SPORT and physical activity in Donegal has received a welcome boost, with €114,500 being allocated to Donegal Sports Partnership through the Dormant Accounts Fund.
The allocation is part of a total investment package of €7.3m in Dormant Accounts Funding announced by Sport Ireland for a wide range of sport and physical activity measures countrywide.
The biggest allocation of €61,500 in Donegal goes to develop a community sports and physical activity hub with the Ray Community Centre outside Rathmullan.
The objective of this hub is to provide opportunities for additional sport and physical activity opportunities for those most marginalised including people with disabilities, older adults, women and children and young people.
The hub will also provide information, support and advice on a wide range of sports and physical activities to make it easier for people in disadvantaged areas to get involved in and engage in a more active and healthier lifestyle.
Other local allocations include €20,000 to continue the work of the Donegal Bay Inclusive Sports Hub in South Donegal. This hub was established in 2017 and is currently providing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport and physical activities. Among the activities currently taking place are surfing, stand up paddling, kayaking, hand cycling and equine activities.
Donegal Sports Partnership will also receive €10,000 under the Sports Inclusion Disability Programme Capital Supports Initiative, €15,000 under the Volunteer Training and Support Programme and €8,000 for Youth Leadership to continue with existing Dormant Accounts funded initiatives.
Welcoming the funding, Coordinator of Donegal Sports Partnership, Myles Sweeney said: “This latest round of Dormant Accounts Funding is great news for the county, with the allocation of €61,500 a timely boost to Ray Community Centre where this local group have been doing excellent work over the years. This allocation is one of 12 new hubs to be developed in Ireland and was approved based on a competitive application to Sport Ireland.
“The overall allocation of €114,500 for Donegal will allow Donegal Sports Partnership to continue work with new target groups, communities and continue to expand community sport in Donegal.”
Sport Ireland’s Dormant Accounts Fund investment aims to engage with communities across the country through the network of local sports partnerships, focusing on those most marginalised and disadvantaged.
Speaking about the new round of Dormant Accounts Funding, Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin, said: “A key priority for Government is the targeting of resources at programmes that seek to address inequalities in sports participation, in particular socio-economic disadvantage.
“Similarly, we are keen to ensure that interventions are in place to boost participation levels among people with disabilities. The range of measures funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund is helping to make sport and physical activity more inclusive and accessible for many people right across Ireland.”
As with previous funding announced, the investment is closely aligned with the National Sports Policy and the National Physical Activity Plan.
A particular emphasis is placed on implementing programmes to promote physical activity, making sport and physical activity accessible to people with a disability and the development of programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity.
