YOGA, training as gaeilge, mental health workshops and adventure days out are among the activities of the St Eunan’s Ladies gaelic teams as part of a national wellbeing programme being piloted here in Donegal.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association, Lidl Ireland and Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, have joined with the Letterkenny clubs and three others in the country to the pilot of Lidl One Good Club™, a new initiative offering selected clubs the opportunity to support all members to engage in activities that can promote their mental health and wellbeing.
The objectives of Lidl One Good Club™ include:
•Increasing awareness of mental health across the LGFA community
•Increasing your club’s knowledge on how to promote youth mental health (through the 5 a Day for Your Mental Health programme)
•Enabling your club to respond more effectively to the mental health needs of members
•Increasing awareness of your local Jigsaw service
•Building improved links with local communities
•Creating an improved culture around mental health in your club
•Ensuring your club secures official Lidl One Good Club™ accreditation
Run over five weeks, commencing this week the 2019 the Lidl One Good Club™ programme, in association with the LGFA and Jigsaw, will be run as a pilot in just four LGFA clubs including St Eunan’s, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Roscommon Gaels, Co. Roscommon, Castleknock, Co. Dublin.
The programme will see each club being encouraged and supported to undertake a series of mental health and wellbeing initiatives, in line with Jigsaw’s 5 a Day for Your Mental Health concept.
Once completed, clubs will share their details via social media, and on successful completion of the 5-week programme, clubs will receive formal accreditation as Lidl One Good Club™.
Dermot Higgins, chair of St Eunan’s LGFA, says players from the U16, Minor, Senior and MothersAndOthers teams are taking part – a Yoga session in the clubhouse tonight (6.30pm) is part of the programme.
“We were delighted to be asked by the LGFA and Lidl to help pilot this programme which has mental health and wellbeing at the heart of it,” said Higgins.
“Gaelic games clubs are the perfect vehicle for reaching young people; the team spirit which already exists in clubs can help to provide a community listening ear to all.
“We will be encouraging friends of our players to become engaged with the club as part of a wider outreach programme and we will be working with Jigsaw to show the importance of being a listener and being there for others.
“We are also keen to make it fun so we have Yoga, Zumba, an adventure away day included in the plans.”
LGFA President Marie Hickey said: “We are very pleased to be involved in the pilot of the Lidl One Good Club™ programme, and working closely alongside Lidl Ireland, our National League sponsors and retail partners, and Jigsaw, who play such a vital role in positive mental health. We are very much looking forward to seeing how this pilot scheme is received in the four selected clubs and surrounding areas, before potentially rolling out the scheme on a wider basis in due course. This programme has the ability to make a difference in the lives of so many young people.”
Sian Gray, Head of Marketing at Lidl Ireland, commented: “We are excited to be trialling the Lidl One Good Club™ programme, created as a result of Lidl’s collaboration with our official sponsorship partner, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, and our charity partner Jigsaw, the National Centre of Youth Mental Health. This opportunity has amazing potential to integrate our two partnerships at a grassroots level and make a positive impact on the local communities Lidl is a part of across the Republic of Ireland.”
Mike Mansfield, Jigsaw Director of Communications & Fundraising, said: “Jigsaw is delighted to be involved in this unique programme. Lidl One Good Club™, in association with the LGFA and Jigsaw, has the potential to inform, support, educate and empower a wide range of people from across the LGFA club structure. And this is key to Jigsaw in supporting our vision of an Ireland where every young person’s mental health is valued and supported.”
* A yoga session will take place in the St Eunan’s club house this evening at 6.30pm – 7.30pm and is open to all LGFA members from U16 upwards
