physical activity is worth €1.5bn. Without them sports clubs would not exist.
Commenting on the announcement Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, TD said, “It’s an honour to be part of the launch of these national awards, recognising the many volunteers who are the backbone of local sports clubs in every community across the country. They are responsible for making sure weekly training sessions take place, managing teams, organising inter-club matches, ensuring pitches, courts and clubhouses are kept operational most importantly bringing communities together through sport. Last years winners represented a wide variety of sports and all ages of volunteers. I would encourage all club members to reflect on who they know in their club that has made a difference and had a positive impact in their community through their dedication to their sport.”
Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport said, “I am delighted to launch the return of the Volunteers in Sport Industry Awards. While the awards were successfully hosted online for the last two years due to the pandemic, nothing beats the warmth and connectivity of gathering in-person to recognise the selfless work being done by volunteers behind the scenes at clubs and sporting organisations.
There is a strong sense of volunteerism in sport in Ireland. We had been on track to reach the 2027 target of 55% for social participation, club membership or attendance at a sporting event. However, Covid has impacted this and we need to encourage more participation and volunteering to get back on track to reach this target. Shining a light on our volunteers in sport is a way to recognise and remind people of the invaluable role they play in society.”
To keep up to date with all the latest announcements visit www.volunteersinsport.ie and follow @iresport on twitter and on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/federation-of-irish-sport/
#DedicatedtoheDedicated
